This is the third annual conference of the Association of Latvian Students and Researchers in the UK (ALSRUK), which is financially supported by the Embassy of Latvia in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Latvian Investment and Development Agency and the Latvian Ministry of Education and Science, and aims to:
To bring together diaspora students and researchers in dialogue and exchange on the path to social, environmental and economic sustainability and the opportunities that this inevitable global transformation can bring to Latvia;
Activate sustainability as a mission in the global and Latvian context and more clearly outline the current and potential contribution of science to this challenge in public policy, economics and business;
Identify the potential contribution of diaspora researchers to Latvia's sustainability challenges;
Stimulate the development of collaborative bridges between diaspora researchers and with Latvian institutions and organisations working towards sustainability goals;
Strengthen Latvia-UK relations and cooperation in science and education;
Encourage new contacts among diaspora researchers and students and with Latvian institutions.
Conference programme
09:30 - 10:00 Opening of the conference
Address by Sandra Martinsone, ALSRUK Director
Address by the Ambassador of Latvia to the United Kingdom, Ivita Burmistre
Address by Mr Dmitrijs Stepanovs, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Education and Science, Director of the Department of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
10:00 - 10:20 Keynote address - Keynote address: Dr. Gatis Krūmiņš, Associate Professor and Senior Researcher, Vidzeme University
10:20 - 11:10 Session One: Sustainable Economy
Daiga Kamerade, PhD (University of Cambridge), Associate Professor in Labour and Well-being Studies and Head of the Research Centre at the University of Salford;
Ilze Jozepa, International Trade Researcher at the UK House of Commons Library;
Anželika Krastiņa, SECA (Sustainable entrepreneurship for climate action) project partner, lecturer at the University of Lapland, Finland
11:10 - 12:00 Session 2: Sustainable Health System
Daina Kosite, The Netherlands, PhD student at Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands, researcher on public health, health inequalities and mental health in urban environments.
Dace Dimza-Jones, Deputy Head of Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals, Northern Life Sciences Development Centre, UK Department of Trade, co-founder and board member of the Diaspora Nurses and Midwives Association;
Ilze Boganovic, Associate Professor in Public Health, University of Nottingham, School of Medicine
Moderator: Karl Alberg, Quality Improvement Specialist at the Office of Improvement and Transformation, Central London Public Health (NHS) Trust; esliLV Healthcare Management Think Tank Leader;
12:00 - 1:00 Lunch
13:00 - 13:50 Session Three: Sustainable Finance
Glenn Oliver Anderson, Sustainable Investing Analyst, Fidelity International;
Elina Rolfe, ESG Director, ACA group, previously Director of Reports and Assessments at PRI (Principles of Responsible Investment);
Lauma Hill-Timan, ESG and Data Analyst, Berenberg
Moderator: Linda Zeilina, Founder and CEO of the International Sustainable Finance Centre, member of the EU Sustainable Finance Platform, Obama Europe Leader;
13:30 - 14:40 Session 4: Sustainable infrastructure
Andris Bankowski, Energy Engineer, Member of the Engineering Council of Wales, former Chair of the UK Government's Electricity Market Reform Expert Group;
John Eagle, Investment Specialist, Energy transition to green hydrogen and ammonium;
Kārlis Kukainis, undergraduate student at Mackintosh School of Architecture in Glasgow, winner of the RIAS Sustainable Architecture Design Award 2022;
Andra Blumberga, RTU EVIF Vice Dean of Science and Environmental Engineering Expert
14:40 - 15:00 Coffee break
15:00 - 15:20 Presentation on the World Congress of Latvian Scientists 2023, 27-29 June
15:20 - 16:45 Thematic workshops
16:45 - 17:15 Closure of the conference: key messages from the sessions and thematic workshops
17:15 - 19:30 networking in an informal setting
More information and registration is available on the event’s Eventbrite site.