Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) (,ņš ) is a public university located in the city of Riga, Latvia. The name Stradiņš () in the university's title refers to the Stradiņš family who have had a significant influence on the course of community and academic life in Latvia for over a century.
Riga Stradiņš University
In 1950, Riga Medical Institute was established on the basis of the Faculty of Medicine of the State University of Latvia. The initiators were professors Pauls Stradiņš (1896–1958) and Ernests Burtnieks (1950–1958) - the first Director of Riga Medical Institute, and Healthcare Minister of the Republic of Latvia Ādolfs Krauss. Initially the institute included the faculties of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, as well as 45 departments.
Rīga Stradiņš University is a state-funded university which offers various study programmes and ensures the realisation of scientific projects, providing training of experts in health care and social sciences who work in Latvia and across the world. It is the only university in Latvia which has traditionally been integrated into the healthcare system of the country, and therefore ensures a successful run of the university, which is a precondition for an effective existence of the health care system in Latvia.
RSU is autonomous and academically free to pursue its goals and tasks, working for the benefit of the state and society, and offering a wide array of academic and professional education and research opportunities in the fields of health care, social care, social sciences and natural sciences.
Riga Stradiņš University is ranked in the top 801-1000 universities in the world, and top 501–550 in medicine by the QS world rankings.
History
On 2 February 1920, Swedish professor Gaston Bakman held the first lecture on human anatomy in the Theatrum Anatomicum Rigense (currently Anatomical Theatre in Riga). This lecture was the forebearer of higher education in medicine in Latvia. Professor Gaston Bakman believed that this was also the beginning of the Institute of Anatomy and Histology, as well as the Museum of Anatomy in Riga.
After World War II, only two professors of medicine remained in Latvia, one of whom was Professor Pauls Stradiņš, who in a very short time as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine managed to rebuild and renew the education and science of medicine from scratch. In 1950, during the Soviet occupation the Riga Medical Institute (Latvian: Rīgas Medicīnas institūts; ; Latin: Institutum Medical Riga) was established on the basis of the Faculty of Medicine of the State University of Latvia. Initially the institute included the faculties of medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, as well as 45 departments.
In 1990, the institute was renamed Medical Academy of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Medicīnas akadēmija, Latin: Academia Medicinaei Latviensis), but already on 5 April 1998, the Constitutional Assembly made the decision to rename Medical Academy of Latvia, based on its actual activities as Riga Stradiņš University. Riga Stradiņš University in time developed into a university type higher education institution, as it trains experts not only in the fields of medicine and pharmacy, but also offers study programmes in social sciences, natural sciences, public health and law. On 13 June 2002, Riga Stradiņš University Act came into effect and Medical Academy of Latvia was renamed Riga Stradiņš University.
Structure
Riga Stradiņš University's nine faculties provide undergraduate as well as postgraduate level studies in various programmes. High school students as well as doctors of science have the opportunity to study at RSU and enhance their education, and make a contribution to the creation of knowledge and new technologies.
Currently there are 9 faculties at RSU:
Medical Sciences
Faculty of Dentistry
Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Pharmacy
Faculty of Public Health and Social Welfare
Faculty of Rehabilitation
Social Sciences
Faculty of Communications (including Department of Communication Studies and Department of Sociology) Faculty of European Studies (including Department of Political Science and Department of Economics)
Law
Faculty of Law
Post-graduate departments
Faculty of Continuing Education
Division of Doctoral Studies
There is also a department for international students studying at RSU, the International Student Department