CONFERENCETenured Professor Inta Mieriņa
Tenured Professor at FESS, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, and Director of the Centre for Diaspora and Migration Research at the University of Latvia. Her research interests include political sociology, migration, integration, social capital and public goods, as well as political attitudes and behaviour, and issues related to youth and education. I. Mieriņa has participated in numerous international studies and led several migration research projects, including the largest survey of Latvian emigrants, which covered 14,068 respondents across 118 countries. Prof. Mieriņa regularly provides expertise to Latvian policymakers on migration and integration issues and serves as an evaluator of research projects for the European Commission.
Prof. Aija Zobena
Professor at FESS, Director of the Bachelor’s programme in Sociology, Senior Researcher and Director of the Advanced Social and Political Research Institute. A. Zobena's research interests are related to rural and regional development as well as the social economy. She is the project leader in Latvia for the implementation of the ''OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)."
Prof. Daunis Auers
Professor at FESS, Director of the Doctoral Programme "Social Sciences", recipient and project leader of the European Union’s Jean Monnet Chair grant, and Head of the study field “Sociology, Political Science, Anthropology” at the University of Latvia. His research interests include political parties, elections, political risks, and economic competitiveness. D. Auers has studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and University College London (UCL), and has been a Fulbright researcher at the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Washington, Seattle. Within the framework of a Baltic-American Freedom Foundation research grant, he has also worked at Wayne State University, Detroit.
Prof. Iveta Reinholde
Prof. Iveta Reinholde is Vice-Dean for Research at FESS and Professor in the field of governance and administration, with extensive experience in policy evaluation, public administration reforms, and internal audit. She is the author of more than 40 publications on public administration reform, good governance, and local government issues. Prof. Reinholde regularly gives lectures at universities and higher education institutions across Europe and participates in expert working groups on governance. Since 2014, she has served as an independent expert for the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, and since 2021 she has been a board member of the European Confederation of Institutes of Internal Auditing.
Prof. Jānis Ikstens
Professor at FESS, Director of the Master’s Programme in Political Science, and Senior Researcher at the Advanced Social and Political Research Institute. His research interests focus on political parties and voter behaviour. Prof. Ikstens has worked at Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences and Riga Graduate School of Law, and has served in the OSCE ODIHR Expert Group on Political Parties. J. Iksten's has received Baltic-American Freedom Foundation and Fulbright fellowships, undertaking research at Columbia University in the United States. He leads the national project within the ''Comparative Study of Electoral Systems'' programme and is head of the national research programme ''Sustinno''.
Prof. Tālis Tisenkopfs
Professor at FESS, Board Member and Senior Researcher at the Baltic Studies Centre, as well as an essayist and author of numerous publications. His research interests include rural development, small farms, agri-food systems, innovations, and the impact of digitalization on rural areas. Prof. Tisenkopfs has served as a member of the COST Scientific Committee (2015–2021), an expert for the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre on policy frameworks for sustainable food systems (2021), Vice President of the European Society for Rural Sociology (2015–2017), and an expert for the European Commission Directorate E (Biotechnologies, Agriculture, Food) on agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (2010–2011).
Assoc. prof. Aivita Putniņa
Associate Professor at FESS, Senior Researcher, and Director of the Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in Cultural and Social Anthropology. She conducts research and provides expert services to state institutions and international organizations on issues of social integration, external communication, national planning, cultural policy, gender equality in NGOs, and the prevention of violence. A. Putniņa is also the founder of the anthropology study programme at the University of Latvia.
Assoc. prof. Baiba Bela
Associate Professor at FESS and Senior Researcher at the Advanced Social and Political Research Institute (ASPRI). B. Bela began her academic career in the National Oral History Research Group at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, but her current research interests focus on migration and social sustainability. She has led several important social research projects, such as the national research programme SUSTINNO project "The Social Dimension of Sustainability and Social Innovation (2014–2017)'' and ''Human Development Report: Sustainability of the Nation (2012–2013)''. In collaboration with the St. Luke’s Society and Master’s students in sociology, she developed the project ''Surprising Stories about People Next Door – Stigma of a Prisoner'', helping to raise awareness about the social inclusion of former inmates.
Assoc. prof. Ivars Ijabs
Associate Professor at FESS, Senior Researcher at the Advanced Social and Political Research Institute, and Member of the European Parliament. His research interests cover a wide range of topics, including political theory, the development of democracy and civil society, political processes in the European Union, as well as the dynamics of Latvian and international politics. I. Ijabs studied philosophy in Latvia and Germany, obtaining both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in the field, and later turned to political research in his doctoral studies.
Assoc. prof. Līga Rasnača
Associate Professor at FESS and Director of the Professional Master’s Programme in Social Work. Her research interests are related to social sustainability, social security and social inequality, as well as regional development. L. Rasnača has participated also in national research programmes such as “Labour Market Studies and National Identity”, as well as in several international projects on the social inclusion of vulnerable groups.
Assoc. prof. Mareks Niklass
Associate Professor at FESS and Senior Researcher at the Advanced Social and Political Research Institute. His research interests focus on employment, social policy, and the perception of inequality. He has extensive experience in quantitative data analysis (survey data, statistical analysis), which he has successfully applied both in teaching students and in several international research projects, such as ISSP, the European Social Survey, and PIAAC. M. Niklass’s expertise has made a significant contribution to interdisciplinary research and data interpretation.
Assoc. prof. Toms Rostoks
Associate Professor at FESS, Director of the Bachelor’s programme in Political Science, Director of the Master’s programme in Diplomacy, and Member of the University of Latvia Ethics Committee. His research interests focus on the security of Latvia and the Baltic States, NATO’s deterrence strategy in the Baltic region, state intentions, Latvian foreign and security policy, as well as factors influencing the choice of military service models. During his doctoral studies, T. Rostoks spent one and a half years at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, and half a year at Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA.
Professor Emeritus Aivars Tabūns
Professor Emeritus at FESS and sociologist. In 2019, A. Tabūns published his first novel "The White Globe''.