issn 1822 – 8402 european integration studies. 2010. no 4

european structural funds assistance for young
researchers in latvia

Marta Mezeniece, Baiba Rivza
Latvia University of Agriculture, Faculty of Economics

Abstract

Latvia is a small country and small open economy and its main and the most competitive recourses are
highly educated society and well developed science based on the research, innovation and modern technologies.
To create a well functioning innovation system as a part of knowledge-based economy several conditions has
to be met to insure that all parts of national innovation system do effectively work together.

Latvia is considered to be a country in transition between efficiency driven and innovation driven economy
after Global Competitiveness report 2009-2010. This means that the development of the country soon would
not be possible by improving productivity adopting existing technologies or making incremental improvements
in other areas. Bigger and bigger role of country’s competitiveness will be in its ability to innovate. This
means sufficient investment in research and development, the presence of high-quality research institutions,
extensive collaboration in research between universities and research institutes as well as technology transfer
to the industry, and the protection of intellectual property. As one of the main obstacles that prohibit the
scientific activities development in Latvia after restricted amount of funding is the lack of young scientists.
The most significant reasons of ageing of scientific personnel are the insufficient number of doctoral students,
brain drain of young scientists, the low percentage of research and development personnel (just 0.54% of the
labour force in 2008 (Eurostat)).

The aim of this article is to analyse if the problems that accrue in higher education and science because
of lack of young human recourse inflow can be solved by interaction of state using the European union (Eu)
structural funds assistance.

During the programming period 2004-2006 the five main universities in Latvia implemented projects under
the activity ‘Improvement of quality and implementation of doctoral studies and post-doctoral research’.
The aim of these projects was to improve the quality and implementation of doctoral level studies and post-
doctoral research in natural science and technology fields as well as to increase the number of new enrolees
in the doctoral studies and provide research grants to the best doctoral students and new researchers. The
research shows that the number of matriculated doctoral students in the prior study areas in the universities
having implemented such projects has grown for 65.73% over the period of analysed seven years (2003-
2009). The study concludes that Eu structural funds assistance increases the motivation to start studies at
doctoral level and encourage the students to choose carry out research in natural science and technology
fields. In order to attract the young scientists to the research institutes the young scientists have to be involved
in the research projects and the mentoring approach could be used to gain good results in the alternation
of researchers’ generations by use of Eu structural funds assistance. The research is mainly based on such
economic research methods as grouping, chain and basis increase rate calculations. Comparative, analytical
and historical methods have been manly used in the paper, taking into consideration the large amount of
scientific literature.

Keywords:

Eu Structural funds, ageing of scientists, doctoral studies, national innovation system.

Introduction

Guidelines for Development of Science and
Technology, 2009-2013 developed by the Ministry of
Education and Science defines low number of people
employed in science and research to ensure the country’s
economic strategy implementation and sustainable
growth, reduction in the number of scientists and

aging of scientists, and insufficient number of doctoral
students as one of main development problems in the
field of science and technology in Latvia.

Latvian National Development plan, 2007-2013,
states main three priorities: 1) an educated and creative
individual, 2) technological excellence and flexibility
of companies, 3) development of science and research.
The main problem that is identified and has to be solved

ISSN 1822-8402 EUROPEAN INTEGRATION STUDIES. 2010. No 4

as soon as possible is lack of young and emerging
scientists working in Latvian research institutions and
the aging of academic personal in higher education
institutions. Therefore there are set several tasks to
attract young scientists to scientific institutions and to
motivate young people to choose a career in science,
per example, improve the grant and scholarship system
for doctoral studies, create a research support system
for young postdoctoral scientists, motivate emigrated
Latvian scientists and young experts to return and work
in Latvian scientific institutions. The main financial
instrument for solving the problem mentioned above is
EU Structural Funds.

Latvia as a separate NUTS II region since 2004
is eligible for Objective 1 Structural Funds support.
One of the priorities of the Single programming
document, that was designed for EU Structural Funds
intervention in Latvia for the programming period
2004-2006, was Development of Human Resources
and Promotion of Employment. Under this priority the
measure “Development of Education and Continuous
Training” included activity “Improvement of quality
and implementation of doctoral studies and post-
doctoral research”. The main five universities in Latvia
implemented projects under this activity. The aim of these
projects were to improve the quality and implementation
of doctoral level studies and post-doctoral research
in natural science and technology fields as well as to
increase the number of new enrolees in the doctoral
studies and provide research grants to the best doctoral
students and new researchers. Projects were completed in
summer 2008 and the EU Structural Funds programming
documents for the period 2007-2013 declared European
Social Fund grants for master students in natural science
and technology field and grants for doctoral students
and young researchers in the all fields of research. There
are some comprehensive researches that examine if the
assistance of EU Structural Funds fulfilled indicators
that were set in Single programming document for the
programming period 2004-2006 were met, although
deeper study on EU Structural Funds support’s impact
on dynamics of number of new enrolees in the doctoral
studies and the number of doctor’s degree has to be
carried out.

There are several authors in Latvia that have
been writing about innovative activities (Boļšakovs,
2008), innovation process and system (Dimza, 2003),
knowledge society (Karnītis, 2004), higher education
institution’s role in economic development (Sloka and
Vilciņa, 2009), (Mazūre et.al., 2009), knowledge-based
economy (Bikse, 2007). Many studies on the research
policy topic are carried out in the world, but there is lack
of studies in the field of research policy that concentrate
on Latvian national education system as a part of national
innovation system.

To create a well functioning innovation system (the
example of Ireland’s national innovation system see in
Figure1) several conditions has to bee met to insure that
all parts of national innovation system do effectively
work together.

INNOVATIVE COMPANIES
Research and development (R&D)

performers
Introduction and acquisition of technology

Technology parks, technology centers
Market development

EDUCATION AND
SCIENCE SYSTEM

Primary and
secondary education
Vocational education

Higher education
Basic Research

FINANCIAL
SYSTEM

Risk capital
Venture funds

GOVERNMENT
Investments in innovation activities
Research and development ensuring

Legislative and tax policy

figure 1. The national innovation system of Ireland
Source: Science, Technology and Innovation. The White
Paper by Government of Ireland. Department of Enterprise
& Employment, Dublin, 1996

The main conditions that ensure effectively working
national innovation system are (Dimza, 2003):

Universities conduct fundamental research at the −
global level, allowing students to obtain a competitive
and internationally recognized higher education.
Public and private professional education and
vocational institutions train with necessary skills and
knowledge, highly qualified and for certain science-
capacious industry sectors suitable professionals;
Producing sector (mainly private) are able to invest −
in innovation activities and to fund research in the
country up to 80% (of total research and development
spending in the country);
The government creates enabling environment for −
innovation, applying favourable credit policy, tax
and customs policy, as well as investment policies
in order to make more beneficial the private sectors
investments to innovative activities;
The financial sector, bought public and private, is −
capable to take the risk and provide financing for
innovations.
Vīksne D. in her research concludes that higher

education institutions have started activities to involve
students and academic staff in the development and
promotion of innovative entrepreneurship in the
respective region, thus student motivation to stay and
start business in their region is created (Vīksne, 2010).
The next step towards efficient National innovation
system is strengthening of Education and science
systems collaboration.

ISSN 1822-8402 EUROPEAN INTEGRATION STUDIES. 2010. No 4

The research performed by Prodan I. and Drnovsek
M. shows that greater numbers of years spent at
an academic institution hinder the formation of
academic-entrepreneurial intentions. Because tenured
professorships guarantee academics’ basic socioeconomic
status, they are less motivated to endanger their research
by redirecting interest and energy to business matters
(Prodan, Drnovsek, 2010).

Therefore authors of this paper found it topically
to analyze ageing of scientific personnel and other
problems that accrue in higher education and science due
to lack of young human recourse inflow can be solved
by interaction of state using state European Structural
funds assistance.

The aim of research is to analyse if the problems
that accrue in higher education and science because
of lack of young human recourse inflow can be solved
by interaction of state using the European Union (EU)
Structural funds assistance.

To meet the research aim we set research tasks:
Analyze if using of EU Structural funds assistance −
in programming period 2004-2006 increased the
number of new enrolees in the doctoral studies in
natural science and technology fields;
Study the coloration between EU structural funds −
support number of young scientists working in higher
education institutions and the research institutes of
higher education institutions.
Research object is young researchers and doctoral

students in Latvia.
The following economic research methods were used

for tackling the tasks: grouping, chain increment rate,
basis increment rate, graphic illustration. Monographic
descriptive method, analysis and synthesis are used in
the paper to study the problem elements and synthesize
coherencies. Authors studied legal framework in Latvia
and scientific publications in research policy, educations
systems, mentoring in higher education. Induction
method is used for summarizing individual facts in
general statements, but deduction method for theoretical
explanations and logical synthesis of the empirical
study.

The analysis of doctoral students and working
researchers in Latvia is based on statistical data obtained
from Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, Eurostat and
the information included in Reports on Higher education
in Latvia (figures, data, tendencies) acquired from
Ministry of Education and Science during the period
2003-2009.

All data analysis was performed using the statistical
methods. Comparative, analytical and historical
methods have been manly used in the paper, taking into
consideration the large amount of scientific literature.

Eu Structural funds assistance for young
researchers and phD students in Latvia

Doctoral studies have to provide excellently educated
doctors who are able to compete internationally. Not
only quality is an issue, but the sufficient quantity of
doctoral students is a matter of great importance.
Although the total number of students is high – on the
10 000 population it is 554 in year 2007, however, this
indicator does not provide sufficient amount of doctoral
students and doctors, that could form the new generation
of scientists and guarantee continuity in terms of the
formation of scientific institutions. The age structure of
scientists at higher education institutions and research
institutes of the universities is inadequate in long term
perspective (Figure 2).

figure 2. Age structure of scientists at higher
education institutions and research institutes of the
universities in Latvia, 2008

Source: author’s calculations based on the Report on Higher
education in Latvia 2009 (figures, data, tendencies)

Only 7% of the total number of scientists working
at higher education institutions and research institutes
of the universities are under age 35. Only five higher
education institutions employ four and more scientists
under age 35, but there are only 37 scientists (8%) under
age 35 working in research institutes of the universities.
The highest number 91 of young scientists works at the
University of Latvia and it is 48 percent of all scientists
under age 35 in the sector of higher education. The
total number of scientists age 65 and more is 697 or 27

ISSN 1822-8402 EUROPEAN INTEGRATION STUDIES. 2010. No 4

percent of all scientists working in the sector of higher
education.

The data sows that the highest number or scientists
under age 35 are working at higher education
institutions which implemented the project under
activity ‘Improvement of quality and implementation of
doctoral studies and post-doctoral research’ and research
institutes of the universities.

Taking into account the fact that the state budget
funding for universities and scientific institutions in the
year 2009 has been considerably reduced – scientific
institutions, with a reduction of 41%, including science-
based funding, which includes scientists wage fund by
52%. Given this fact there is a high risk not only to attract
new scientists, but also the employment of scientists in
the future.

After analysing available data and the scientific
publications, authors deduced the reasons for the small
number of doctoral students that could be both with the
direct and indirect effects.

Directly impacting factors:
Proportion of state-funded study places at doctoral −
level is too low (only 1462 state-funded study places
at doctoral level, 31 percent of students are covering
study fee);
High rates of study fee for private-funded study −
places at doctoral level (from 1350 to 6000 euro);
Low postgraduate scholarships for doctoral students −
(114 euro and credit equalized grant 85 euro);
Low motivation for doctoral studies, which is caused −
by many indirect factors.
Indirectly influencing factors:
Old-fashioned infrastructure of higher education −
institutions and research institutes;
Low involvement of students in scientific projects at −
early study phase;
doctoral studies weak links with research projects −
held out by research institutes in the universities
(Figure 2)
Low level of wages of academic staff and unattractive −
remuneration system of scientific personnel;
Lack of safety factor, that doctor degree holder will −
be needed in the labour market and would not fall in
the risk group as overqualified workforce;
Remuneration system in public and private sector −
(the education level does not affect the amount of
wage).
The EU funds assistance can help to hinder the

influence of direct factors (offer monthly grant of
amount 427 euro master level students in the prior study
areas, 854 euro for doctoral students, and 1138 euro for
doctor degree candidates (last year doctorate students)
studying in the all study areas).

There are some EU structural funds activities that
are focused on diminishing such indirectly affecting
factors of low number doctoral students as old-
fashioned infrastructure of higher education institutions
and research institutes – activities No. 2.1.1.3.1.
‘Development of research infrastructure’ (171.5 mil
EUR), No. 2.1.1.3.2. ‘Improvement of IT infrastructure
and IT system for the research needs’ (17.6 mil EUR),
and activity No. 3.1.2.1.1. ‘Modernization of Premises
and Devices for Improvement of Study Programme
Quality at Higher Educational Establishments, including
Provision of Education Opportunities for Individuals
with Functional Disabilities’ (143.2 mil EUR). Low
involvement of students in scientific projects and
doctoral studies weak links with research projects
held out by research institutes in the universities by
implementing European Social fund projects under
activity No. 1.1.1.2. ‘Attraction of Human Resources to
Science’ (57.3 mil EUR).

In order to attract the young scientists to the research
institutes the young scientists have to be involved in the
research projects and the mentoring approach could be
used to gain good results in the alternation of researchers’
generations. Larose S. et al. study the personal and
social support factors involved in students’ decision to
participate in formal academic mentoring and conclude
that the willingness of enhancement in the academic
mentoring depends on the student’s personality and help
seeking habits (Larose S., et al., 2009), therefore there is
a place for further research about student’s enhancement
in the academic mentoring in Latvia.

In order to investigate if the number of new enrolees
in the doctoral studies in natural science and technology
fields is caused by EU structural funds assistance,
authors studied the dynamic time series of the EU
structural funds assistance impact on number of students
at doctoral level in Latvia during the time period year
2003-2009.

The data in Table 1 shows that the number master’s
degree gained in reporting year does decrease, but the
base increase rate of number of matriculated doctoral
students has grown for 47.85 percents. The number of
doctoral students enrolled in the prior study areas in the
universities, which implemented the ESF project, has
grown more (the base increase rate is for 31.15 percent
higher in the year 2009) than number of doctoral students
enrolled in the not prior study areas. It means that the
EU structural funds assistance increases the motivation
to start studies at doctoral level and encourage the
students to choose carry out research in natural science
and technology fields.

ISSN 1822-8402 EUROPEAN INTEGRATION STUDIES. 2010. No 4

Table 1. The Eu structural funds assistance impact on number of students at doctoral level in Latvia, 2003-2009

No. Indicators
Years

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

European Social fund’s support for
doctoral studies and post-doctoral
research -- 102645 1792238 2388695 4736132 2724690 7702569

2 chain increase rate,% -- 0.00 1 646.05 33.28 98.27 -42.47 182.70
3 base increase rate,% -- 0.00 1 646.05 2 227.14 4 514.09 2 554.48 7 404.09
4 number master’s degree gained 3183 3608 3382 3173 3237 2602 2578
5 chain increase rate,% -- 13.35 -6.26 -6.18 2.02 -19.62 -0.92
6 base increase rate,% -- 13.35 6.25 -0.31 1.70 -18.25 -19.01

7
number of matriculated doctoral
students 418 420 530 484 464 619 618

8 chain increase rate,% -- 0.48 26.19 -8.68 -4.13 33.41 -0.16
9 base increase rate,% -- 0.48 26.79 15.79 11.00 48.09 47.85

number of doctoral students
enrolled in the prior study areas in
the universities, which implemented
the ESf project 178 193 231 222 251 304 295

11 chain increase rate,% -- 8.43 19.69 -3.90 13.06 21.12 -2.96
12 base increase rate,% -- 8.43 29.78 24.72 41.01 70.79 65.73

13
number of doctoral students
enrolled in the non prior study areas 240 227 299 262 213 315 323

14 chain increase rate,% -- -5.42 31.72 -12.37 -18.70 47.89 2.54
15 base increase rate,% -- -5.42 24.58 9.17 -11.25 31.25 34.58

Source: author’s calculation based on the Report on Higher Education in Latvia 2009 (figures, data, tendencies)

Conclusions

To build an effectively working innovation system,
it is necessary to establish strong link between higher
education institutions, research institutes and industry.

Support of European Union structural funds have
positive impact on the development on science and
innovations sphere, and it is one of the preconditions for
the development of states’ competitiveness.

EU Structural Funds assistance in programming
period 2004-2006 has increased the number of new
enrolees in the doctoral studies whit base increase rate
65.73 percent over the period of analysed seven years
(2003-2009) in natural science and technology fields.

EU structural funds assistance increases the
motivation to start studies at doctoral level and
encourage the students to choose carry out research in
natural science and technology fields.

In order to attract the young scientists to the research
institutes they have to be involved in the research projects
and the mentoring approach could be used to gain good
results in the alternation of researchers’ generations.
There is a place for further research about student’s
enhancement in the academic mentoring in Latvia.

The government have to increase proportion of state-
funded study places at doctoral level up to 100 percent.

Other possibility to increase the number of doctoral
students is to raise the amount of credit equalized grant
to the EU structural funds level and additional amount

that would cover study fee, keep in force the restriction,
that the credit equalized grant has to bee repaid if the
scholar does not get the doctor degree in five years
period after start of studies.

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Received in April, 2010; accepted in May, 2010.