A large scale project will begin this year in the spring – the new Riga Technical University (RTU) student complex «RTU – City within a city» construction. With that, RTU will enter Latvian history as the first state university to carry out a student town project in Latvia. Current students are certain that RTU will experience a revolution.
«RTU – City within a city» was conceived on a large scale, and its realization will create the most modern engineering study center in the Baltics – a student city, which will be composed of seven RTU faculties,administrative buildings, and the Scientific library.
University rector academician Leonīds Ribickis is gratified for the opportunity to realize a project unprecedented in Latvia: «This is a significant moment, because in the future we will be able to offer students an educational environment comparable to several places in the world with centuries of history behind them. Ensuring that students havemodern study and research opportunities, the new RTU student town will be able to offer a quality higher education: involving Latvia’s best academics and industry representatives in study and research work, as well as attracting foreign teaching staff and students.»
The Scientific library will be renovated within the framework of thisproject, and RTU Materials Science and Applied Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Planning, Power and Electrical Engineering Faculty, as well as Electronics and Telecommunications Faculty students will all be able to study in one place.
The «RTU – City within a city» project is a goal toward which RTU hasstrived for a long time. Along with the realization of the project the most powerful and modern engineering study center not only in Latvia, but in the Baltics will be created: «Every year more than 2,500 young people choose to study at RTU. That is good, but in developing this project we plan to increase the potential student number and to build engineering prestige in Latvia. In the RTU town we will create an international, modern, and creative environment – providing the country with highly qualified and competitive specialists,» says the rector.
The «RTU – City within a city» complex will combine seven faculties, alibrary, a cafeteria and recreation opportunities: «I have to admit that I am positively jealous of future RTU students who will begin theirstudies in the next few years in the most modern university in Latvia! Iam glad that the university management has not stopped, is thinking modernly, continuing to offer more extensive and enticing study opportunities!» stresses RTU Student parliament vice-president Una Vorma.
Riga Technical University is planning on further introducing the community to the university’s city project «RTU – City within a city» byorganizing a press conference at the end of March.
The project is planned to take three years – from the spring of 2011 until the end of 2013. «RTU – City within a city» building visualizationwas developed by architects from – «Valeinis un Stepe» Ltd., «Uģis Šēnbergs, arhitekts» Ltd., and «Constructus» Ltd.
The first stage of the «RTU – City within a city» project will be realized with state and European Regional Development Fund support. The total project costs are: 19,879,035 LVL, of that amount: ERDF funding (85%) – 16,897,179 LVL; State budget funding (7.17%) – 1,425,325 LVL; RTU co-funding (7.83%) – 1,556,531 LVL.
Agreement Nr.2010/0066/3DP/3.1.2.1.1/09/IPIA/VIAA/006 (PVS id.1492)
«RTU – City within a city» project PR coordinator
Una Ahuna-Ozola,
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