Description
The long-term strategy of RTU defines three objectives – high quality study process, excellence in research and sustainable innovation and commercialization activities, which are to be achieved by focusing on five main priorities of the University: internationalization, interdisciplinarity, organisational efficiency, financial efficiency and infrastructure efficiency. Internationalization comprises all activities in the field of science, innovation and studies at international level. The proposed project will seek to increase the internationalization of RTU and support the development of high quality study process through exchange of experience of academic staff and student mobility activities. The project is also aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and stimulate long-term cooperation between RTU and UiT as well as sustainable capacity and competence-building. In addition the project will facilitate development of excellence in academic education by implementing the elements of scientific research into studies. The project will increase the research and innovation capacity and the competence of RTU graduate students and academic staff via synergy the existing research projects within RTU and UiT. We will offer the scholars the possibility to combine the work in a research project with obtaining new experience abroad.
Summary of project results
The project increased the internationalization of Riga Technical University (RTU) and supported development of high quality study process through exchange of experience of academic staff and student mobility activities. The project also strengthened bilateral relations and stimulated long-term cooperation between RTU and the University of Tromsø (UiT) as well as sustainable capacity and competence-building. The project was implemented according to the initial planning: all 3 student mobilities and 3 academic staff mobilieties were implemented. The project resulted in educational and scientific collaboration between RTU and UiT. Professors from both universities met and exchange their visions on higher education at Masters and Doctoral level. Moreover, a full course on “Crystalllization of biological macromolecules” was provided in the form of workshop for students at RTU. This course involved lectures, seminars and lab work and it is originally provided for Norwegian students in the frame of BioStruct – the Norwegian graduate school in structural biology. Students from the University of Latvia and PhD candidates from the Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Center also participated in this workshop. During the project 3 students from Riga Technical University went on an exchange to UiT for one semester: Kristers Ozols (Master level) Atis Jekabsons (Master level) Diana Zelencova (Doctoral level) In additiony to their study agreement and ECTS all of them were involved in voluntary student scientific research at UiT. The obtained scientific results will appear in their Master’s thesis and PhD thesis. For example, Kristers Ozols extensively performed computational chemistry studies under supervision of Dr. Kathrin Helen Hopmann (UiT). These results will be combined with the synthetic work at RTU to submit his Master’s thesis and Dr. Hopmann will be assigned as the external scientific adviser for the thesis along with prof. M. Turks form RTU. Similarly, the research of A. Jekabsons and D. Zelencova performed at UiT will result in a joint scientific publications co-authored by both parties – RTU and UiT. The scientific collaboration of Latvian students with Norwegian professors (e.g. Ozols ↔ Hopmann) by means of Skype meetings is continuing up to date and is foreseen to sustain until their thesis defense.
Summary of bilateral results
The project has resulted in educational and scientific collaboration between RTU and University of Tromsø (UiT). Professors from both universities have met and exchange their visions on higher education at Masters and Doctoral level. Professors that met each other during various stages of the project: - From Latvia: Maris Turks, Kristaps Jaudzems, Valdis Kokars - From Norway: Arne O. Smalås, Jørn H. Hansen, Annette Bayer, Johan Isaksson, Ronny Helland. As a result of the proejct, Kristaps Jaudzems in collaboration with Arne O. Smalås and Johan Isaksson will be seeking possibilities for joint project applications in field of NMR spectroscopy and structural biology of biological macromolecules. Similarly, Maris Turks in collaboration with Jørn H. Hansen will be seeking possibilities for joint project applications in fields of medicinal chemistry and synthetic organic chemistry of biologically active small molecules. Additionally, Arne O. Smalås and Jørn H. Hansen will be included in PhD thesis committee at Riga Technical University when appropriate.