The bill for the 2024 state budget, confirmed by the Cabinet of Ministers, stipulates that an additional €119.5 million will be available for implementing priority measures in education and science.
The budget allocates an additional €17.6 million for next year’s higher education and science needs. Additional financing is intended for increasing achievement-based financial stimuli in higher education and science financing; the implementation of a higher education institutional financing pilot project; ensuring the continued operations of state university board; supporting Latvia’s participation in the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the path to full member status — which has been determined as a high-level priority for the field — as well as innovative state digital management for developing scientific and teaching skills for state digital management with a tenure model and degree programme.
State budget financing for science has long been insufficient, and is currently only at one-third of the European Union average. This prevents the sustainable development of science and hinders progress and excellence as well as scientists’ attempts to implement a full economic transformation in Latvia.
