Research Institute for Regional Studies (REGI)

REGI is a unit of the Faculty of Education, Languages, and Design. It is the only scientific institution in the Baltics dealing with the development of regional studies as a new scientific area, implementing regional policy of the European Union and promoting the development and sustainability of the region.

About institute

Field of humanities and social sciences

Goal of the institute is to carry out interdisciplinary studies in the fields of humanities and social sciences ensuring the study of Latgale region in the Latvian, European and global context; develop the scientific base of the institute; promote practical implementation, commercialization and integration of research results into the academic process, as well as education of the community.

Fields of science:

  • social sciences (Educational sciences, Economics and business, Psychology);
  • humanities and arts (Languages and literature, History and archaeology, Philosophy, ethics and religion, Arts);

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REGI

Staff

Director

Professor, Leading Researcher, Dr.paed.
Jānis Dzerviniks

Janis.Dzerviniks@rta.lv

29977436

Secretary

Lecturer, Researcher, Mg.oec.
Anita Puzule

Anita.Puzule@rta.lv

REGI

Development strategy

For the next 6 years, the research strategy of the Research Institute for Regional Studies (REGI) is a part of the General Scientific Activity Strategy of Rezekne Academy of Technologies (RTA)

The aim of REGI is related to the long-term goal of RTA: to strengthen the role of social sciences by paying the particular attention to interdisciplinary studies taking into account not only national but also global challenges in economics, education and environment.

REGI is a strong international player with the aim to become a significant member at the global level in order to meet the highest standards in terms of originality, significance and accuracy.

REGI will continue the preparation of blind-reviewed scientific publications included in internationally accessible databases. In 2020, the new international scientific e-journal “EDUCATION. INNOVATION. DIVERSITY.” will be published and distributed under the international licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The research outputs of the institution are published in the leading forums of the respective discipline (Thomson Reuters WoS0; SCOPUS; Journals CI) and have a considerable impact on the development of the discipline. REGI is highly valued as a partner in international research projects.

Research carried out by the institution is highly important for the economy /society, thus rendering the institution as a highly esteemed partner in research and development projects outside the academic environment. Staff members of the institution are in high demand as experts in the private and public sector, thus the institution is an important driver of societal development.

REGI is a strong international player able to provide an internationally competitive excellent research environment to high-level international scientists in the given discipline. REGI will continue improving laboratory equipment and structure (3 laboratories created). It is planned to create one more laboratory (the Language and Culture Laboratory) and one centre (the Design and Creative Industry Innovation Centre) which will allow attracting new doctoral students and practitioners which will ensure the increase of FTE. Thus, communication will be improved between scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors promoting cooperation with research centres of national and international importance, as well as scientific institutions in Latvia and abroad, regional municipalities, national, non-governmental and international organisations.

REGI is implementing the latest doctoral study programme in Latvia - “Pedagogy”, licenced in 2008 and internationally accredited on 2 June 2010 (Decision No.3465). The programme has received the highest international experts` evaluation. The right to promotion (to award a doctoral degree) was received in 2015 in two subfields of Pedagogical Science – Social Pedagogy and Branch (special education) Pedagogy. However, according to the statistical evaluation by the Latvian Council of Science (2019), RTA is the most productive higher education institution in terms of preparation of doctors of science in Latvia.

In accordance with the Cabinet Regulation No.27 of the Republic of Latvia. Informative report of the Ministry of Education and Science “Proposals for Ensuring Conceptually New Competency-based Teacher Education in Latvia that Meets Requirements for Education”, and EC priorities for research and higher education in Latvia, the single doctoral study programme “Education Sciences” has been developed. The programme includes RTA doctoral study programme “Pedagogy” where RTA will be responsible for the implementation of the module “Special Education and Social Work” in Latvia. Cooperation of several higher education institutions within one state is also unique at the global level as the traditional cooperation model is based on the unified international programmes (e.g., the International University of Monaco etc.).

REGI scientists actively work in Doctoral Committees/ Promotion Councils in Latvia and abroad.

Thus, REGI is a strong international player. The institution is able to establish itself as a recognized and respected player in the international scientific community within the given scientific discipline. It is expected that over the next 5-10 years we will achieve a significant international breakthrough in the particular scientific discipline and attract leading researchers and promising doctoral students.

REGI

Fields of science

Research at REGI covers the following fields:

  • Social sciences: Education; Sociology and Social Work;
  • Humanities and Arts: Linguistics and Literature.

Thus, research at REGI covers:

  • Humanities, which include Linguistics and Literature;
  • Social Sciences – Personality Socialization Studies (PSPV), which include Education; Sociology and Social Work.

The scientific activity of REGI is closely related to the national science, technology and innovation development guidelines and goals for 2014–2020, which is a part of the Smart Specialisation Strategy in the national development planning system and promotes the achievement of the goals set forth in the national long-term and medium-term policy planning documents. Since the overarching goal of the science, technology and innovation policy is the development of the knowledge base and innovative capacity of Latvia and the coordination of the innovation system, REGI activity relies on three primary factors:

1. Open innovation, which is based on two primary ideas:

  • REGI uses external knowledge and technologies to strengthen its own innovations (active participation of researchers in conferences and international projects ensures the integration of external knowledge and technologies into its innovative research),
  • REGI creates value from innovation designed internally which is not used in its own work immediately (researchers with innovative ideas and scientific methodology are invited for the fulfilment of contract work at the international and national level, for example, the contract with Palgrave Macmillan publisher, the Latvian Language Agency, the Ministry of Education and Science, etc.). The innovation process is also available to people with experience in other interdisciplinary fields (e.g., State Research Programme INOSOCTEREHI; INTERREG LAT-LIT project POZCOPING etc.).

2. Open science, which ensures access to the scientific process where special focus is given to dissemination of knowledge using digital and cooperation technologies (e.g.: FLPP DocTDLL and LV-UA project, see tdl.rta.lv; open access to publications, etc.).

3. Openness to the world as promotion of international cooperation among researchers, which provides access to innovation and promotes its transfer and adaptation. Thus, foreign scientists are involved in the work of REGI: Dr. H. F. Marten – Germany, etc.