Representatives of higher education and scientific institutions are invited to attend a pilot workshop - a Community of Practice for academic staff in Latvia, which will take place on April 29, 2025, at 9:00 AM at Kalnciema Quarter in Riga. Please register your interest in participating at this link by April 22.
Guests are warmly invited to help pilot our concept for a Community of Practice that can support and serve academic staff in Latvia! The Community of Practice is being developed as part of the ongoing collaboration between Latvia, the European Commission and the OECD on institutionalising reforms to academic careers in Latvia, funded by the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) of the European Union. Registration is open to all, regardless of your field, role or position within the system – all we ask is that you are enthusiastic and interested in helping to shape the future Community of Practice.
The workshop will take place from 9:00 to 13:00 at the Kalnciema Kvartāls, with a coffee break during the session. We believe this revitalised venue will provide an inspiring setting for the workshop, where participants will:
- Explore potential formats for collaboration,
- Identify key priorities in higher education where a Community of Practice can have the greatest impact, and
- Agree on the next steps forward.
The morning will begin with a short welcome by Gillian Golden from the OECD, in English and then proceed in Latvian, with the participation of Kristiāna Egle from the OECD. The session will be co-moderated by Anita Gaile, a business management coach and consultant, who lectures on people and change management at leading Latvian universities and Elīna Petrovska, a Latvian project education and science policy expert and local advisor to the ongoing OECD project.
Please arrive by 8:30 to enjoy morning coffee and informal conversations with colleagues before we begin!
A short overview of the Community of Practice element of the TSI academic careers project is provided below. An agenda and background document will be shared with registered participants before the meeting. Should you have questions, feel free to reach out to the OECD team by email (gillian.golden@oecd.org).
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Developing a Community of Practice for Latvian academic staff
The OECD Higher Education Policy team, in collaboration with the European Commission and funded by the European Union's Technical Support Instrument (TSI) is supporting Latvia as it develops and implements various reforms to its academic career framework. Initial project findings confirm that many academic and scientific staff working in Latvia feel they would benefit from more opportunities to share information, knowledge and practices with each other. A Community of Practice is one potential pathway towards achieving that goal.
Collaborative initiatives for academic staff, such as Communities of Practice, are becoming increasingly common at national and international level. If properly designed and resourced, they can provide improved opportunities to support and advise academic staff and promote innovative approaches across their diverse responsibilities. They can also play a vital role in showcasing the diverse contributions that academic staff make to teaching and learning development, mentorship, and service to society.
The Project team is developing an outline concept for a Community of Practice that could serve and benefit academic staff in Latvia, drawing heavily on feedback gathered throughout the project. The Community could comprise representatives from HEIs, research institutes and key stakeholders across Latvia. It could provide a focal point for Latvian academic and scientific staff to connect, share experiences, collaborate on addressing common challenges and access activities that support professional development and career fulfillment.
The concept includes initial proposals for how the Community could be governed and run, the thematic areas it might address and how it could be sustainably resourced and managed in the future, after this current TSI project concludes. To move from vision to action, we need to pilot this concept, ensuring that what is proposed and eventually established is fit-for-purpose and has potential to deliver lasting benefits.
