By the end of 2029, large-scale digitisation of the study process will be implemented in higher education institutions of Latvia. This was decided during the government meeting on 27 May 2025.

The aim of the project promoted by the Ministry of Education and Science is to ensure a modern, flexible and student-centred study environment by introducing shared digital solutions. The project will be implemented with financial support from the European Social Fund Plus.

Minister of Education and Science Dace Melbārde emphasises: 

"With the project on digitisation of higher education, we are taking the best examples of European practice and adapting them to the needs of Latvia. The aim of the platform is to build a system that would be more convenient, accessible and efficient for all its users - students, faculty staff and society as a whole. This is an important step towards modern, accessible and development-oriented higher education and lifelong learning."

The modernisation will cover four study support systems: 

• integrated digital resource and library management with extensive artificial intelligence support for search and content processing,
• modern management of student internships,
• evaluation of the study process and
• management of the use of personal data in student research work. 

The implementation of this project will significantly improve the study experience and accessibility, offering students the opportunity to choose study courses from different higher education institutions in Latvia and elsewhere in Europe, obtain micro-qualifications and create an individually tailored study plan. Digitalisation will introduce e-diplomas, student e-files, as well as unified internship management and digital library systems, ensuring the introduction of ‘paperless’ procedures. This will reduce the administrative burden for both students and academic staff, while allowing for the automatic exchange of data between public authorities. 

The resumption of studies will also become more convenient for adults, promoting lifelong learning and improvement of professional qualifications. It is expected that the implementation of sharing systems will ensure a more efficient use of public resources, reducing costs by 10-15% compared to individually developed solutions.

In the first round, the development and implementation will be carried out by the Unified Service Centre (VPC), which consists of four science universities. The VPC aims to develop innovative, shareable digital solutions that contribute to the growth of the entire higher education system. The students represented by these four higher education institutions account for more than 66% of students in Latvia or 49,200 students in total.

In the second round, a grant programme will be announced, which is intended for the introduction of new digital solutions in all public and private higher education institutions and colleges in Latvia. Both individual and collaborative projects will be eligible for funding, thus ensuring the smooth integration of digital innovations throughout the higher education system.

The project will be implemented from now until the end of 2029, when digital systems will be implemented in all higher education institutions where at least 80% of Latvia’s students study.

For more information, read this news article of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia: https://www.izm.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/latvija-uzsak-augstakas-izglitibas-digitalizaciju-modernizets-studiju-process-mazaks-birokratiskais-slogs-un-plasaka-pieejamiba-studentiem.

Source: Eurydice Unit Latvia