The Estonian Academy of Sciences is honoured to convene the 17th Baltic Conference on Intellectual Cooperation (BCIC) in Tallinn on 28–29 June 2021. The event includes a meeting of the Presidents of Academies around the Baltic Sea and the Pre-seminar on Energetics.

The main theme Mathematics for Society is motivated by massive contribution of many scientists into the analysis of processes during the COVID-19 pandemic and design of the exit strategy of this pandemic. While the efforts of medical experts and life scientists have been widely recognised, the related developments in exact sciences, informatics, and engineering are still to be acknowledged and appreciated.

Conference will be held in English. Follow the live broadcast of the Conference on the webpage of the Estonian Academy of Sciences!

Programme [ Estonian Academy of Sciences].

About the Baltic Conferences on Intellectual Co-operation [Estonian Academy of Sciences].

Source: Estonian Academy of Sciences

Roberts Eglītis, Dr. phys., Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Full Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences

In: Latvian Academy of Sciences Yearbook 2021, 2021, pp. 88-89.

“One of the three Nobel Prize winners in chemistry in 2019, J. Goodenough (USA), in 1980, discovered the cathode material for 4 Volt batteries LiCoO2. Nowadays, consumer electronics widely use lithium-ion batteries containing LiCoO2 , for example, in laptop computers, cellular telephones, electric vehicles as well as airplanes and even cosmic technologies. One frequently discussed direction to improve the performance of 4 Volt batteries is the development of a family of 5 Volt cathode materials. We were the first in the world to theoretically predict that also a 5 Volt battery is possible. Namely, by means of a Full Potential Linearized Augmented Plane Wave (FP-LAPW) calculations for Li2 CoMn3 O8 battery cathode material we got the average battery voltage for this material around 5 Volt.”

Read the whole article here (pdf).

In: Latvian Academy of Sciences Yearbook 2021, 2021, pp. 84-87.

“The main advantage, however, of integrating industrial robots in a common DC supply system is the possibility to recuperate the braking energy, which leads to considerable energy savings. The level of savings depends on the robot count within a production cell, as well as on the robot motion patterns and tasks. Measurements acquired in the demonstration production cell of Daimler, showed that while carrying out real-life production tasks the novel DC-grid production cell could save up to 13.2% [5] compared to the traditional AC-grid supplied system. These impressive results surely played a significant role in encouraging Daimler AG to initiate the expensive and ambitious project entitled “Factory 56”.”

Read the whole article here (pdf).

In: Latvian Academy of Sciences Yearbook 2021, 2021, pp. 81-83.

“The Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (AI Lab) at the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Latvia (IMCS UL), founded in 1992, conducts research in natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML). Both research directions are closely related and have gained significant boost through the implementation of numerous innovation projects together with industry partners and through the international cooperation. AI Lab particularly focuses on cross-lingual natural language understanding (NLU) and generation (NLG) by combining knowledge-based and machine learning approaches. Our work on NLU includes speech recognition, information extraction and knowledge graph construction from unstructured texts and audio recordings, as well as image and video data. The work on NLG includes text generation from data and abstract meaning representations, as well text-to-speech synthesis.”

Read the whole article here (pdf).

The new A4L_ACTIONS project just started

The kick-off conference of the H2020 project A4L_ACTIONS, connecting thirteen members from the strategic partnership called Alliance4Life, took place on 25.5.2021. This event opened the continuation of the previously well-executed project Alliance4Life, which resulted in the formal existence of a permanent alliance with the same title. This international alliance of leading research institutions and universities operating in the field of biomedical sciences in Central and Eastern Europe will work intensively for the next three years to implement strategies and a number of best practices that have been identified and piloted in the past. The aim of the project is to improve institutional culture and strategic management of involved institutions and to serve as a role model for improving conditions of excellent scientific research in the region of Central and Eastern Europe.

The project partners plan to continue to invest into the career development of researchers and to create a supportive environment that would attract talents from around the world. Great emphasis is also placed on the social relevance of research and its innovation potential. A huge benefit for all research organisations from Central and Eastern Europe is the determination of all involved partners to further share their experience at national levels, and to serve as inspiration for the necessary research and innovation policy reforms in their home countries.

Due to the current pandemic situation, the entire conference took place online. More than 200 guests from more than 12 countries, representing the scientific community, academics, and politicians, attended the open plenary session and learned about the ambitious plan of the alliance. The kick-off conference was officially opened by the director of CEITEC Masaryk University, Jiri Nantl, who is also the chairman of Alliance4Life. Jiri Nantl presented the results achieved so far and highlighted challenges that still persist in the region, and will need to be addressed in the years to come.

Martina Dlabajova, Member of the European Parliament and Vice-Chairwoman of the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), presented the other side of the coin. She addressed the participating members and focused on her own area of expertise, which is the efficient use of funds that the European Union invests into science, research and innovation. Dlabajova presented interesting ideas for cooperation between members of the European Parliament and the scientific community that could contribute to the development of the research policy of the EU, and shared valuable insights from the negotiations of the Horizon Europe programme.

Stefan Weiers, Head of Sector, Widening, ERA & Research Infrastructure Programming at the European Commission summarized key messages of the Horizon Europe programme and its goals concerning the Widening Participation and Strengthening the European Research Area. Henriette van Eijl, who leads the unit ‘Economic and Social Transitions’ in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, spoke about desired aims within the EU’s research programmes in health (including COVID-19 R&I actions).

The scientific community was represented by world-class evolutionary biologist Pavel Tomancak, who recently became the new director of the CEITEC Consortium. Tomancak, who has spent most of his professional career abroad, pointed out untapped opportunities in the Widening countries and what active participation in institutional alliances can bring to the scientific community. Coordinator of the alliance, Zlatuse Novotna, presented the ambitious action plan that the Alliance4Life´s members aim to accomplish in the next three years.

The 200 participants in the plenary session came from all 12 participating countries and included about 80 guests who are not official members of the Alliance4Life, but who joined to draw inspiration from this successful international project. The plenary session offered space for questions from the audience and was enriched by inspiring debates. The session was followed by the Alliance4Life´s Steering Committee and Board meeting and separate focus group meetings in various break-out rooms led by focus group chairs.

“The conference was a great opportunity to officially introduce the new phase of Alliance4Life´s work plan focused on turning our strategies into concrete actions. Every institute has its own strengths, which inspire others. Together we can implement best practice faster across Central and Eastern Europe and make the research and innovation system in the whole region stronger,” explains Zlatuse Novotna, the coordinator of Alliance4Life.

About Alliance4Life

Alliance4Life´s members aim to contribute to the reduction of the innovation gap by improving institutional culture and implementing effective strategic management in the lower performing countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The alliance brings together progressive life science institutes and universities from Central and Eastern Europe. Their common mission is to promote and strengthen Europe-wide research excellence and its positive impact on society, human health and quality of life. The ten founding members formalized the Alliance's existence as a permanent structure in Vilnius in October 2019 by signing a Memorandum of Understanding, and continued to work together even in the difficult year of 2020. Two new member universities from Bulgaria and Romania were invited to join the consortium for the new project.

Source: CEITEC, Press Release, 25.5.2021.

Guntis Zemītis, Dr. hist., senior researcher, Institute of the Latvian History, University of Latvia, Full Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences

In: Latvian Academy of Sciences Yearbook 2021, 2021, pp. 75-79.

“The 10th All-Russian Archaeological Congress, organised by the Rīga Latvian Society, is considered to have been the main event in Baltic archaeology during the period of the Russian Empire. In his Introduction to the Exhibition Catalogue, R. Hausmann focussed on the Bronze Age, albeit with an indication that it was chiefly represented by artefacts found near the Daugava River, and which had been imported from other regions where bronze processing technology was at a high level – from Scandinavia, or Western Europe. The Iron Age was divided into the oldest period, which lasted until 800 and the newest period until the arrival of Germans at the end of the 12th century. The Courland Society for Literature and Art took an interest in archaeology from the 1860s onward, at which time a number of personalities, such as the artist Julius Döring (1818–1898), the pastor, ethnographer, and linguist August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein (1826–1907), and the senior teacher Carl Boy (1853–?), took part in archaeological excavations of ancient burial sites, and also identified (catalogued) the castle mound. Professor Adalbert Bezzenberger (1851–1922) published, in 1885, a wide-ranging list of castle mounds, and, influenced by this example, A. Bielenstein developed a standard form for recording archaeological data.”

Read the whole article here (pdf).

Valdis Segliņš, Dr. geol., Professor, Vice Rector, Head of the Department of Applied Geology, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia

In: Latvian Academy of Sciences Yearbook 2021, 2021, pp. 70-74.

“In 2000/2001, combining astute use of high-technology capabilities and an aptitude for cooperation in inter-disciplinary research, and taking advantage of the development of unconventional research techniques, the Museum of Foreign Art (Rīga), together with the Department of Egyptian Antiquities of the Louvre Museum (Paris), Polish Egyptologists, and specialists of the Naval Medical Centre (Rīga), were able, for the first time in the Baltic region, to study a mummy based on state-of-the art computer tomography and radiography, and, also for the first time ever, to image via computed tomography, a mummy in its sarcophagus, and these data in digital form could be then studied in many countries. Implementation of this project and the excellent results obtained thereby ranked Latvia among countries engaged in the scholarly investigation of Egyptology.

Notwithstanding this, the first in-situ studies by scholars from Latvia in Egypt began much later, only in 2006, when for the first time ever, a photogrammetry survey was carried out of certain large ancient monuments and, furthermore laser scanning of exposed surfaces was performed. At that time, such technical methods had only been applied to artefacts stored indoors, but their determination and trust in the new approach permitted PhD, Dr. arch. Bruno Deslandes and Dr. sc. ing., h.c. Jānis Klētnieks, for the very first time ever, in situ to characterise in detail pylons of the Great Temple located at Thebes (Dr. sc. ing. Māris Kaļinka). Already in the following year, a group of researchers from Latvia, led by B. Deslandes, carried out detailed laser imaging of the Pyramid of Djoser. Technology develops unremittingly and the methods employed by this group as novel became customary during the succeeding decade, to obtain in-situ detailed characterisation of valuable cultural historical monuments. This also applies to making 3-D measurements of objects under study (ing. Klaus Kiep), and includes processing of the 3-D data (Baiba Ziemele and Oto Lukss). Analogous investigations using ground-penetrating radar led to the discovery of a number of previously unknown passages beneath the Pyramid of Djoser, in addition to enclosed rooms, and also previously undiscovered structural features (Dr. geol. Prof. Valdis Segliņš and ing. Georgijs Sičovs).”

Read the whole article here (pdf).

Inguna Daukste-Silasproģe, Dr. philol., leading researcher, Literature Department of the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, University of Latvia, Corresponding Member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences

In: Latvian Academy of Sciences Yearbook 2021, 2021, pp. 65-69.

“The 20th century was the time of change both for Europe and Latvia. Within just a handful of years, the political events of the century’s history subjected Latvia to a series of dramatic changes: loss of independence on 17 June 1940, followed by deportations of the country’s citizens on 14 June 1941, then the Second World War with the German occupation, and battles on the soil of Latvia. All of these factors left a truly dramatic influence on Latvia’s history and tragically impacted the destiny of so many Latvians. Some part of the nation left its homeland becoming refugees and later – exiles in different countries and continents. Some stayed in Latvia trying to survive, searching – and finding – some “secret passages” in the labyrinths of the Soviet ideology, providing them with some opportunity to be oneself without conflicting one’s consciousness. In 1949, came another wave of repressions, with thousands more deported to Siberia. All of these experiences have formed the dramatic and traumatic destiny of Latvia and the Latvians. In autumn 1944, more than 10% of the Latvian nation, including a substantial number of the intelligentsia – writers, musicians, painters, actors, journalists and university teachers – left the country to become political refugees. Most of them took to ships and travelled to Germany, a significantly smaller number took a much more dangerous route travelling in fishing boats across the Baltic Sea to Sweden.”

Read the whole article here (pdf).

Inese Sirica, Dr. art., Head of the Faculty of Art Science, Associate Professor, Art Academy of Latvia, leader of the research group in the National Research Programme “Latvian Culture – a Resource for National Development 2020–2022”

In: Latvian Academy of Sciences Yearbook 2021, 2021, pp. 54-64.

“Jūlijs Madernieks (1870–1955) is a unique personality in the history of Latvian art, who has purposefully dedicated his life to the creation of original sample compositions of applied art, which today can surely be called “the style of Madernieks”. He has also been called the first Latvian designer. An innovator, since in his original compositions he combined Latvian ethnography, the mythically fabulous local nature, visualisation of his lyrically musical feelings in ornament and the latest findings in the art of his time. Madernieks’ ornaments might be interesting and “understandable” to nowadays mathematicians and programmers.”

Read the whole article here (pdf).

Madernieks' design of a fabric pattern (1920s. Paper, watercolour, Indian ink. 26.6×24.5 cm. Collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art, acquired in 1932) is used on the front and back cover of the LAS Yearbook 2021. 

Ginta Gerharde-Upeniece, Dr. art., Head of the Latvian Visual Arts Department, Latvian National Museum of Art

In: Latvian Academy of Sciences Yearbook 2021, 2021, pp. 53-58.

“Cultural diplomacy had a place in the foreign policy of the Latvian state right from the very beginning: for example, at the time of the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, in parallel with meetings between politicians, there were lectures, speeches, publications and cultural events that provided a significant instrument of influence, conveying an impression of the high professional standard of culture in the newly-established Baltic states. The Francophile orientation in Latvian art was an abiding source of influence, starting with the experience of Paris, metropolis of European art, at the beginning of the 20th century, and continuing with the orientation towards France among Latvian artists of the 1920s and 1930s, which reinforced a sense of belonging to Western European culture, allowed the artists to perceive their work in a wider context and acquainted them with contemporary world trends.”

Read the whole article here (pdf).