To further improve the quality of science and studies, Riga Technical University (RTU) elects two more tenure-track professors. Xiaodan Pang has been appointed tenure-track professor in electrical, electronics, information and communication engineering, and Juris Burlakovs has been appointed tenure-track professor in civil and transport engineering with a specialisation in geotechnics.
Both tenure-track professors were elected in an open competition. Xiaodan Pang was elected on 13 March by the Board of Professors of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineering, Computer Science and Informatics, and Juris Burlakovs by the Board of Professors of Civil Engineering on 15 March.
Xiaodan Pang is a senior researcher at the Photonics Department, Faculty of Applied Physics, Royal Swedish Institute of Technology (KTH) and the Institute of Photonics, Electronics and Electronic Communications, Faculty of Computer Science, Information Technology and Energy, RTU. Together with RTU colleagues, he developed the silicon photonic optical modulator technology, which was recognised by the Latvian Academy of Sciences as one of the most significant scientific achievements of 2023. It is also highly appreciated at international level. Silicon photonics is an innovative field that is developing rapidly. It plays a key role in the efficiency of data centres, 5G and 6G networks and the development of artificial intelligence. The silicon photonic optical modulator technology developed at RTU is characterised by its high energy efficiency and its ability to provide higher bandwidth in micrometer-sized devices. The technology enables data transmission speeds of up to 170 Gbit/s, which also led to a world record.
Meanwhile, Juris Burlakovs research interests include heavy metal contamination remediation technologies and their application in various geo-ecological settings, and previous work in geomagnetic research, geophysics and geology. He works at the Research Institute for Mineral Resources and Energy Economics, Polish Academy of Sciences, and is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia.
The tenure-track professorship, introduced in Latvia in 2022, is a special incentive system for professors to support high-calibre researchers and promote excellence in science at the university level. The tenure system was introduced at RTU as the first higher education institution in Latvia to specifically motivate the best professors to attract and retain them at RTU.
Tenure has been successfully implemented in many European countries. It provides that elected academic staff will be given an indefinite contract of employment upon obtaining a certain academic position, such as Associate Professor or Professor, and meeting certain professional and scientific qualification criteria.
The tenure-track system is one of the solutions for the development of human capital in research and innovation. In particular, it opens up more opportunities to attract the most outstanding local and foreign academics to Latvian science and education through competitions. The presence of world-class science and the transfer of this knowledge to students is important both for the development of research and for the creation of new and competitive start-ups.
