Research
Science and research are an essential part of the operation of the Latvian Academy of Culture (LAC) as a university of culture and the arts. They create an open, critically evaluative, and dynamic environment for the growth of outstanding personalities who enrich Latvian culture and strengthen the nation’s self-awareness. According to the Statute of the LAC, one of its three main directions is the development of research activities in the humanities and the arts, as well as in interdisciplinary scientific fields. Research activities are developed in close synergy with studies and artistic creativity, forming the basis for their social and economic impact and sustainability. The LAC purposefully develops its initial strategic specialization and expands its primary research fields by introducing interdisciplinary research directions – in the sociology of culture and arts, heritage studies, creative industries, cultural management, cultural policy, studies of the social and economic impact of culture, and others.
The development of scientific activity and research is strategically subordinated to the overall vision of LAC, which foresees advancement based on the values of humanism towards the uniqueness, excellence, and international competitiveness of its academic and research profile.
The scientific activity of LAC is based on three vectors of development and impact:
- to contribute globally and nationally to the development of interdisciplinarity in the humanities, arts, and social sciences, as well as the development of future research skills;
- to ensure freedom of research, mobility, collaboration, and strategic partnerships for researchers, as well as the renewal of academic staff;
- to enrich Latvia’s cultural environment and cultural capital by promoting knowledge transfer and embedding it in the public’s perceptions and experiences.
During this planning period (2023–2027), the main goal of research activity is:
✓ to ensure the excellence of LAC research and internationally and nationally recognized achievements in science within LAC’s priority research topics;
✓ to develop research-based education aimed at the integration of research, studies, and artistic creativity;
✓ to expand cooperation on national and international levels;
✓ to increase the social and economic value of new knowledge and research.
The Latvian Academy of Culture is registered in the Register of Scientific Institutions under registration number 372184. The structural unit of LAC, whose overarching aim is to ensure the operation of LAC as a research institution, is the Institute of Arts and Cultural Studies (IACS).
Since 2025, the Latvian Academy of Culture has been a messenger of the Ministry of Education and Science’s science communication platform #ResearchLatvia.
