Is Anything Wrong with Higher Education in Latvia?

Abstract

This paper argues that the answer is yes. It builds its case on the basis of two findings. First, using a Survey of Innovative Businesses in Latvia (SIBiL), it finds that higher education received after the 1990 is not as effective as Soviet education in promoting innovativeness, as measured by both firm-level product innovations and patent applications. Second, it shows that, as measured by the number of English language articles in ISI Web of Science database, Latvian scientists seriously underperform, as compared to their colleagues in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania, especially in the field of social sciences. Based on these findings, this paper argues for sweeping reforms to the system of higher education in Latvia, focusing on subjecting the faculty of Latvian universities to the test of international peer review process. This requires measures to strengthen the role of English language and a reform of public financing of the system of higher education in Latvia.

Keywords: higher education, innovations, SCI publications, Latvia

JEL Classification: I21, I22, I28