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UM Dedicates Collaboration Room to Daugavpils University Rector Dr. Arvids Barševskis
The University of Mindanao (UM) dedicated a collaboration room in honor of Dr. Arvids Barševskis, Rector of Daugavpils University (DU), Latvia, on September 29, 2026, recognizing his significant role in sustaining the decade-long academic and scientific partnership between the two institutions.
Held at the LIC Building of the University of Mindanao, the Dr. Arvids Barševskis LIC Collaboration Room Dedication Ceremony brought together UM officials, researchers, members of the Coleoptera Research Center, the Daugavpils University delegation, and representatives of the Philippine diplomatic community in Latvia.
The dedication highlighted Dr. Barševskis’ continuing contribution to the relationship between UM and DU, which has developed through joint research activities, scientific expeditions, academic exchanges, and institutional collaboration over the past ten years.
Dr. Barševskis has maintained a strong connection with the University of Mindanao despite the geographical distance between Latvia and the Philippines. Traveling approximately 10,000 kilometers to Mindanao, his continued visits have become closely associated with the development of the partnership and the conduct of collaborative scientific activities.
His latest visit coincided with the joint scientific expedition in Samal Island, conducted by researchers from Daugavpils University and UM’s Coleoptera Research Center. The expedition further demonstrated the continuing research engagement between the two universities and provided opportunities for researchers and students from both institutions to work together in the field.
The ceremony also recognized the participation of Dr. Anita Rukmane-Barbale and Daugavpils University students Liliana and Enija, reflecting the expanding involvement of DU researchers and students in the partnership. Hon. Dmitrijs Trofimovs, Honorary Consul of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of the Philippines in Latvia, also attended the ceremony.
UM Vice President for Research and Innovation Dr. Maria Linda B. Arquiza delivered the welcome message, emphasizing the importance of sustained institutional partnerships in advancing research and innovation.
UM President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Guillermo P. Torres, Jr. delivered the citation for Dr. Barševskis, formally recognizing his contribution to the University’s international research engagement and the continuing relationship between UM and DU.
The dedication also received the support of the University’s leadership and administrative community, including the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, as well as the Management Committee and Quality Management Committee. The University officials recognized during the ceremony included Chief Academic Officer Dr. Eugenio S. Guhao, Jr., Chief Finance Officer Sandra Angeles, Chief Administration Officer Dr. Edgardo O. Castillo, and Chief Operations Officer Dr. Gloria E. Detoya.
For UM, the room named after Dr. Barševskis serves as a permanent institutional marker of the partnership between the two universities. It is intended to provide a dedicated space for future meetings, research discussions, academic exchanges, and collaborative activities.
The dedication comes as UM and DU enter another phase of their partnership, with the participation of more researchers and students in collaborative activities.
More than a recognition of an individual, the dedication reflects the role Dr. Barševskis has played in connecting Daugavpils and Mindanao through science, research, and sustained academic engagement.
After a decade of collaboration, the relationship between the two universities continues to be carried forward by the people who have built it—including Dr. Barševskis, whose repeated journeys from Latvia to the Philippines have become part of the shared story of UM and Daugavpils University.
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