30th European Congress of Rural Sociology in Riga

From July 7 to July 11, 2025, Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) will become a meeting place for hundreds of rural researchers from all over the world. The 30th Congress of the European Society for Rural Sociology will be held for the first time in the Baltic and will mark a significant milestone in rural research in our region. More than 500 papers, 30 book launches, and 400 researchers from 37 countries have already been confirmed for the Congress.

With the theme "Rurals in Transition: In Search of a Viable Future", the Congress participants will be invited to focus on significant processes affecting rural areas: agricultural reforms and digital inequality, demographic changes, and climate change. In addition to the academic program, participants will get to know the Latvian countryside firsthand - its social and ecological landscapes that inspire research.

RSU Vice-Rector for Science Agrita Kiopa: “I am pleased that RSU has won the opportunity to host the main European rural sociology event, which is taking place for the 30th time, against serious competition. It is a great opportunity to highlight issues that are important to us – the countryside as a source of healthy food and a healthy society. The fact that the countryside is becoming “older” and less populated also means that we need to rethink the provision of healthcare. Similarly, climate change, which we experience most directly in the countryside, directly affects both food production and human health. These and other issues are the ones that our researchers and researchers around the world are paying attention to. The congress brings together people from all over the world. They will share their knowledge, as well as see how rich we are – both with our undeservedly understudied countryside and with our contribution of knowledge about it.”

“Rural sociology is more relevant than ever,” emphasises RSU sociologist and head of the local organising committee, science professor Miķelis Grīviņš. “This congress is an opportunity to think about future rural areas that are not only sustainable, but also just and inclusive.”

The congress will feature 40 thematic working groups, plenary sessions and discussion panels, covering topics such as land use, rural activism, participatory governance, sustainable agriculture, infrastructure accessibility, social inclusion and many more.

This year’s congress is particularly notable for its interdisciplinary and experience-based approach. Many sessions will be led by researchers from various scientific disciplines, and thanks to collaboration with partner institutions, field trips will allow participants to step outside the academic environment – ​​participants will visit Latvian markets, protected meadows and national parks.

“It’s an opportunity to connect the global with the local,” adds Miķelis Grīviņš. “We are creating an environment where ideas can enrich each other – not only in lecture halls, but also in forests, fields and conversations.”

Researchers from 37 countries, covering almost all continents, are expected to participate in the congress. There will be participants from Australia, Brazil, Korea, China and the USA, but the largest number – 46 researchers – will come from the UK. Almost 40 congress participants are expected from Spain and Germany, as well as from Hungary, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands and other countries. The congress will create an important platform for discussions on how rural regions in Europe and elsewhere in the world can adapt to change while maintaining their viability, identity and vitality.

More information: on the congress website.