New Vice Presidents were elected at the Council meeting
At the rescheduled emergency Council meeting of the Student Union of Latvia (LSA) on April 26, 2025, two new Vice Presidents were elected in accordance with the organization’s newly implemented board model. Rūdolfs Aleksandrs Strods was appointed Vice President for Policy Affairs, while Paula Vikaine was elected Vice President for Organizational Affairs.
Changes in the Board Structure
The new LSA board model, which will take effect on April 28, 2025, introduces significant changes to the composition of the board. These changes have been implemented in response to longstanding challenges and an imbalanced distribution of responsibilities. From now on, the LSA board will consist of three members – the President and two Vice Presidents. One will be responsible for policy matters, while the other will oversee organizational management. Responsibilities in the field of international affairs will be shared among all board members, while the academic and social portfolios are being discontinued. Instead, a new Vice President for Policy Affairs role has been created, supported by a staff member.
The goal of these changes is to balance the workload among board members and improve the effectiveness of representation in collaboration with partners and organizations.
Rūdolfs Aleksandrs Strods – Vice President for Policy Affairs
Running for board office again, R. A. Strods emphasized both the significance of the organization for Latvian students and his commitment to completing already initiated reforms. His main focus will be on improving the quality of higher education, including the integration of artificial intelligence into the study process and the implementation of an institutional accreditation model in cooperation with partners. In the near future, he will continue working on the establishment of a student ombudsman, the reform of university councils, and the development of an institutional funding model. Concrete steps will also be taken to improve students’ quality of life, such as enhancing dormitory regulations, developing the student loan and study credit system, and ensuring access to psycho-emotional support. R. A. Strods was elected with 22 votes in favor, 5 against, and 0 abstentions.
Paula Vikaine – Vice President for Organizational Affairs
Running for re-election, P. Vikaine highlighted her accumulated experience, a strong team, and her main source of inspiration – the students. Her priorities will include improving the internal environment and attracting new members, including from private higher education institutions. She plans to continue transparent and accountable communication with students. P. Vikaine will also be responsible for organizing the LSA Congress and Council meetings, ensuring their consistent and high-quality execution.
She will introduce feedback forms to better monitor the opinions and suggestions of student representatives raised in working groups and meetings. Regular communication with student governments will be encouraged, LSA leadership meetings will be organized, up-to-date information will be maintained, and the WhatsApp Community platform will be relaunched. The projects “Who Cares About Students?” and the “Student Leaders Forum” will also resume, alongside the organization of the annual Yearly Award. P. Vikaine will continue to actively participate in student government seminars and events, representing LSA on a broader scale. She was elected with 21 votes in favor, 5 against, and 1 abstention.
We wish Rūdolfs and Paula continued success in their ongoing work and collaboration, strength and resilience in defending the interests of Latvian students, and to keep the spark that has already been lit!
