LBTU Malnava College Represented at Applied Research Conference in Riga
On 19 March, Riga Technical College hosted the applied research conference Education. Growth. Sustainability 2026, organized by the Latvian College Association, bringing together professionals from education, research, and industry, as well as students from various colleges across Latvia.
The aim of the conference was to promote the development of applied research, strengthen cooperation between educational institutions and the labour market, and stimulate discussions on current challenges in education and sustainable development.
The event began with a plenary session opened by Jurģis Miezainis, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Economics; Rolands Ozols, Deputy State Secretary for Education Policy at the Ministry of Education and Science; Rūta Gintaute-Marihina, Chair of the Board of the Latvian College Association and Director of Riga Technical College, and others. The plenary session was moderated by Sandra Ežmale, Director of LBTU Malnava College, who also led one of the parallel sessions.
During the plenary session, guest lecturer Dr. Urs Hauenstein shared his experience in educational leadership and international cooperation, emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to future development. Dr. sc. admin. Anita Līce (KPMG Latvia) presented opportunities for micro-credentials in Latvia, while CERT.LV cybersecurity specialist Gints Mālkalnietis addressed current cybersecurity issues in the education and research environment.
After the plenary session, the conference continued with parallel sessions, where students and faculty presented their research in several thematic areas: STEM sciences, information technology, entrepreneurship, legal sciences, security, as well as medicine and healthcare.
Students from LBTU Malnava College presented two research papers. Markuss Maksimovs and Jevgenijs Larionovs presented a study The Efficiency of Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles which is based on a comparison of various types of electric cars and an analysis of overall trends. Pēteris Mikulāns, Edgars Ciganskis, and Jānis Potašs presented their research on the application of regulatory requirements for furniture and its safety assessment in the market and production environment. Students from the company Avoti were involved in the research, and it was conducted in collaboration with the furniture testing laboratory of Forest and Wood Products Research and Development Institute.
Both studies are being prepared for publication, which will add to the overall knowledge base of the college.
Photo: Ieva Makare, Vilnis Jakovļevs
