List of authors

Adomas Vincas Rakšnys is a PhD student, Lecturer at Business School, Kazimieras Simonavičius University, Vilnius, Lithuania. Scientific interests: public management, organizational culture.

Dr. art. Agnese Bergholde-Wolf since 2015 is a specialist at the image archive at the Herder Institūte in Marburg, Germany. In 2011, acquired Doctoral degree in art history for the dissertation “Medieval Architecture and Sculptural Décor of the Riga Cathedral in the Context of European Analogies”, published in 2015 in the series of editions of the Institute of Art History of the Latvian Academy of Arts. Research interests: medieval (brick) architecture and sculpture in the Baltic region, art and architecture in Latvia.

Agrita Lujāne, lecturer of Turība University, candidate of PhD, specialised in intercultural communication.

Dr. biol., Mag. phil. Aīda Rancāne is the leading researcher of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia. Research interests: masking traditions, indigenous religions, modern spirituality, traditional culture, author of the book Masks and Masking in Latvia (2009).

Aija Melluma, Dr. habil. geogr., corresponding member of the LAS. Jobs: Faculty of Geography, University of Latvia (1961), Latvian Institute of Forestry Problems/Research and Production Association “Silava” (1968), Head of the Nature Protection Department (1975–1986), Director of the Research Centre of the Environmental Protection Committee (1990), Advisor to the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (1994), professor at the Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia (1997). Freelance researcher since 2002. Scientific interests: landscape science, landscape history, theoretical and applied issues of landscape protection; theory and practice of nature conservation; issues of conservation and management of the

Dr. oec. Aivars Spilbergs is the Head of Economics and Finance Department in BA. Previous experience includes working in economics and finance research (1976–1996 research work in cybernetics, economics and mathematics, University of Latvia) and professional work in banking sector (1995–2016 — head of multiple departments in SEB Bank — Credit Management, Risk Management, and Risk Centre). Author affiliation details: BA School of Business and Finance, Faculty of Business Administration, Riga, Latvia.

Dr. demogr. Aleksandrs Dahs is a researcher at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics, UL . Main research directions: socio-economic demography, regional demography, mathematical modelling of demographic processes.

Dr. philol. Andra Kalnača is a Latvian linguist, professor and leading researcher at the Department of Latvian and Baltic Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia. She works in the field of Letonics (Latvian studies) and grammar. A. Kalnača is the author of more than 90 scientific articles in both Latvian and foreign linguistic editions, the compiler and editor of 18 collections of articles, and has published four monographs.

Dr. oec. Andra Zvirbule is the leading researcher at the Faculty of Economics and Social Development, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Research interests: business economics and management, agrarian and regional economics.

Andris Kairišs received his Master’s degree in sociology from the University of Latvia (2002) and Diploma in Law from the Police Academy of Latvia (2006). Since 2019, he has been a PhD oec. candidate at Riga Technical University. Currently he is a manager of the nation-wide European Social Fund project in the field of reduction corruption and shadow economy. A. Kairišs has extensive experience in the law enforcement sector, as well as in the field of jurisprudence and museums. He is a developer and manager of several national and international research and law enforcement projects concerning protection of cultural heritage,

Dr. sc. soc. Andris Pētersons, expert of communication and public relations, journalist, board member of NGO “Taisnais”, public relations consultant of the Editorial Board of the Latvian National Encyclopaedia. Scientific interests: strategic communication, communication management, media communication, communication history.

Dr. hist. eccl. Andris Priede is associate professor and leading researcher of the Department of the History of Church and Religions of the Faculty of Theology, University of Latvia, associate professor of the Riga Higher Institute of Religious Sciences affiliated to the Pontifical Lateran University (RARZI), is involved in the Commission of the Sacral Art with the Riga Metropolis. Has studied in the Art Academy of Latvia and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, Italy. Research field: history of Church with specialisation in Eastern Christianity, Christianity and art, and Catholic reform and Protestant reformations.

Andris Šuvajevs has graduated from the University of Oxford where he was awarded the Master of Science degree in Social Anthropology. A. Šuvajevs graduated from the University of Glasgow with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. Since 2017, A. Šuvajevs is a doctoral candidate at the University of Latvia in the Department of Sociology.

Dr. hist. Anita Čerpinska is the head of the Document Publications and Promotion Department of the Latvian National Archives. Research interests: History of Latvia, 18th–19th centuries.

Dr. phil. Anne Sauka is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Latvia, Faculty of History and Philosophy, Department of Philosophy and Ethics. She prepares and delivers courses in social philosophy and the history of philosophy. Research interests: biophilosophy, genealogy of the carnal self, body and gender, philosophical anthropology, existentialism and psychoanalysis.

Antra Medne is the Director of Aleksandrs Čaks Museum, Member of the Board of ICOM Latvia (International Council of Museums). She has Masters degree in art, Latvian Academy of Culture, in cultural theory, and Bachelors degree in cultural education work at the Latvian State Conservatory. In 2016, she completed her doctoral studies at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia. Awards: Latvian Ministry of Culture Certificate of Recognition 2009 and Aleksandrs Čaks Award 2011. She is an author of more than 20 popular scientific publications, including books: Čaks in the Kitchen (2011), Poet of the Present (2012), City

Writer, literary critic Dr. philol. Arno Jundze, a former research associate at the Institute of Literature, Folklore, and Art, University of Latvia, mainly has specialised in comparative literature. Author of the monograph Finnish Literature in Latvia (2002). Since the early 2000s, he has focused on journalism and fiction. Author of several novels, books for children and adolescents, chair of the Latvian Writers’ Union. His novels and stories have been translated into Estonian, Lithuanian, English, and Spanish.

Arnolds Klotiņš — musicologist, PhD, leading researcher in the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, University of Latvia. Fields of professional interest: History of Latvian music; place of the folklore heritage in modern culture; aesthetics of the modern music.

Prof. Dr. Arūnas Augustinaitis is the Rector of Kazimieras Simonavičius University (Vilnius) and researcher whose background spans the fields of communication and information, knowledge and creative economy, public governance in the contexts of globalisation.

Arvydas Guogis is Professor at Institute of Public Administration, Faculty of Public Governance, Mykolas Romeris University, Vilnius, Lithuania. Research interests: social security, globalization and social policy, new public governance.

Dr. habil. paed. Ausma Špona is a professor of the Faculty of Pedagogy, Psychology and Art, University of Latvia. Research interests: general pedagogy, theory and methods of upbringing. She has participated in international research studies together with scientists from Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, and Russia. Consultant and leader of doctoral dissertations for prospective Latvian and German researchers in pedagogy; under her scientific guidance, 64 dissertations have been defended. Author of more than 200 scientific and methodical publications, 14 monographs and collective monographs.

Dr. habil. oec. Baiba Rivža is the leading researcher at the Faculty of Economics and Social Development, Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies. Research interests: digitalisation, knowledge-based economy, national, regional balanced development.

Bartłomiej Lepczyński is student at PWSZ Konin High School. Research interests: finance and banking.

Biruta Melliņa-Flood is PhD student at Monash University, School of Philosophical, Historical and International Studies. Research interests are associated with medieval intellectual life and its manifestations in European architecture.

Dr. oec. Biruta Sloka is the leading researcher at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics, University of Latvia. Research interests: analysis of social stratification problems, statistical data analysis.

Prof. Dr. Birutė Visokavičienė is the leading researcher of Universal Basic Income at the Kazimieras Simonavičius University, based on implementation of the monetary and fiscal policy. Research areas span macroeconomics, monetary and fiscal policies, social policy implementation.

Boguslavas Gruževskis is the Head of the Institute of Labour Market Research of the Lithuanian Social Research Centre in Vilnius, Professor at the Vilnius University, Expert of Employment Policy for European Commission, Advisor for the Prime Minister of Lithuania. He has more than 25 years’ experience in research development practice (at national and international levels) as well as in policy design in the fields of employment policy, vocational training, social inclusion and human resource development. Research interests: employment and labour market policy (especially, active labour market policies and inclusive labour markets), social security, industrial relations, etc.

Brigita Šiliņa is a doctor of philology, former head and assistant professor of the Department of English at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Latvia, a literary historian and translator. She has studied the genesis of English Romanticism, especially in the works of William Blake and Joseph Conrad. Has translated into Latvian Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder.

PhD Bruno Eduards Deksnis was born in 1947 (in Germany); lived for extended periods in Canada, the USA, Great Britain, Germany, and Belgium. Retired in 2009 to live permanently in Riga. Education: B. Eng (McGill), MSc (Princeton), PhD (Essex, applied mathematics). Work and interests: 1975–1979, architect engineering nuclear power plants; 1980–1999, research in the field of controlled nuclear fusion, speciality high performance materials at the Joint European Torus project (UK); 1999–2009 (retirement), official at the European Commission (Brussels), various aspects of foreign relations including EU enlargement; post 2009, research interest in the history of the Latvian exile communities. Part-time lecturing

Mg. Dagnija Baltiņa is the Director of the Special Collections Department at the National Library of Latvia since 2018. She has a Bachelor’s degree in History from the University of Latvia and Master’s degree in World Heritage studies from Brandenburg Technical University (Germany) and Deakin University (Australia). From 2008 to 2016, she served as the Secretary General at the Latvian National Commission for UNESCO and from 2009 to 2011 also represented the Republic of Latvia at the UNESCO Executive Board being elected its Vice-President. Dagnija Baltiņa is an expert in UNESCO standard-setting instruments and cultural heritage policies, especially in the

Daiga Celmiņa, PhD in educational sciences, teacher of Latvian language and literature at Riga Teika Secondary School. Scientific research and publications so far have been related to promotion of imagination in students’ cognitive activity, cooperation, interdisciplinarity, and students’ creative self-expression in the learning process of Latvian language and literature.

Dr. med. Daiga Šantare is a doctor dietologist whose main research interests include the risks of oncological diseases, healthy nutrition, the role of nutrition in disease prevention.

Dr. hist. Daina Bleiere is a historian and researcher at the Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia (UL). Has published research on the history of Latvia in 1940–1941 and 1944–1991, as well as on domestic and foreign policy after the restoration of Latvia’s independence. Main research interests: the political, social, and cultural history of Latvia since 1940.

Dr. oec. Daina Šķiltere is a professor at the Faculty of Business, Management and Economics, University of Latvia. The academic and scientific interests of the professor are related to socio-economic analysis and forecasting, mathematical statistics, risk analysis. Daina Šķiltere is an expert in economics at the Latvian Council of Science, leading researcher at the Institute of Economics and Management. Professor is the author of many business simulation games, author of forecasting methods, author of textbooks and monographs.

PhD in sociology Dainius Genys is a researcher at the Energy Security Research Centre, Vytautas Magnus University. Research interests: risk sociology, energy security, risk discourses.

Dalia Klajumiene, PhD, is an art historian, cultural heritage expert and director of the Institute of Art Research of Vilnius Academy of Arts. Scientific interests include Lithuanian art of 16th — early 20th century; décor of secular interiors; protection of cultural heritage. D. Klajumienė is the author of three monographs, over 80 of scientific and more than 50 popular science articles. During the last decade, D. Klajumienė focused her research efforts on investigating interior décor of the 19th — early 20th century secular architecture in Vilnius.

Dārta Indriksone, recently working as a research assistant at the University of Latvia, has obtained Master’s degree in Management of Public Administration. Has also received Bachelor’s degree in International Economics and Diplomacy. Latest professional experience — as the head of Finance and Administration of Corporate & Public Management Consulting International branch in Latvia, a company implementing EU-funded projects with the focus on public sector reforms.

Ph. D. candidate Diāna Kalniņa is a lecturer at the Statistics Laboratory, Rīga Stradiņš University. Her research interests include civic activism and communication culture.

Dorota Miśkiewicz is PhD student at University of Szczecin. Research interests: sustainable development, regional development, European Union funds, finance, self-government finance.

Dr. philol. Dzintra Paegle is a pedagogue and linguist, she has been associated professor of the Department of Baltic Linguistics at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia. Research interests: modern Latvian language morphology, dialectology, language culture, history of Latvian orthography, ancient writings, local history.

Mg. soc. sc. Eduards Lielpēters is a doctoral degree candidate at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Business, Management and Economics, and a research assistant at the Research Institute of Economics and Management at the University of Latvia. His scientific interests include digital democracy methods and digital development of the public and private sector.

PhD Elīna Miķelsone professionally and academically has experience in management of technology. In the recent six years, she has participated in more than 20 scientific conferences and has published more than 20 articles. E. Miķelsone has more than 10-year experience as an international and national level project manager and assistant. She is also a reviewer of scientific journals in Latvia and internationally. To promote innovation and introduction of new technology in organisations she has established a NGO Idea and Innovation Institute. In  2021, she started her PostDoc project about idea management. Author affiliation details: Idea Innovation Institute Ltd., Riga Technical

Dr. Elita Lielā is an Assistant Professor and Programme Director at BA School of Business and Finance. Elita Lielā graduated from the University of Latvia (UL), Faculty of Finance and Trade, and holds a Doctoral degree in Economics from the UL. She has more than 20 years of professional experience in a public sector (ministries and government institutions of Latvia) as well as in a private sector, for example, pharmacy, consultations, etc. Her research focuses on Innovation Policy and Innovation Management. Author affiliation details: BA School of Business and Finance, Faculty of Business Administration, Riga, Latvia.

Dr. phil. Ella Buceniece is a leading researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia. Research areas: history of ideas in Latvia, phenomenology, contemporary social philosophy, feminism.

Eugene Eteris, LLD, PhD in European integration and politics. European Integration Institute/Denmark, Director, www.integrin.dk. Visiting professor at Latvian Turība University

Dr. hist. Eva Eihmane is an independent historian. Research interests: Livonia during the Crusades and in the 14th–15th centuries with a special focus on the history of the relations between the Teutonic Order and the Livonian bishops

Dr. hist. Gatis Krūmiņš is an Associate Professor and leading researcher of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences. Key areas of research: economic history and the role of history in strategic communication. Compiler, co-author and scientific editor of the books: Founders and Restorers of the Republic of Latvia (2020), History of Latvia’s National Economy (2017), The Force of Nine Men (2016) and Overview of the Key Issues of Latvia’s History (2016). Author of many scientific and popular science publications. Since 2018, he is the director of the “Values in Action” project of the National Research Programme “Latvia’s Heritage and Future Challenges

Gatis Ozoliņš, Dr. philol., folklorist, researcher at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, University of Latvia; Associate Professor at the University of Daugavpils. Co-author of the collective monographs Latvian Folkloristics in the Interwar Period in Latvian (2014) and in English (2017) and Collections of the University of Latvia at the Archives of Latvian Folklore (2019). Main research interests: history of folklore studies, Neopaganism, cultural heritage, regional folklore studies, urban folkloristics.

Giedrė Mickūnaitė holds PhD in Medieval Studies from the Central European University in Budapest (2002). Currently, she is professor of and senior researcher in art history at the Vilnius Academy of Arts. Her research interests: relation of pictorial and textual imagery, vocabulary of visual experience and temporal dimensions of images. Mickūnaitė publishes regularly in Lithuanian and international scholarly press and acts as exhibition curator.

Mg. sc. admin., Mg. hist. Ginta Tora is a researcher at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics, University of Latvia. Research interests: improvement of the equal access to formal, non-formal, and lifelong learning, research of factors promoting and hindering the realisation of the knowledge triangle.

Gita Leitlande is a doctoral student of the Faculty of History and Philosophy, University of Latvia, Programme of Philosophy. Research interests: philosophy as a way of life, stoicism, modern stoicism, military ethics, virtue ethics, national values.

Dr. Gunda Reire is Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia and Director of the Centre for International Studies. She holds the position of visiting professor at the Riga Graduate School of Law and Riga Stradiņš University. Her core research interests include global peace and security, strategic communications, Russia, and multilateral cooperation. She has served as Deputy Chairperson of the Strategic Analysis Commission under the auspices of the President of Latvia, Chief of Staff of the Speaker’s Office, and Advisor to several ministers. She holds a doctoral degree in Political Science and International Relations from

Gunther Neumann, Prof., Dr. phil., Dr. math., studied physics (Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg), defended his doctoral thesis in mathematics (1986) and in philosophy (1998). He was a scholarship recipient at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States, conducted studies in physics in the research programmes of Fraunhofer Society. G. Neumann is a member of the Scientific Council for international research publications Heidegger’s Studies and Heidegger’s Yearbook, as well as the editor of Heidegger’s collected works. Research interests are related to relationships between science and philosophy, physics, mathematics, phenomenology, natural philosophy, the history of ancient and modern philosophy, issues of metaphysics and ethics.

Dr. theol. Guntis Kalme is an assistant professor of Luther Academy, Chair of the Department of Church History and Systematic Theology. Research interests: Christianity and its history in the world and in Latvia, systematic theology, Christian ethics, Christian philosophy, military ethics, Latvian history, Latvian military history.

Dr. hist. Guntis Zemītis is a historian, archaeologist, leading researcher of the Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia, Professor at Turība University, Full Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. He led archaeological excavations in several Iron-Age and medieval archaeological monuments: at the medieval cemetery of Tērvete Sanatorium garden, the complex of archaeological sites at Daugmale (hillfort, old city and two burial grounds), Gaideļu–Viduču cemetery, Jelgava Castle, Satesele hillfort, and elsewhere. Main research interests: society in Latvia in the Late Iron Age (9th–12th centuries), ancient Semigallians, issues of the history of law.

Dr. hist. Gvido Straube is a professor of the University of Latvia, Faculty of History and Philology. Research interests: contemporary history, history of the Church in Latvia, relations between peasants and landlords, history of Enlightenment.

PhD Heikki Hanka is a professor of Art History and the head of the Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies, Jyväskylä University. He is a founder and leader of the Study Programme of Culture Environment Studies. Hanka has a wide range of national responsibilities in the field of culture heritage and culture environment, e.g., current or past memberships of the boards of the Society for Cultural Environment Research, the National Gallery Foundation, the Foundation of the Finnish Antiquarian Society, and the Finnish Orthodox Museum Foundation.

PhD Helena Lonkila is a university teacher at Culture Environment Studies and Museology at the Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies, Jyväskylä University, postdoctoral researcher at the Karelian Institute, University of Eastern Finland, as well as researcher at MAMOMI consortium at the University of Lapland. Has studied the formation of national cultural heritage, and the materiality of cultural heritage. In her recent research Lonkila has focused on the question of the heterochronia of cultural environment and cultural heritage. She is also the chairperson of the Society for Cultural Environment Research.

Prof. Dr. H. Dahmer, was born in Göttingen in 1937. He studied sociology, philosophy and literature at the universities of Bonn, Göttingen and Frankfurt am Main (With Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, Jürgen Habermas), got a diploma in sociology and the PhD. From 1968 till 1992, he was chief editor of the psychoanalytic monthly Psyche, founded in 1947 by Alexander Mitscherlich. In 1974–2002, he was teaching sociology at the Technical University of Darmstadt. He is a member of the German Association of Sociologists (DGS) and has been guest-professor at the universities of Bern, Lima and Innsbruck. He has been co-founder

Mg. phil. Ieva Juhņēviča is a student of the doctoral study programme in philosophy, University of Latvia. Research areas: political philosophy, biopolitics, philosophy of Michel Foucault.

Dr. art. Ieva Pīgozne is a researcher at the Institute of Latvian History, University of Latvia. Her research interests include the history of clothing and footwear in Latvia, research into their wearing traditions, a review of the history of the branch, an in-depth analysis of iconographic and folklore sources, and expansion of research applications. I. Pīgozne regularly gives public lectures on clothing history.

Dr. philol. Ieva Zuicena is a former leading researcher of the Institute of Latvian Language, University of Latvia, co-author of the Dictionary of Literary Latvian, editor and co-author of the electronic Dictionary of Modern Latvian Language. Compiler of several Latvian–Russian and Russian–Latvian dictionaries. Author of articles on issues of lexicography, word semantics and language culture.

Igors Šuvajevs, Dr. phil., Professor at the University of Latvia, Full Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Publications: 15 monographs; more than 50 books, compiled and translated. Member of the Editorial Board (Oriens Aliter, Religious-Philosophical Articles etc.). Honours and awards: Österreichische Ehrenkreuz für Wissenschaft und Kunst (2015), European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Felix Prize (2001).

Mg. iur. and Mg.sc.ing. Igors Trofimovs is a Doctoral candidate in Law from Daugavpils University; Lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Daugavpils University and State Police College of Latvia. Research interests: Criminal Law; criminal intelligence; issues of national, state and regional security.

Dr. philol. Ilga Šuplinska is a professor at Rēzekne Academy of Tehnologies, she is the leading researcher of the Research Institute for Regional Studies of this Academy. Research areas: regional studies, Latgalian studies, regional theory; reception problems and methodology of a work of art; the role of creativity in the improvement of literary skills and mastering of literature.

Dr. sc. ing. Ilgars Grosvalds (1927–2019) was an outstanding chemist technologician, scientist and educator, he worked in the area of construction and was a lecturer and teacher. He was the director of the Latvian Museum of Chemistry, honorary member of the Latvian Association of History of Science, scientist emeritus of the State of Latvia. He was born in the USA but his family returned to Latvia already in the late 1920s. I. Grosvalds was a prolific science historian. His recent studies in the Latvian history of science include its development, scientific institutes and scientists in Latvia and the world. I.

Mg. soc. sc., Mg. phil. Ilze Apine has obtained a master’s degree in social sciences, in information and communication science, at the Rīga Stradiņš University (2009) and a master’s degree in the humanities at the University of Latvia, Faculty of History and Philosophy (2021), defending her thesis “Animals in Bioart: Posthumanist Perspective”. Research interests: ethics, biopolitics, animal studies, social philosophy.

Dr. philol. Ilze Mileiko is a researcher at the University of Latvia. Her scientific interests include research of medical anthropology, studies of demographic and family politics, gender and sexuality.

Dr. art. Ingrīda Zemzare is musicologist, Managing Director of the Grammy Award-winning orchestra Baltic Chamber Orchestra Kremerata Baltica established by the world famous violinist Gidon Kremer, Chair of the UNESCO Latvian Culture Council. Fields of activity — writing, criticism, journalism.

Mg. envir. sc. Inguna Paredne is a researcher at the Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia. Scientific interests: adaptation to climate change, agroecology, social, environmental, and economic interactions.

Dr. philol. Ingus Barovskis, researcher at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia. Research interests: traditional and modern mythology, fairy-tale research, mythical notions and their manifestations in culture.

Dr. oec. Inna Romānova is the leading researcher at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics, University of Latvia. Research interests: challenges of financial sector development, development of financial technologies, financial aspects of population aging and stratification problems.

Dr. habil. oec. Inna Šteinbuka is the leading researcher at the Faculty of Business, Management and Economics, University of Latvia. Research interests: stratification of society in the context of radicalisation, analysis of social and economic aspects of radicalisation.

Dr. h. c. hist. Inta Dišlere is the Head of the Museum of Durbe Castle of the Museum of Tukums. She has obtained education in German language and literature at the Faculty of Foreign Languages, University of Latvia. Research interests: cultural history of the populated areas in Kurzeme region and Tukums Municipality, historic research of the social, economic, and spiritual life concerning the preservation of cultural inheritance; genealogical studies of outstanding local personalities, relations between Baltic Germans and Latvians within the context of the 19th and 20th century social political events.

Dr. hist. Irēna Saleniece is a professor at the Department of History of the Faculty of Humanities, Daugavpils University, Head of the Oral History Centre, and the organiser of 12 oral history expeditions. Author of two scientific monographs and about 100 scientific articles. Main research interests: school policy in Latvia in the 20th century, Sovietisation of Latvia after the Second World War, oral history in the context of source studies.

Professor Ivars Austers earned his PhD in 2001 at Stockholm University. His professional interests are related to research methods, social identity, social cognition, human values, decision-making, and economic behaviour issues. He teaches courses in social cognition, cross-cultural psychology, research methods at the University of Latvia.

Dr. oec. Ivars Brīvers has been working in the academic field of economics for many years in various universities in Latvia and other countries, reading courses related to economic theory, history of economic thought and mathematical economy. Has also worked in the field of politics as a member of the 12th Saeima of the Republic of Latvia. Currently, he is a student of theology, combining studies with a job of senior researcher at the University of Liepāja.

Janīna Kursīte is a professor at the University of Latvia (UL), Full Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Author of monographs about Latvian folklore, traditional culture and literature. Since 1999, together with students of the UL, she has regularly performed field studies in various regions of Latvia as well as studied Latvian diaspora abroad.

MSc. geogr. Jānis Krūmiņš is a research assistant at the Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, UL . Main research directions: changes in the number of inhabitants and distribution of population, internal migration, urban geography, economic geography.

Jānis Pleps earned his Dr. iur. in 2011 at the University of Latvia. Assistant Professor at the Department of the Legal Theory and History of the Faculty of Law, University of Latvia. He teaches courses in legal theory, legal methods, general theory of state, and sociology of law. In October 2022, he was appointed as a Judge at the Supreme Court. Before that, Jānis Pleps served as a Legal Adviser to the Parliament and President. In 2022, he received the Dietrich Andre Loeber Prize established by the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

Dr. oec. Jānis Vanags is a professor at Riga Technical University, a leading researcher of the Institute of Economics, Latvian Academy of Sciences. Research interests: external and internal business environment, macroeconomics, economic development, real estate economics, investment and financial markets, regional economics, as well as construction economics.

Dr. arch. Jānis Zilgalvis, since 1995, heads the Architecture Department of the the State Inspection for Cultural Heritage Protection. Leading researcher of the Institute of Art History, Art Academy of Latvia (1989–2009). Associate Professor of the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Riga Technical University (2001–2014). Since 2012, full member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Research interests and practical work concern research of the architectural heritage of Latvian countryside and towns, and cultural historical environment, protection and popularisation of cultural heritage.

Dr. biol. Jēkabs Raipulis is a geneticist and has studied the influence of various unfavourable environmental and everyday life factors on heredity. Through the aspect of genetics he strives to analyse and interpret also the natural phenomena and the human. Has worked at the Institute of Microbiology of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (LAS), Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology of the University of Latvia (UL), lectured at the UL and Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy. Has written textbooks and study aids in genetics, popular science books and articles about the human from a genticist’s point of view, human−environmental

Mg. soc. Jekaterina Kalēja is a researcher at the University of Latvia. Her scientific interests include science, medicine and biotechnology management, as well as studies on issues of sexual and reproductive health, family and gender.

Dr.oec. Joseph Menaker (USA) is a Board Member of the Institute of European Policy Research, LightPath Technologies Inc., UAV Factory Holdings LLC and Tsal Kaplun Foundation. Dr. Menaker started his career at the Institute of Economics of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. He continued his research work at the New York City Department of Finance and Taxation after immigrating to the U.S. as a political refugee in 1989. Dr. Menaker’s research topic was the Econometric Modelling of Regional Economies. During his years as a research scientist, Dr. Menaker published over twenty research papers and books and participated in numerous scientific

Jouko Talonen is a Professor emeritus of the Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki. He has been awarded Dr. theol. at the University of Helsinki (1989) and Dr. phil. at the University of Oulu (1997). Scientific interests: revival movements (especially Laestadianism), church and politics, history of Baltic church.

Juhan Maiste is Professor and Head of the Department of Art History at the University of Tartu; PhD at the Moscow Central Institute of Art History (1985); doctoral studies at the University of Helsinki, doctoral degree at the Estonian Academy of Arts (1995). Visiting professor at the universities of Helsinki, Turku, Oulu in Finland, Greifswald, La Sapienza in Rome and others. Doctor honoris hausa of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Author of ca 20 monographs on art history, cultural heritage and landscape architecture. Editor-in-chief of the Baltic Journal of Art History. Recent publications include: series of publications on the architectural

Dr. chem. Juris Dzelme is a leading researcher of the Institute of Chemical Physics, University of Latvia. Alongside research in chemical physics, the research interests include education management, philosophy, psychology and arts.

Dr. habil. oec. Juris Krūmiņš is a professor and leading researcher at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics, UL . Main research directions: demographic development, socio-economic differentiation of demographic processes, the role of public health and education in the reproduction of population.

Dr. phil. Juris Prikulis is the Director of Baltic–Nordic Research Centre, member of the Consultative Board of the Occupation of Latvia Research Society. Research interests: development of political and economic ideas in the Baltic in the 20th century.

Dr. hist., Dr. habil. art. Juris Urtāns is a professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture and full member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Scientific interests: hillforts, cult sites, aerial and underwater archaeology, archaeology and folklore, archaeological sites as cultural phenomena and their surroundings.

Kaspars Zellis, Dr. hist., senior researcher of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia. Research interests: history of mass media and propaganda, collective and individual memory, social history.

PhD Katrien Maes is Deputy Secretary-General of LERU, the League of European Research Universities, which is a network of 23 renowned universities. LERU advocates the values of research universities across Europe and beyond. Katrien has worked in several roles for LERU since 2004, having co-authored or co-developed many LERU policy papers, for example recent ones about societal impact, interdisciplinarity, citizen science and others. As an expert in EU research, innovation and higher education policies, she serves in several advisory groups. Katrien Maes obtained a PhD in linguistics from and worked as an assistant professor at the University of Delaware (1992–2002),

Kitija Mirončuka has received a master’s degree in the University of Latvia, Faculty of History and Philosophy, defending a thesis “Inclusion of Violence as a Societal Norm” (2020). Scientific research is mainly focused on terrorism studies, analysis of the ethical dimension of violence; along with investigation of how various phenomenon occur, why they manifest themselves despite societal norms, she has studied also how violent events resonate with the just war theory and the current issues of biopolitics.

Mg. soc. admin. Kristīne Casno, University of Latvia, research interests: competitiveness of social entrepreneurship, social enterprise marketing.

Mg. math. Kristīne Lece is a postdoctoral researcher and expert at the UL in the “Demo-Mig” project. Main research directions: innovations in the use of administrative data in the analysis of population and household dynamics and differentiation.

Mg. oec. Larisa Bule is a researcher at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics, University of Latvia. Research interests: social insurance and security, life and risk insurance, old-age pension insurance.

Dr.h.hist. Leo Dribins is a leading researcher of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia, author and co-author of more than ten books. He is one of the most outstanding specialists of national identity, ethnic relations and societal intergration issues in Latvia.

Dr. philol. Lidija Leikuma is a professor at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Humanities, she is the head of the Department of Latvian and Baltic Studies, Chair of Baltic Linguistics. Research areas: regional studies, Latgalian studies; dialectology, toponomastics, history of the Latvian language and linguistics.

Assoc. Prof. Lilian Tzivian (PhD in epidemiology) examines problems associated with stress and quality of life in different patient groups, as well as the environment as a cause of cognitive changes.

Dr. sc. admin. Lilita Seimuškāne is a researcher at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics, University of Latvia. Research interests: public administration, organisation of municipal work, regional development, and public participation.

Linda Lauze is a linguist who has more specialised in syntax, pragmatics, learning Latvian as a foreign language and sociolinguistics, she is a doctor of philology, professor at Liepāja University. Author of the monograph Everyday Communication: A Simple Sentence in Colloquial Latvian (2004). Co-author of several books. In the publication Latvian Grammar (2013) she developed a chapter on oral text. Regularly publishes articles on issues of syntax and linguistic pragmatics in the spoken language.

Mag. art. Linda Teikmane, doctoral student of the Art Academy of Latvia (AAL). Research interests include: evaluation of the quality of higher education, the work process of graduate students of the AAL, and studies of creative industry in the 21st century.

Dr. hab. Magdalena Zioło is Associate Professor, PhD hab., University of Szczecin, Poland. She is the head of the Institute of Sustainable Financial Systems. Research and teaching scope of interest: finance and banking, especially sustainable finance and green banking, sustainable development, public finance.

Maiga Krūzmētra is a researcher of the state research programme project “INTERFRAMELV”. Research interests: sustainable socio-economic development of rural area as a system.

Manfreds Šneps-Šneppe — Candidate of Technical Sciences in Medical Engineering (1965), Doctor of Technical Sciences in Telecommunications (1969), Professor (1983), Habilitated Doctor of Engineering (1992). As of 2010, his biography is included in the Who is Who in the World celebrity collection and other encyclopedias. Since 2005, the leading researcher of the Ventspils University College International Radio Astronomy Center. Author/ co-author of fifteen books — on medical engineering, telecommunications, history.

Dr. philol. Māra Grudule is a professor at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia and a researcher at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia. Her research topics are Latvian literature in the 16th–19th centuries, Baltic German culture.

Dr. habil. psych., Dr. oec. Māra Vidnere has worked as part of the academic staff at the University of Latvia in 1977–2005. After the liquidation of the Institute of Pedagogy and Psichology of the University of Latvia, she worked at RPIVA as profesor and at the Institute of Social Research of Daugavpils University as the leading researcher. Has published more than 20 monographs, books and more than 300 popular and scientific research articles.

Māra Vīksna — Dr. philol. h. c., folklorist, researcher at the Institute of Literature, Folklore, and Art, University of Latvia; from 1969, works as the manager of collections of folklore materials at the Archives of Latvian Folklore. She is author of about 300 scientific and popular science publications, co-author of the collective monographs Latvian Folkloristics in the Interwar Period (in Latvian, 2014, and in English, 2017) and Collections of the University of Latvia at the Archives of Latvian Folklore (2019). Main research interests: history of folklore studies, cultural heritage, regional folklore.

Mg. arch. Marina Levina is an architect, Assistant of the Head of the Department of Architecture of the National Heritage Board. For many years she has researched cultural heritage. A special research topic (represented in publications and books) is sacral architecture and art as well as Old Riga urban construction complex (she has worked as part of the Old Riga Regeneration Project Group). Since the 1980s, she has prepared descriptions of monuments for encyclopaedias including the latest National Encyclopaedia created by the Latvian National Library — www.enciklopedija.lv.

Mg. phil. Marta Valdmane has obtained a Master’s Degree of Humanities in Philosophy, at the University of Latvia, in 2020 and is currently a doctoral student of Philosophy at the University of Latvia. Scientific research: political and social philosophy, ethics, biopolitics, philosophy of Michel Foucault.

Dr. hist. Mārtiņš Mintaurs is deputy director of the Letonica and Baltic Centre of the National Library of Latvia (NLL), head of Aleksejs Apīnis’ Rare Books and Manuscripts Reading Room of the NLL, assistant professor of the Faculty of History and Philosophy, University of Latvia, member of the association ICOMOS Latvia. Research interests: cultural heritage theory, history of the protection of the architectural heritage, history of Latvia in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Mečislovas Žalakevičius is an academician of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Dr. habil., Laureate of the Lithuanian Science Prize, Laureate of Tadas Ivanauskas Award of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, biologist, former director of the Institute of Ecology and Nature Research Centre (for ten years). Recently he is affiliated scientist at the Nature Research Centre. Research interests: radar ornithology, bird migration research and control, climate change ornithology, history of biology, etc.

Lic. theol. Mihails Volohovs is lecturer on Church History and Patrology at the Riga Higher Institute of Religious Sciences, Secretary of the Commission for Evangelisation and Culture of the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE ).

Nicolas W. Balabkins, Ph. D., is an Emeritus Professor of Economics at the Lehigh University in Bethlehem, the U.S., since 1957. Research interests: the concept of forced labour, Russian economic thought and its debilitating legacy, the clash of political and economic nationalism in Latvia, Schumpeter’s innovators, biobibliography of Carl Ballod. He has authored 13 books, his publications are available at Misiņša library in Riga, Latvia.

Mg. theol. Ņikita Andrejevs, Faculty of Theology, University of Latvia, research assistant. He has published articles on modern religiosity and the history of Christianity, teaches courses related to religious studies and the history of Christianity at the Faculty of Theology. Participates in international research projects. Has published two original translations of ancient Greek texts into Latvian with comments and an introduction. Author of several entries in the National Encyclopedia.

Dr. hab. hist. Nikolai (Niko) Javakhishvili is professor of the Faculty of Humanities of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (Georgia), chief scientist-researcher of the Modern and Contemporary History Department of Ivane Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology and Foreign Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (2022). His research interests: modern and contemporary history of Georgia and Caucasus, Georgian–European relations, etc.

Dr. paed. Ņina Linde is the Chair of the Board of the Institute of Economics, Latvian Academy of Sciences. Research interests: business economics, national economy, business support, management psychology, development of entrepreneurial personality and entrepreneurial skills, employment, social entrepreneurship, aspects of economic and psychological integration.

Dr. habil. art. Ojārs Spārītis is a professor at the Art Academy of Latvia, Vice-President and Full Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Foreign Member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, member of the Ukrainian Academy of Political Sciences, member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Research interests: history and theory of culture, religion, and art, architecture, art, cultural heritage, museum values, restoration.

Oļģerts Krastiņš is a full member of the LAS, state emeritus scientist. Interests during the working career: statistics (theory, methods, agricultural statistics, social statistics, textbooks), history of the social structure and national economy of the first State of Latvia, journalism, work with doctoral students. Currently: philosophy of science (peculiarities of social sciences, difficulties, opportunities and restrictions, significance of results).

Otfried Höffe – Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult., Director of the Research Centre for Political Philosophy, University of Tübingen. O. Höffe is a Honorary Fellow of the University of Latvia, author of more than 40 monographs.

Dr. habil.oec. (demogr.) Pēteris Zvidriņš is a Professor of University of Latvia, full member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences (1992), Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (2006), Member of the International Union for Scientific Studies of Population (1979) and the European Association for Population Studies (1987). In 1996, was awarded the prize of Kārlis Balodis, and in 2004, the prize of Marģers Skujenieks, Latvian Academy of Sciences. He is the author of about 400 scientific works.

Dr. jur. Philipp Schwartz did his doctorate in law in 2008 at the University of Greifswald, Germany, on the topic “Das Lettländische Zivilgesetzbuch vom 28. Januar 1937 und seine Entstehungsgeschichte” [The Latvian Civil Code of 28 January 1937 and its historical origin]. Ever since then, Schwartz researches and publishes in his spare time on Latvia’s legal history with a focus on the civil law in the years 1918 to 1940. As an occupation, Schwartz works with European Territorial Cooperation (Interreg).

Dr. oec., Full Member of the LAS Raita Karnīte, is the head of the Section of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Latvian Academy of Sciences and the member of the board and leading researcher of the private research institution EPC (Economic Prognosis Centre). Makes researches in macroeconomics, branch economics, labour economics etc. Since 1992, she has been leading Latvian group of experts the in international research project. Since 2004, she is the leader of experts of the Latvian National Correspondent of the European Foundation for Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

Dr. biol. Raitis Pečulis is a researcher at the Latvian Biomedical Research and Studies Centre, specialising in medical statistics and bioinformative analysis of high-molecular data.

Dr. phil. Raivis Bičevskis is a professor at the University of Latvia, Faculty of History and Philosophy. Research interests: German philosophy from the late Middle Ages till the modern time, link between the German and Baltic intellectual traditions, philosophy of J. G. Hamann, G. Herder, M. Heidegger and Ludwig Klages, phenomenology, hermeneutics, history of ideas and intellectual history, philosophical problems of the humanities, theories of experience, philosophical anthropology.

Dr. theol. Ralfs Kokins is a Professor of Biblical Theology at the University of Latvia, theologian (Faculty of Theology) and Lutheran pastor (Ev. Luth. Church of Latvia). Research interests: theology of the New Testament, methods of exegesis and textual research, age of Early Christianity, research of the Nag-Hammadi codices, Art and Theology.

Dr. oec. Ramona Rupeika-Apoga is the leading researcher at the Faculty of Business, Management, and Economics, University of Latvia. Research interests: financial aspects of the access economy, fintech, identification and management of financial risks, financial aspects of population aging and stratification, bank stability.

Rasa Miežienė is a Senior Researcher at the Lithuanian Social Research Centre with almost 15 years of research development practice. She has a doctoral degree in Economics and a master’s degree in Management and Business Administration. Research interests: labour market policy, working conditions, living standards, poverty measurements. Since 2006, she has been working as a National Correspondent for the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.

Mg. phil. Reinis Vilciņš is a scientific assistant at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia. In the academic year 2013/2014, he was granted Kristaps Morbergs scholarship. R. Vilciņš’ research interests include Wittgenstein’s philosophy already since 2014.

Dr. phys. Ričardas Krikštolaitis is a professor at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Vytautas Magnus University. Research interests: energy security, risk and reliability analysis of power system, statistical data analysis.

Corresponding member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences Professor Ringolds Balodis received his degree of the Doctor of Law from the University of Latvia in 2001. R. Balodis is a professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia and the Chair of the Board of the Legal Science Research Institute. Author and leader of the idea of the draft scientific comments on the Constitution. From 1997 to 2003, he was responsible for state–church relations (Director of the Department of the Ministry of Justice, Head of the Office of Religious Affairs). From 2008 to 2013, he was the

Dr. iur. Sanita Osipova is a professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Latvia. She was a judge of the Constitutional Court (2011–2022) and the President of the Court (2020–2022). Sanita Osipova is the author of more than 150 publications on the history of law, constitutional law, sociology of law (such as the effectiveness of law and legal culture), and legal ethics. Sanita Osipova is the founder and member of the assembly of Professor Kārlis Dišlers Foundation. The aims of the Foundation are to promote the development of the national science of state law, to involve students in state

Honoris causa of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, Dr. philol. Sarma Kļaviņa is a linguist and teacher. Graduated from the Department of Latvian Language and Literature at the Faculty of History and Philology, Pēteris Stučka Latvian State University (1964), and has been a postgraduate student in mathematical linguistics in Leningrad under Prof. R. Piotrovski. Former head of the Department of Latvian Language at the Faculty of Philology, University of Latvia. Research interests: general linguistics, history of linguistics, life and research of Jānis Endzelīns.

Saulius Pivoras, PhD in history, Professor at the Faculty of Political Science and Diplomacy, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania. Main research interests: nationalism and national identity, history of ideas, history of political thought, public policy and governance.

Dr. sc. inf. Sergejs Kruks is a professor at the Department of Communication, Rīga Stradiņš University. His research interests include semiotics and discourse analysis of political communication.

Dr. sc. soc. Signe Mežinska is the leading researcher at the Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine Institute, University of Latvia. Scientific interests: ethics of biomedical research, medical ethics, health and disease sociology.

Dr. sc. soc. Silva Seņkāne is a sociologist, assistant professor, works in the Statistics Laboratory of Rīga Stradiņš University, advises on the processing and analysis of medical and social science research data, has participated in a range of studies on education and youth sociology, is currently participating in the study Memento Mori of the Latvian Council of Science — “End of Life, Death and Imagined Afterlife in the Contemporary Latvian Lifeworld”.

Dr. phil. Skaidrīte Lasmane is professor emeritus at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Communication. Main research interests: ethics, media ethics, modern moral philosophy, philosophy of literature. She is the author of books “The Transformations in the 20th Century Ethics” (2004), “West European Moral Philosophy” (2006), “Communication ethics” (2012). Her latest research works are on media diversity and moral ecology.

Dr. phil. Solveiga Krūmiņa-Koņkova is the leading researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia, and corresponding member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Research interests: philosophy of religion, history of religious-philosophical ideas and the development of modern day religiosity, and the history of the Church–State relations in the Soviet times.

Dr. oec. Svetlana Jesiļevska is an expert in economics at the Latvian Council of Science, the author of several scientific publications, books and publications in the mass-media devoted to the methodological aspects of statistics on innovations and problems of the development of innovative companies in Latvia. In 2015, Svetlana Jesiļevska won a prize, in the competition of 35 researchers from 27 countries, for the study “Iterative method for reducing the impact of outlying data points: Ensuring data quality”. In the study, the author addresses the problem of ensuring the completeness of the data, so that they can be used for

Prof. Dr. Tatjana Volkova is a Professor of Strategic Management and Innovation Management and a leading researcher at BA School of Business and Finance in Riga, Latvia. She has extensive practical experience in management and consultancy, including working as Manager of Rotterdam Consult, Ltd, HR recruiting professional at Amrop International Office, working as Training Officer at WOCCU office in Riga. Her research findings have been published in a number of peer-reviewed books and journals nationally and internationally and presented at numerous international conferences. Tatjana is also a member of Editorial Committee of Scientific Journals (e.g., Editor and Reviewer of Journal

Toms Stepiņš is a research assistant at the Faculty of History and Philosophy, University of Latvia. Research interests: cognitive philosophy and metaphilosophy, biosemiotics and cognitive semiotics.

Dr. phil. Valdis Tēraudkalns is a professor at the Faculty of Theology, University of Latvia, corresponding member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Scientific interests: history of Christianity in Latvia in the 19th and 20th centuries, religion and gender studies, political theology.

Dr. hist. Vija Daukšte is the leading researcher of the National Library of Latvia, Letonica and Baltic Centre, emeritus professor of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences, director of the National Research Programme Project “The Significance of Documentary Heritage in Creating Synergies between Research and Society” (VPP-IZM-2018/1-0022), has been awarded the title of the Officer of the Order of the Three Stars. Research interests: history of Latvia in the 19th century and the historical heritage of the Baltic German community.

Viktor Shcherbyna, Dr. soc. sci., Professor at Kyiv Institute of Business and Technology, Head of Sociology Department, Ukraine

Full member of the LAS, Dr. hab. philol. Viktors Hausmanis specialised in Rainis studies, was one of the organisers of Rainis’ academic writings. He conducted systematic research on Latvian and exile theatre and its personalities — actors, playwrights, directors, is the author and co-author of several monographs and collections. He has also published and compiled several books about the Latvian 20th century exile writer Anšlavs Eglītis.

Dr. biol. Vita Rovīte is the leading researcher at the Latvian Biomedical Research and Studies Centre and the head of the national biobank — Genome Database of the Latvian Population. V. Rovīte’s research interests include studies of molecular mechanisms for the development of neuroendocrine tumours.

Vitalija Gabnytė is the doctoral student in economics at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at Vilnius University. Main research and work areas: income distribution, poverty, social protection, tax-benefit impact assessments using microsimulations.

Mg. iur. Vladislavs Siņicins is a member of the international training programme Erasmus Mundus (EMA2), hosted by the North Ossetian State University named after K. L. Khetagurov. The programme is coordinated by the University of Turku, Finland.

Dr. soc. Vladislavs Volkovs is a leading researcher of the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia. Research interests: sociology of nation and ethnic minorities, history of Russian minority of Latvia and its sociological analysis.

Church historian Dr. theol. Voldemārs Lauciņš works in the Latvian branch of the Lutheran Heritage Foundation as a board member and scientific editor. V. Lauciņš’s scientific interests include the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther, early Wittenberg (Lutheran) theology, the history of the Reformation in the 16th century, the history of the Church in Latvia, especially the turn of the 20th century, and the relations between the Lutheran Church and church and state of the Republic of Latvia.

PhD in social sciences Vylius Leonavičius is a professor at the Department of Sociology, Vytautas Magnus University. Research interests: late modernity and risk sociology, energy security, public health.

Yuliia Shchukina is a theatre researcher, senior lecturer of the Theatre Studies Department at Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts. Research interests: musical and drama theatre, history of Ukrainian theatre, history of theatrical criticism, history of the world theatre of animation.

Dr. geogr. Zaiga Krišjāne is a professor and leading researcher at the Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia (UL ). Main research directions: population geography, migration processes, reproduction of population.

Zbigņevs Stankevičs is the present Roman Catholic metropolitan archbishop of Riga (ordained as priest on 16 June 1996, consecrated as bishop on 8 August 2010, installed as metropolitan archbishop on 21 August 2010). Honorary member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Z. Stankevičs has published several scientific works, reported at scientific conferences. He willingly focuses on issues of society development and openly, uncompromisingly declares his opinion on these issues. The range of his interests includes Eastern culture — Hinduism, Buddhism. Z. Stankevičs masters six languages — Latvian, Polish, Russian, Lithuanian, English, and Italian, and can read and communicate also in