GUIDE National Node Seminar at Daugavpils University

On June 11, 2026, an academic qualification seminar organized by the national node of the GUIDE (Growing Up in Digital Europe: EuroCohort) (https://www.guidecohort.eu/) longitudinal study was held at Daugavpils University. The seminar aimed to familiarize researchers with the development of scientific infrastructure for longitudinal studies and to highlight the research opportunities offered by the GUIDE project. As an interdisciplinary study, GUIDE will provide valuable data for researchers across a wide range of scientific fields, including sociology, psychology, educational sciences, economics, health sciences, and cultural studies. The seminar emphasized the potential applications of GUIDE data in advancing research and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. A total of 26 researchers and academic staff members from Daugavpils University participated in the academic development event.

The seminar was opened by the Head of the GUIDE National Node, Prof. Anita Stašulāne, who delivered an introductory lecture entitled “Participation of Latvian Researchers in the ESFRI Roadmap Study GUIDE.” The first comparative European cohort study examining the well-being of children and young people from birth to the age of 24, GUIDE is included in the ESFRI Roadmap (the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) (https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/strategy/strategy-research-and-innovation/our-digital-future/european-research-infrastructures/esfri_en ). Participation in the GUIDE consortium provides Latvian researchers with the opportunity to contribute to an ambitious ESFRI Roadmap study, expand international research collaboration, and strengthen national scientific capacity.

Guest lecturer Dr. Jaroslav Mihálik from St. Cyril and Methodius University in Trnava (Slovakia) delivered a lecture entitled “Growing Up in Digital Europe: Why Studying Children's Digital Wellbeing Requires a New Research Infrastructure.” During his presentation, he introduced findings from Slovakia on children's and young people's access to digital technologies and the assessment of their digital skills. The seminar participants gained valuable insights into the collection and analysis of data related to digital accessibility and digital competencies among young people. The experience shared by Dr. Mihálik is particularly relevant to the development of the GUIDE research infrastructure, which is being created through the collaborative efforts of St. Cyril and Methodius University in Trnava and other partners of the GUIDE consortium.

In her lecture, “Development of a GUIDE Research Infrastructure for Longitudinal Research,” Prof. Anita Stašulāne introduced participants to the principles and applications of longitudinal research, which enables researchers to monitor and analyse changes, patterns, and developmental trends in attitudes, behaviour, and social phenomena over time. The lecture outlined the main types of longitudinal research and highlighted the key differences between them. Prof. Stašulāne presented examples of established panel studies and devoted particular attention to cohort studies. She explained that the GUIDE consortium is developing a research infrastructure to support a birth cohort study that will follow children born in the same year over a period of 24 years. By collecting data at regular intervals throughout participants’ lives, the study will provide valuable insights into how early-life experiences, risk factors, and significant life events influence health, development, and life outcomes in the long term. This approach will make it possible to identify developmental trends and explore potential causal relationships between experiences in childhood and outcomes in adulthood.

In her lecture, “The Importance of Policy Maker Networking for Latvia’s Involvement in the European Research Infrastructure Roadmap Study GUIDE,” Assoc. Prof. Alīna Romanovska emphasized the importance of engaging government representatives and officials from research funding institutions at an early stage of Latvia’s participation in the GUIDE initiative. She explained that the involvement of policy makers is essential for securing the political support and financial resources required to ensure the long-term sustainability of the study. Assoc. Prof. Romanovska also highlighted that, in the future, representatives of the countries participating in the GUIDE consortium will work together to make strategic decisions regarding the governance, development, and implementation of the GUIDE study.

The seminar concluded with a question-and-answer session, which demonstrated the participants’ strong interest in the GUIDE study and its future development. The discussion highlighted the potential of GUIDE as a research platform that offers researchers opportunities to pursue academic careers within a stable, long-term research infrastructure and to contribute to an ambitious international scientific initiative.

Anita Stašulāne, Daugavpils University

This initiative is implemented within the framework of ERDF project No 1.1.1.5/3/24/I/003 "Support for the Participation of Daugavpils University in the Horizon Europe programme".