- Law Amendments: Latvia’s parliament approved changes to the Law on Higher Education, allowing foreign academic staff to work without Latvian language proficiency for six years.
- Eligible Positions: The amendment applies to academic staff but excludes lecturers and assistants.
- One-Time Election: Foreigners can be elected for a single six-year term without adequate language skills.
- Language Learning Opportunity: Institutions will offer opportunities to learn Latvian during this period.
- Future Eligibility: After six years, re-election depends on obtaining language proficiency.
- Parliament Approval: 76 parliament members voted in favor of this change, with only eight opposing it.
- Driving Competitiveness: The move aims to boost Latvia’s international competitiveness in education and science by easing language restrictions.
- Rejected Proposal: A proposal mandating foreign academics to learn Latvian during their six-year term was rejected.
- Growing Foreign Workforce: The number of foreign workers in Latvia has doubled since 2015, with a notable rise in residence permits issued.
- Addressing Labor Shortages: The changes address local labor shortages, especially in higher education, by attracting international talent.
This initiative reflects Latvia’s efforts to enhance its academic landscape by becoming more accessible to foreign professionals.
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