At the end of the competition, two deans of the faculties of Riga Technical University have been selected, who, starting from January 1, will lead the faculties created during the consolidation process, and the director of the Latvian Maritime Academy of RTU. The search for two more deans and the director of the institute continues. The new leaders of the RTU family were introduced on November 21.
The current dean of the Faculty of Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Professor Māris Turks will become the dean of the future Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technologies. His candidacy was unanimously supported by the temporary council of the future faculty.
Professor Turks has been leading the MLC for five years, during which time he has proved himself to be a good leader who knows how to motivate his colleagues and achieve the set goals. He also presented his vision for the development of the new faculty at the RTU staff meeting on November 21. The new faculty is created based on MLC, adding to it the Institute of Environmental Protection and Heat Systems, which is currently housed in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, and the Institute of Water Systems and Biotechnology, which is currently situated in the Faculty of Construction Engineering.
The current dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Professor Agris Ņikitenko, has been chosen as the dean of the future Faculty of Computer Science, Information Technology and Energy. He has been leading the previously mentioned faculty for five years and shared his vision for the development of the new faculty to the RTU family on November 21. His candidacy was also unanimously supported by the temporary council of the new faculty.
In the creation of the new Faculty of Computer Science, Information Technology and Energy, four faculties of RTU will be combined - Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications, Faculty of E-study Technology and Humanities, and Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Environmental Engineering.
In their visions, the two deans promised to strengthen the science and study area of the faculties and promote cooperation with industry, through which RTU can achieve its strategic goals, including becoming one of the world's 500 strongest universities.
Furthermore, the competition for the position of the dean of the future Faculty of Construction and Mechanical Sciences has ended without results. Professor Līga Gaile, the leading researcher of the Institute of Structural Engineering of the Faculty of Construction Engineering, has been appointed as the acting dean of the new faculty. This faculty is formed with the merging of the Faculty of Civil Engineering and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Transport, and Aeronautics.
Similarly, a dean has not yet been found for the Faculty of Engineering Economics and Management, and it will continue to be led by the current acting dean of the faculty, Aldis Čevers.
In terms of the Institute of Architecture and Design, which will be created through the combination of the Faculty of Architecture and the Institute of Design Technologies of MLĶF, the competition is currently looking for a director, whose name will be known within the next week.
Dmitrijs Goreļikovs has been chosen as the new director of RTU Latvian Maritime Academy (RTU LJA). He has already began working in the new position. He must ensure the leadership of RTU LJA by strengthening the academy's study and scientific capacity, as well as cooperation with industry and continuing the integration of RTU LJA into RTU. In his RTU LJA development strategy, Goreļikovs proposed to increase the quality of studies by digitizing the study process and involving more guest lecturers from the industry in the creation of study courses. He also intends to increase the competitiveness of the academic staff of RTU LJA, thereby ensuring the active involvement of the academy's scientists in the scientific projects of local and international consortia.
The most suitable candidates for the positions of deans of new faculties are carefully selected in accordance with the principles of good governance in four rounds of competitive selection. Applicants' compliance with the requirements for the vacancy, professional competence, and vision for the development of RTU faculties are evaluated by the personnel selection and evaluation company «ASTRAL Executive Search» and a specially created RTU commission.
The new deans of the faculties are scheduled to be approved by December 1. Employment contracts will be for five years.
The consolidation of RTU's faculties takes place to increase RTU's competitiveness at the national and international level, bringing it closer to the level of TOP 500 universities, and to strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation in studies and science. In the process of merging faculties, four faculties and the Institute of Architecture and Design are formed.
