Dzīves un darba gājums

3.7. Summary

Strong points:

• 
  in accordance with DU strategy, the proportion and importance of the research activities for the development of the university have considerably grown; the number of professors and associate professors with the basic job at the establishment has also essentially grown;
  
• 
  the number of students of doctoral studies have essentially increased;
  
• 
  3 faculty scientific institutes have been founded;
  
• 
  the Centre of Doctoral studies and Research Coordination and Information department have been founded in the DU Department of Science;
  
• 
  the amount of attracted financial resources has grown; the DU participation in international and local research projects has increased;
  
• 
  the cooperation with regional industrial enterprises and local authorities is expanding;
  
• 
  the international cooperation and exchange of students and lecturers are becoming more extensive.
  

Weak points:

• 
  insufficient and outdated technical support in laboratories;
  
• 
  insufficient experience in project drafting;
  
• 
  because of financial difficulties, a great number of regional industrial enterprises do not participate in promoting the development of science, and their interest in cooperation with the university is insignificant.
  

Solutions:

• 
  working out projects for EU Structural funds, a purposeful renewal of technical support for the research activities in accordance with DU strategy for the development of those branches of science which are topical for the area;
  
• 
  a rapid development of cooperation with industrial enterprises, joint project drafting, thus attracting serious investments for the development of science and ensuring technology transfer processes;
  
• 
  in-service training of DU scientists abroad in modern technologies, especially while working on promotion theses;
  
• 
  to go on with supporting fundamental theoretical research;
  
• 
  a development and updating of doctoral studies in DU.
  

4. academic staff

4.1. Qualification of the academic staff

DU academic staff meets the requirements set for the universities.

At present, DU academic staff has 249 university lecturers, 128 of them have doctor or habilitated doctor degrees, which constitutes 51% of the whole academic staff (Appendix 5). In 2003, 6 more professors and 15 associated professors have been elected at an open competition. DU academic staff distribution according to their positions and comparison with the average indicators in Latvia’s state higher education institutions are given in Table 4.1.

Fig.4.1. DU academic staff distribution according to their positions
Table 4.1. Distribution of academic staff by the position (%)

% from academics staff	Professors	Associated professors	Docents	Researches	Lecturers	Assistants
Persons with the basic job at DU, 2003	9	8	24	1	42	16
Persons with the basic job at DU and doing additional job, 2003	12	12	26	2	34	14
Persons with the basic job at DU, 2001	4	6	27	1	37	26
Latvia’s higher education establishments (from MES website, Statistics 2002/2003)	10	10	28	5	36	11

Percentage distribution of DU doctors of sciences according to branches of science in 2000 and in 2003 is shown in table 4.2.
Table 4.2.Distribution of doctors of sciences by branches of science in 2000 and 2003

Branch/Year	2000	2003	Branch/Year	2000	2003
Physics	11	11	Philosophy	1	3
Biology	9	10	Theology	1	1
Mathematics	5	5	History	4	5
Engineering	3	2	Economics	4	6
Medicine	1	1	Sociology	2	3
Pedagogy	24	38	Philology	20	23
Psychology	7	12	Art	0	3
Law	0	3	Political science	0	1

The distribution of the academic staff by age groups compared with the data in Latvia’s state higher education establishments is indicated in table 4.3.

Table 4.3.The distribution of the academic staff by age groups (%)

Age group	to 30 years	30–39 years	40–49 years	50–59 years	60 years and older
DU	23	26	24	15	12
Latvia’s higher education establishments	12	17	25	26	20