On March 24, President Edgars Rinkēvičs participated and gave a speech at the opening plenary session of the Rīga Stradiņš University International Research Week.
Good morning, esteemed Rector, researchers, students, and guests,
For 75 years, Rīga Stradiņš University has trained healthcare professionals who care for our families, for people. Your graduates work in hospitals and clinics across Latvia, bringing not just medical expertise, but also hope to those who need it most.
For 75 years, you have advanced medical research in Latvia, broadening our international horizons and enhancing excellence. But you have also expanded in other areas of science. And I want to truly congratulate you.
But you all also understand that progress doesn't happen in isolation. What makes this university special is how you bring different fields together.
Here medicine meets technology. But still medicine is fundamentally human. Artificial Intelligence can analyze data but can’t hold your hand, can’t look into your eyes, and can’t cheer you up when all you see is confusion.
Here medicine meets social science. Experience, both in Latvia and around the world, shows that even the best technologies and medicine are ineffective without the trust. How can we convince people that healthcare is a friend, not an enemy? This is where medicine and medical science meets social sciences. And I think that we really need this connection. We are going to need it more and more in the future, because you all understand that health is much more than healthcare.
Developing holistic solutions to complex problems is not an easy task. I believe that Rīga Stradiņš University is on the right track to reach this goal. For example, your simulation-based training. Medical knowledge combined with the latest technology transforms how we prepare healthcare professionals. National Artificial Intelligence Center – creating safe spaces to test innovations before they affect people's lives. Rīga Stradiņš University is also part of the Precision Medicine Center for Pediatrics. Scientific research, of course, is the cornerstone of healthcare. However, the most important role of this center is to provide hope and a future for children. Especially those children with cancer and rare diseases. Nothing could be more important than this.
But we also understand the future of healthcare; the future of social sciences needs both – high-tech tools and high-touch care. Science needs brilliant brains and brilliant hearts. I am not a doctor, but I see both here in this room. I see brilliant brains and I see brilliant hearts.
So, as you begin this Research Week, remember that your work matters – not just to your colleagues, but to every Latvian family counting on better life tomorrow, to everyone who is part of this week. Your work serves your communities, our community, your societies and our society, your country and our country. And it serves our shared future.
Dear friends! I wish you a great conference! I wish you important meetings, fruitful discussions, and new ideas not only during the conference sessions but also during the coffee breaks, where most probably the best ideas are born.
Thank you very much!
