02 - Latvia - Ongoing debates and future developments
In Latvia, the transition to a two-cycle higher education system
consisting of undergraduate and postgraduate studies is ongoing in
order to implement the provisions of the Bologna declaration and to
make acquisition of higher education more effective, comparable and
competitive. The two cycle model, "3+2", corresponds to three years of
bachelor and two years of master studies. There are already a
significant number of higher education institutions providing bachelor
programmes of three years duration. It promotes faster joining in
labour market, more intensive studies, lower expenses and better
comparability of acquired degrees.
In order to improve academism
of studies, it is planned to introduce a requirement for a definite
proportion of academic staff to hold doctor’s degree – in academies ( akadēmija)the required proportion would be least 30%, while in other higher education institutions
augstskola - at least 20%. This requirement will come into effect in July, 2010
on the proportion of academic staff holding doctor’s degree in universities.
In
the recent years, the work on a draft Law on Higher Education has been
ongoing. The new draft law was developed in September, 2006 and is
still widely discussed among policy makers, involved bodies and general
public. It is expected to be adopted in 2008. The law is supposed to
strengthen the integrity of Latvian higher education within the
European higher education system, autonomy of higher education
institutions and their responsibility for study results. It intends to
make study process more attractive (academic freedom, three-cycle
structure, ECTS, lifelong learning, detailed description of study fee
terms). The draft eliminates the current division in academic and
professional study programmes as well as improves higher education
funding mechanisms. Cooperation between higher education and employers
will also be strengthened.
In order to ensure the training of
new specialists for the needs of the national economy the Ministry of
Education and Science is developing a model of study programmes in
higher education facilitating the countries development. The main issue
under concern is the allocation of budget subsidized places according
to industries.
In the recent 3 years the state budget financing
of higher education institutions and their autonomy have been growing
constantly. It is planned that from 2009 higher education institutions
will have greater autonomy in managing their funds.
The Ministry
of Education and Science has prepared draft amendments in the
regulations of state financing of higher education institutions
prescribing that not only human resource capacity but also performance
will be taken into acount when allocating state budget funding for the
provision of science development.
It is also planned to
facilitate mobility between the Baltic States in the field og higher
education and mutual cooperation in the area of the evaluation of the
quality of higher education. It is foreseen to develop joint programmes
in higher education involving academic staff from the Baltic States.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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