Proud to be a knowledge society, says Latvia's education and science minister
Latvia is a small country where great people live, and we know that our main resource is knowledge, said Latvian Minister for Education and Science, Ina Druviete, opening an evening on Latvian research and the European Research Area (ERA) on 5 December. The country is currently at a crossroads, said the minister, which requires the prompt adoption and implementation of legislation in three key areas: increased research investment, science management, and communication with citizens in order to illustrate to them the necessity of investing in research and knowledge. 'We are proud that we will be a knowledge society, and we know that this is the only way forward,' said Ms Druviete. It appears that Latvia has already come some way, but is aware that it still needs to do more. The country has doubled its budget for research this year, and has also increased the number of young people going to university, and as well as the number of those studying science. But more investment is still needed, and links between universities and industry must be increased and strengthened, the minister made clear. Maija Bundule, Deputy Director for Higher Education and Research at Latvia's Ministry of Education and Science, elaborated more on how Latvia intends to improve further its research performance. Current aims include the orientation of Latvian research towards European and national priorities, the strengthening of universities and the strengthening of research teams. The country is going about this by strengthening its doctoral studies programmes, upgrading its research staff and defining research policies, she explained. The country also has a funding support programme for those Latvian scientists who have gained EU funding, and is running a programme to ensure the maintenance of the country's research infrastructure.
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