Recent developments in higher education governance in Latvia

1. Recent developments in higher education governance in Latvia Anatolijs Melnis Deputy director Department of Higher Education Ministry of Education and Science 10th Baltic Seminar of University Administrators (BSUA),14-15 May, 2009

2. Governance • External governance • Internal (Institutional) governance • Funding • Private higher education • Academic Staff

3. External governance

4. External governance – rules of operation • Law on Education (1991, 1998) • Law on Higher Education Establishments (HEE (1995; amendments several times) • New Law on Higher Education (in 2nd reading in Parliament) • “Constitutions of state HEI” – approved in high level – in Parliament • Law on Professional Education (1999) • Law on General Education (1999) • Law on Scientific Activity (1992, 2005)

5. External governance Increased autonomy: • Since 2005 – all state HEI (with exception of Academy of Police and Academy of Defense ) have new legal status of legal body, like municipalities; • Possibility to earn the state real estate;

6. Institutions of Higher Education(HEI) • Universities 6 • Academies 9 • Other HEE 19 • Colleges 26 • TOTAL 60 • Public (state) HEI 37 (19 + 18) • Private HEI 23 (15 + 8)

7. Internal governance

8. Number of students in Latvia in 1990 - 2008

9. Number of students per 10000 residents in 1990 - 2008

10. Students of 15 private HEI 34 483 (28%) Students of private colleges 6 478 (5%) Students of 19 state HEI 77 606 (62%) Students of state colleges 6 783 (5%) Full time students 72 661 (58%) Part time students 52 689 (42%) Students financed by state 33 355 (27%) Studying for the fee 91 995 (73%) Number of Students, 2008/2009(total number 125 350)

11. Share of students in state budget funded and commercial studies

12. Financing system of HE (1) • Formula-based system for universities was introduced in 2002, for colleges – in 2007 • Funding is allocated on the basis of the contracts between HEI and ministries which are responsible for HEI Since 1 January 2009 – autonomy also in budgeting: • State funding in a lump sum grant; • Freedom to allocate and use the self-income funds (also tution fees)

13. Financing system of HE (2) According to the Law of HEE • State budget funded study places (only for full time studies) • Commercial study places (fees): • no state restrictions in the number of fee-students; • no state restrictions for the level of fees • Financing of the scientific activity (mainly, competition based)

14. Total fundingfor HE in 1995–2008(million Ls)

15. Expenditure of tertiary education from the state budget as a percentage of GDP

16. Financing of HE from the state budget and other sources 1995-2008

17. Private higher education institutions • The functional (not institutional) supervision by the Ministry of education • May receive the state funding under certain conditions • Equal regulations for the licencing and accreditation • Not equal regulations about the study language • New LoHE will provide more equal regulation for both, the state and private HEI

18. Academic staff • Full autonomy in reqruiting of academic staff (in the new LoHE – open competition for professors and assoc. professors) • Autonomy in defining the system of payment (the LoHEE defines the minimum salaries for academic staff)

19. Thank you for your attention!