Conference “International Students for Latvia: Opportunity or Risk?”
“Ar pasaules pieredzi Latvijā” (APPLV), with the support of the Society Integration Foundation (SIF), is organizing the conference “International Students for Latvia: Opportunity or Risk?” on 25 November at the National Library of Latvia. The event will bring together employers, university representatives, policymakers, students, and graduates to discuss how Latvia can better harness the potential of international students for the country’s economic development.
Employers in Latvia have long highlighted a significant shortage of specialists, particularly in IT, engineering, and international business. While several thousand third-country students currently study at Latvian universities, most choose to pursue their careers abroad after graduation.
A recent study conducted together with the Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies (BICEPS), “Integration and Employment Opportunities of International Students in Latvia”, revealed that the potential of international students in Latvia remains largely untapped. In contrast, countries such as Finland, Estonia, and Denmark have for years implemented strategic policies to retain the most talented graduates.
“If we do not provide a clear pathway into the labour market, they leave for countries where the transition from studies to employment is much better organized,” the authors of the study note.
To develop a strategic approach to attracting international students and to identify concrete solutions for retaining them and integrating them more effectively into Latvia’s economy, APPLV is organizing the conference “International Students for Latvia: Opportunity or Risk?”. The event will feature:
- a presentation of the main findings of the study;
- an overview of Finland’s, Estonia’s, the Czech Republic’s, and Denmark’s approaches to attracting international students;
- panel discussions on potential policy directions for public administration, universities, and employers.
The conference will be opened by Latvia’s Minister for Culture Agnese Lāce, and insights from Finland will be shared by Mika Raunio, Senior Researcher at the Migration Institute of Finland.
Discussions will feature Aigars Rostovskis, President of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Edvards Ratnieks, Deputy Chairman of the Riga City Council; Kaspars Briškens, Chairman of the Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee of the Parliament; Elīna Gaile-Sarkane, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of Riga Technical University; Baiba Bašķere, Director of the Human Capital Development Department at the Ministry of Economics; Pārsla Baško, Chief People and Culture Officer and Integration Lead at Printful and Printify; Sanda Liepiņa, Director of the public policy think tank PROVIDUS; Zane Vārpiņa, Associate Professor at SSE Riga; and other representatives of state and educational institutions, students, and graduates.
“We want to foster a pragmatic, data-driven discussion that leads to a targeted national strategy and policy – rather than emotionally charged slogans,” emphasizes Ģirts Smelters, Board Member of APPLV.
The conference will also be translated into English.