Olpha awards scholarships to top RSU pharmacy students for the 16th time
Pharmaceutical company Olpha has for the 16th consecutive year granted scholarships to three outstanding pharmacy students at Riga Stradiņš University, bringing its total support to 96,000 euros. This year's recipients, all in their final year, will each receive 2,000 euros per month.
Latvian pharmaceutical company AS "Olpha" has awarded excellence scholarships to three top students in the pharmacy program at Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) for the 16th year running. Eleven candidates applied this year, and three were selected through a competitive process evaluating academic achievement, professional experience and motivation. The scholarship recipients will each receive 2,000 euros per month, and the company's cumulative investment in supporting young pharmacists has now reached 96,000 euros.
The scholarship recipients
All three students are currently in their fifth and final year of study. Sanija Liepkalīte finished her seventh semester with an average grade of 9.5 and combines her studies with work as a pharmacy assistant, where daily contact with patients has given her insight into the importance of proper medication use.
Elizabete Odiņa began building professional experience in her first year, working in several pharmacies and at the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis laboratory. She now combines pharmacy work with research at an RSU laboratory, where she plans to develop her thesis on antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance.
Una Lote Vītoliņa finished her previous semester with a perfect average of 10 and is deeply involved in science — she is a junior researcher in a Baltic Biomaterials Excellence Centre project, a senior laboratory assistant at RSU's Department of Applied Pharmacy, and a lab assistant at the National Research and Innovation Institute. She has co-authored two international scientific papers published in 2026, including one as first author, and has presented research on using micro-CT to study tablet erosion and dissolution.
A broader partnership
RSU rector Aigars Pētersons highlighted the value of the long-standing cooperation with Olpha in connecting students with the industry during their studies. Olpha board chairman Juris Hmeļņickis said the scholarships are part of the company's wider support program for young specialists. The scholarship program is part of a cooperation agreement signed between Olpha and RSU in January 2024, which guarantees RSU students internship opportunities at the company and access to its infrastructure for research.
