Mg. EDGAR CERKOVSKIS, lecturer at EKA University of Applied Sciences; is also active in the EKA alumni association.

He has created and leads more than 10 innovative study courses in several Latvian universities - digital economy, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, digital tools and their applications, and many others. Edgars Čerkovskis has conducted a course for Latvian companies, up to the joint-stock company "Latvijas Dzelzceļš", the State Employment Agency, the Ministry of Finance, etc.

Edgars has also given lectures on digitalization topics in almost all Latvian municipalities. In the last two years, he has trained more than 600 school principals throughout Latvia and educated about 5,000 teachers in various issues related to digitization. He has published articles on digitization and its role in education and economy in the most popular Latvian media and regularly appears as an expert on Latvian television and radio.

He is the author of several digital tools such as the Virtual Economy Cabinet and several simulation online games for students. The digital materials and methods developed by Edgars Čerkovskis are still used in larger Latvian learning centers - the Riga program, the European Distance Learning High School, the Latvian Distance Learning Professional Center and the European Distance Learning High School.

One of the most important works is the development and approbation of the Education Quality Index in Latvian schools, as well as the introduction of Virtual Reality in three Latvian schools.

Dr NATĀLIJA CUDEČKA-PURIŅA, associate professor, doctor of business management with specialization in circular economy and sustainability.

Dr Cudečka-Puriņa has almost 20 years of experience in the field of sustainability, both consulting companies, working on monitoring the construction of Latvia′s waste management infrastructure, and working in the state administration and creating the political framework for waste management and circular economy.

Dr Cudečka-Puriņa has been working in the academic environment for more than 11 years and since 2021 she has been an associate professor at the University of Banking. Dr Cudečka-Puriņa is the author of more than 30 scientific works in the fields of entrepreneurship, circular economy, industrial symbiosis and education.

As an associate professor, Dr Cudečka-Puriņa has developed several study courses in the fields of sustainable business and environmental protection and actively participates in applied and scientific projects both in Latvia and internationally (LIFE IP, Erasmus+, Horizon, COST Actions, ANM consolidation grants, etc.).

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5736-7730

Dr JEVGENIJA DEHTJARE, associate professor, Head of the Development of EKA Scientific Institution, Certified Career Coach, member of EUMMAS (European Marketing and Management Association) and NetworkIQ community. Graduated from Riga Technical University and worked at ISMA University of Applied Sciences (Latvia) as Business Administration in Tourism program director, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs and researcher. The author of more than 60 scientific papers in the field of economics, business, management, tourism, hospitality and education.

She is a member of EKA etECH Conference organising committee.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6859-2327

Dr ILONA LEJNIECE, assistant professor, member of the Constituent Assembly, member of state examination commissions at EKA University of Applied Sciences. She is author and co-author of scientific publications on reputation and credibility, corporate social responsibility, intellectual capital, consumer behavior, tax policy and governance, non-financial reporting, data protection, digital competence, sports and jurisprudence issues.

Professional experience in financial institutions and the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia, consulting in the national economy and finances, tax management, was the financial director and board member of a road construction company. Experience in state and local budget analysis and analysis of proposals, work with the database of regulatory acts and development of legislative initiatives.

She participated in the development of the "Social Charter of Banks" of the Association of Latvian Commercial Banks (2015); organised the "Latvijas budget XXXX" games, EKA (2018, 2019); founded the "Ilona Lejniece scholarship for achieving goals" EKA (2019); from 2020, a researcher at the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

Participation in the project "Development of R&D infrastructure in smart areas of specialization and strengthening of institutional capacity of scientific institutions" activity "Improvement of RTU′s resource management system" - Improvement of accounting of limited scope (2022, 2023). Participation in the project - Cup of Ideas 2022. Digitization and sustainability of energy saving in apartment buildings and other places where it is technically impossible to install microgenerators (2022).

Since 2020, expert of the Latvian Academy of Sciences in the field of social sciences.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6402-5141

Dr OKSANA LENTJUSHENKOVA is a Professor at the EKA University of Applied Sciences (Latvia). She also holds an administrative position of a Rector. She is an expert in the field of Economics and Entrepreneurship of the Latvian Council of Science.

Dr Lentjushenkova has more than twenty years academic experience in different educational institutions (e.g. Riga Technical University, National Defence Academy, EKA University of Applied Sciences, Alberta College etc.). During these years she worked with different groups of students with different level of knowledge and motivation for studies applying innovative teaching methods.

She has more than fifteen years experience in the management of higher education institutions. From 2006 till 2015 she was a Director of the Alberta College. In 2011 she had developed the unique e-learning system at the Alberta college by providing lectures, seminars, guest lecturers online for students and using strength methodology for teaching students. This system was awarded by the Latvian Open Technology Association as a best ICT solution for education in 2015.

Her research interests are focused in the field of intellectual capital management, quality assurance and strategic management.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6494-1534

Dr INGA ŠĪNA is a Professor at the EKA University of applied Sciences (Latvia). She also holds an administrative position as the Program Director of Master degree program Business Administration and 1st level professional higher education study program Marketing.

Expert of the Latvian Science Council in the field of economics and entrepreneurship; author of more than 30 scientific articles on economics, entrepreneurship, management , in the field of education, corporate social and environmental responsibility; co-author of two books: "Environment and Economy" and "Green Economy: Policy and Practice in Eastern Europe".

Šīna is the Head of the EU Eurydice project, which collects analytical reports on the education systems of European countries and the managing editor of the scientific journal "Economics and Business".

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6362-6383

Dr KASPARS ŠTEINBERGS has obtained the degree of Doctor of Economics (Dr. Oec.) in business management in 2017, defending the doctoral thesis "Strategic direction of the cluster and a model for promoting the development of the audiovisual industry in Latvia".

He has more than ten years of experience teaching study courses in management science at the bachelor′s and master′s level both in Latvia and abroad. Dr Šteinbergs has created a unique study program in computer game design in Latvia and has also been the director of other study programs until 2021.

His research interests are related to creative industry, university-industry cooperation and business process simulation. Dr Šteinbergs is also the Head of the scientific institution′s international projects at the EKA University of Applied Sciences.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1506-128X

Dr JELENA TITKO is a Vice-Rector for Science, Head of the Scientific Institution, Professor and Senior Researcher at the EKA University of Applied Sciences (Latvia). She is a Deputy Chair of the Association of Latvian Economists and a member of the Scientific Committee of the European Marketing and Management Association.

Dr Titko is an expert in the fields of Education, and Economics and Entrepreneurship of the Latvian Council of Science. She is an Expert of the Lithuanian Research Council. She is a coordinator of the international research groups “Sustainable Development and Circular Economy” and “Digital Economy and Digital Transformation”. Dr Titko an author of more than 70 scientific papers in the field of sustainability, business, management and education.

She is an Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Economics and Culture”.

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ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1333-0941

Dr TATJANA TAMBOVCEVA, professor at Riga Technical University with more than 25 years of experience in academic and scientific work. Research interests are related to the circular economy; industrial symbiosis; environmentally friendly production and consumption; consumer behavior change; corporate social responsibility; sustainable construction, digitization, project management and the use of ICT in many areas.

Dr Tambovtseva has published more than 250 articles in national and international academic journals. She is the author of several specialized books and reports on management, sustainable development and project management, as well as a member and expert in several international societies, councils and foundations. She is the editor-in-chief of the scientific journal "Economics and Business" and the director of the Master′s program "Industrial Engineering and Management".

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9516-1530

Dr VITA ZARIŅA, assistant professor of the EKA University of Applied Sciences, director of the bachelor′s study programs "Business Economics" and "Accounting and Financial Management", chairwoman of the Senate and researcher at the EKA Scientific Institution.

Expert of the Latvian Science Council in the field of economics and entrepreneurship; author of more than 30 scientific articles in economics, business, management; author of publications in the press, author and co-author of four books: "Evaluation of economic activity using financial ratios", "Financial planning" and "Financial accounting", "Collection of financial accounting tasks".

Dr Zariņa participated in several EU projects and prepared analytical reports on women′s participation in business, equal payment system and other important issues in the field of women and female entrepreneurs.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5580-6114

Dr KRISTĪNE UŽULE, Researcher, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, EKA University of Applied Sciences (Latvia). She is an expert of Latvian Council for Science in two areas – economics, management, and educational sciences.

Her research publications include entrepreneurship, management, digitalization and competences. She has participated in European research projects on digital and green competences. She is a member of the Center of Human Resources Management, editorial board of European Marketing and Management Association (EUMMAS), and etECH conference organising committees.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2633-6069

29.08.2023 – EKA Science Club meeting at the beginning  of a new 2023/2024. study year

Regular meetings of the EKA Science  Club have already become a cherished tradition at EKA University of Applied Sciences. This time, the meeting took place on August 29, 2023, prior to the official commencement of the academic year. The participants—EKA academic staff and researchers from the EKA Scientific Institution—were delighted to reunite after the summer break and discuss new plans. In the academic year 2023/2024, the Scientific Club members can anticipate an exceptionally intensive program, including the Staff Training Week, International Academic Week, etECH Conference, participation in EKA Scientific Institution′s research projects, and much more. We were pleased to welcome a new member to our club, Dr. oec. Jevgenija Dehtjare. The evening concluded in a pleasant atmosphere and marked the beginning of promising new collaborative research endeavors.

19.12.2020. EKA Science Club discusses priorities for future, takes in new members and presents books

An online meeting of the EKA University of Applied Sciences  Science Club took place on 19.12.2020. Within the meeting priorities for research development were discussed, new members were admitted, the most outstanding members of the club were awarded for achievements in research, as well as two books by EKA university lecturers were presented.

The virtual meeting was attended by rector of the EKA university - Oksana Lentushenkova, as well as lecturers - current and potential club members.

New members were admitted to the club : EKA university associate professor Larisa Turusheva, RTU professor and EKA guest lecturer Tatiana Tambovceva, as well as EKA docents Еlena Budanceva, Ilona Leiniece and Natalya Verina.

The President of the EKA Science Club, EKA Vice-Rector for Science and International Relations Elena Titko, reminded the participants about the priorities of the Science Strategy (ZRDAS2020) and told about future plans for research development.

Two study books were presented at the meeting of the Science Club  - “Introduction to Circular Economy” (authors: T. Tambovceva, E. Titko) and “Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility” (authors: V. Vevere, A. Svirina).

At the end of the meeting the best EKA researchers of the year 2019/2020 were awarded. This honorary title was awarded to:

In the field of management - EKA Professor Velga Vevere;

In the field of economics - EKA docent Aija Sannikova;

In the field of law - EKA docent Karina Zalcmane;

In the field of IT - EKA docent Marcis Pinnis;

In the field of translation - EKA associate professor Larisa Turusheva.

Gratitude was also given to the staff of EKA university, who have made a significant contribution and support to the university′s research, as well as to the teaching staff who has provided the greatest research support to EKA students and to the development of the Erasmus + international program.