Līga Meņģelsone Leaves Rīga Stradiņš University Council After Election to Saeima

Līga Meņģelsone has resigned as a member of the council of Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) after being elected to the 15th Saeima, Latvia's parliament. The information appears on the university's website. The council is one of the university's governing bodies, and its members are nominated by the President.

Meņģelsone had served on the RSU council since 15 January 2026. President Edgars Rinkēvičs nominated her after Reinis Bērziņš left the position. Bērziņš has now returned to the council, having been nominated again by the President.

Who is Reinis Bērziņš

According to RSU, Bērziņš holds master's degrees in law, finance and business management, and has also completed a management programme at Stanford University. He has long experience in financial and strategic management as well as in higher education.

From 2022 to 2025 he chaired the RSU council. Bērziņš has also worked in academia: at the Banku augstskola, now part of the University of Latvia, he taught finance and management courses and took part in the advisory conventions of both universities.

Since 2015 he has led Altum, the development finance institution (JSC "Attīstības finanšu institūcija Altum"). He has also chaired the council of Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital.

The President's rationale

In the President's view, Bērziņš's experience in managing financial institutions, in higher education and in healthcare will be useful in planning RSU's future development. The need to ensure continuity of the development processes the university has begun, and to make long-term decisions on its study offer and funding model, was also stressed.