Mobility of Doctoral students and researchers RTU experience'

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Mobility of Doctoral students and researchers
RTU experience.

• Riga Technical University
• 5.06.2008
• www.rtuasd.lv

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International programs at the RTU

• - First international programs in English in 1991
  with a few students from Middle East and South
  Asia.
• - Now more than 20 accredited programs in
  English for international students.
• - 3 Doctoral programs for international students
  - in Computer Systems, Mechanical Engineering and
  Civil Engineering, Mechanics.
• - 7 doctoral students from Cameroon, Italy,
  Poland, Switzerland, Syria and United Kingdom

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Number of outgoing researchers extremely low
(3 in current academic year).Reasons low
motivation, new experimental equipment at home,
financial situation improved, personal . BUT-
more, than1,000 scientific business trips during
the last year.
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Number of incoming researchers and doctoral
students - far below capacities

• - doctoral students are fee paying students
• - almost no scholarships
• - RTU is not known as the place for research
  and studies
• - no RTU, no government policy

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No Doctoral students from traditional supplier
countries India, China, Korea, Brasil , etc.

• WHY?
• Procedures for international students and
  researchers from non-EU countries are costly,
  long, unique in the EU
• Result enrolment process of ANY international
  students from non-EU countries
• to Latvian universities is endangered

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Whats unique? Latvian Immigration Law,
(Chapter IV, Article 32, paragraph1, section 1
states that all documents for residence permits
must be submitted in Latvian representative
office (embassy, consulate). Number of Latvian
embassies in non-EU countries is very limited,
applicants for residence permits must go to the
third country in Asia Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,
PR China NOWHERE (NO LATVIAN EMBASSIES) IN
AFRICA OR SOUTH AMERICA.
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Additional costs of such journeystarting from
2,000 EUR, in case of residence permit or visa
refusal lost money!

• Other costs
• Tuition fee 4,000 EUR
• Deposit to cover living expenses
• about 2,400 EUR.
• IS LATVIA SO ATTRACTIVE TO PAY AT LEAST 8,400 EUR
  FOR ONE YEAR?

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Are there any better solutions? Yes, in most
countries on this map!
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The Netherlands
Applicant must send all required documents to
UNIVERSITY, and UNIVERSITY APPLIES FOR A
RESIDENCE PERMIT.
Hungary
Applicant must personally submit documents in
Hungarian embassy or HONORARY CONSULATE. Hungary
has much larger number of embassies than Latvia.
United Kingdom and Ireland
Applicants may send documents by mail.
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Ignorance by policy makers. They believe that

• - Latvian higher education system is not good
  enough to offer competitive education
• - education of international students from non-EU
  countries is strange business with risky
  components
• - there are no financial or moral benefits.

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Additional problems

• - general economic situation
• - costs of studies and living increased
• - more attacks on foreign students
• - no better understanding of needs of
  international students.

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Conclusions

• Universities of Latvia already now offer good
  quality education in English. The quality has
  improved due to large EU financing in research,
  new lab equipment, rapid growth of exchange
  students in both directions.
• All that has not lead to significant increase of
  international students and researchers in Latvian
  universities.
• General policy on different levels
• mInistries, universities,academic staff, society
• towards international students, especially
  Master and doctoral students needs to be
  changed.

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Thank you!igors_at_latnet.lv