History
The history of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine can be divided into multiple periods:
The first period is the founding of the faculty and the first five years of building the facutly - until 1924.-1925.
- On 3 March, 1919 Council of Higher School of Latvia led by P.Stučka decides to organize the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (FVM).
- On 3 and 8 September, the Veterinary Administration of The Ministry of the Interior decides that the FVM is to be founded under Latvia Higher School.
- On 16 September, LHS Organization commission approves, the inclusion of FVM into the structure of LHS.
- On 18 September, Minister of Education Dr. Kārlis Kasparsons issues order No 592 About opening the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Pharmacy at the Latia Higher School, which states that: ''From this semester the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Department of Pharmacy at the Faculty of Chemistry will be opened at the Latvia Higher School.''
- On 19 September, on the LHS Organization commission P.Dāle announced that The Ministry of Education had approved the decision on founding FVM.
- On 28 September, the opening act of LHS took place in the Hall and on the premises of the current National Opera; eight students of FVM participated in it.
- On 29 September, studies begin at the Latvia Higher School.
The second period is the time until the loss of independence of Latvia on 17 June, 1940.
The third period is the period of Soviet occupation from 5 August, 1940 until the entry of the German army into Riga on 1 July, 1941.
The fourth period is the period of German occupation until the entry of the Soviet army into Riga on 13 October, 1944.
The fifth period lasted from 13 October, 1944 until 30 August, 1964 when the faculty was located in Riga.
The sixth period started on 1 September, 1964 when the faculty was relocated to Jelgava until the Day of Restoration of Latvian Independence on 4 May, 1991 (21 August).
The seventh period lasted from the Restoration of Latvian Independence until the reorganization of the faculty on the year 2000 and the accreditation of study programmes in Latvia on 11 April, 2001 and 23 March, 2003 of the European Union.
The eight period started on 1 May, 2004 after the admission of Latvia to the European Union.
Change of the name and affiliation of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
The name of the faculty has been changed three times: Veterinary-medicine (1919-1947), Veterinary (1947-1989) faculty, and Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (from 1989).
The faculty, as a teaching and scientific structural unit, has been a part of two higher educational institutions which have changed in names:
- The first higher education institution:
Latvian Higher School (LHS; 16.09.1919-27.03.1923);
University of Latvia (UL;27.03.1923-25.09.1940);
Latvian State University (LSU; 25.09.1940-29.01.1942; 15.10.1944-17.11.1944);
University of Riga (UR; 29.01.1942-15.10.1944).
- Second higher education institution:
Latvia Academy of Agriculture (LAA; 17.11.1944-27.03.1991);
Latvia University of Agriculture (LUA; 27.03.1991-31.08.2022).
Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technolohies (LBTU; 01.09.2022 - currently)
Deans of the faculty:
Eduards Zariņš (August of 1919 - February of 1920)
Voldemārs Brencēns (1920; 1924-1926; 1928-1930; 1932-1934; 1936-1938)
Ernsts Paukuls (1920-1922)
Ludvigs Kundziņš (1922-1924)
Rūdolfs Grapmanis (1926-1928; 1930-1932; 1934-1936; 1938-1939; 1940-1941)
Miķelis Rolle (1939-1940; 1941-1943)
Artūrs Vītums (1943-1944)
Paulis Lejiņš (1944-1946)
Jānis Dzelde (1946-1954)
Olga Lušņevska (1954-1956)
Eglons Grapmanis (1956-1973)
Zigurds Polītis (1973-1984)
Jāzeps Rimeicāns (1984-1990)
Zigmunds Brūveris (1990-1991)
Pēteris Keidāns (1991-2000)
Arnis Mugurēvičs (2000-2004)
Gunārs Pētersons (2004-2011)
Ilmārs Dūrītis (2011-2018)
Kaspars Kovaļenko (since 2018)
Most important events:
16 September, 1919 - the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is founded.
1919 - space for the faculty is appointed in Riga at 9 Kronvalda Boulevard and 1 Torgeles Street.
1922 - the facluty was located in Riga at 9 Kronvalda Boulevard and 19 Pērnavas Street.
1938./1939 - attempts at organizing construction of new buildings and laying foundations for FVM in 119 Krišjāņa Barona Street are made.
From the founding of FVM until 1939 the faculty consisted of 7 departments: Anatomy, Pathological Anatomy, Surgery, Internal Diseases, Infectious and Contageous Diseases, Hippology and Diseases of Small Animals; and three clinics: Surgery clinic, Therapy clinic and Small Animal clinic.
8 April, 1940 - the LR Minister of Education forms a commission to consider questions regarding moving to and building the faculty in Jelgava and to potentially transfering the faculty to the Jelgava Academy of Agriculture.
1940 - departments of Anatomy, Pathological anatomy, Hygiene, Hippology, Surgery, Special Pathology and Therapy; Laboratories of Anatomy, Pathological anatomy, Animal Nutrition Investigation, Hygiene/Bacteriology, and Clinical investigation; two museums - Anatomy and Pathological Anatomy, as well as the store and laboratory of Medicinal substances, study smithery and a library are working under the faculty.
4 June, 1941 - the office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Latvia makes the decision to separate the Veterinary-medicine faculty and transfer it to the LAtvia Academy of Agriculture, which was not realized.
19 November, 1941 - the Reich Commissioner of Ostland, H.Loze, issued an order on the policy of universities in Ostland and on the establishment of the Academy of Veterinary Medicine in Jelgava in the future, with studies in German.
17 November, 1944 - FVM is added to Latvia Academy of Agriculture, which was located in Riga at that time.
1945 - the Hippology department is transferred to the Faculty of Zootechnics and the Department of Small Animal Diseases is liquidated. The departments of Physiology and Pharmacology are organized anew. The departments of Anatomy, Pathological anatomy, Hygiene/ Zoo-hygiene, Internal Non-communicable Diseases and Surgery continue to operate.
1947 - two departments are formed on the foundation of the department of Hygiene/ Zoo-hygiene: Department of Hygiene/ Zoo-hygiene and Department of Parasitology.
1949 - a new structural unit is separated from the Department of Hygiene/ Zoo-hygiene: the Department of Epizootology, but the departments of Physiology and Pharmacology are united with the name Department of Physiology and Pharmacology.
1952 - the departments of Parasitology and Internal Don-communicable Diseases are united, forming the department of Therapy and parasitology.
29 October, 1956 - LSSR Council of Ministers makes a decision to relocate LAA to Jelgava.
1956 - four new departments are formed form the seven existing ones: Department of Anatomy and Physiology; Department of Pathological Anatomy and Parasitology; Department of Epizootology and Zoohygiene, and Department of Surgery and Therapy. The subject of Pharmacology is added to the Department of Pathological Anatomy and Parasitology.
1 September, 1964 - the FVM fully relocates to the newly built facilities in Jelgava on 30 Brīvības Boulevard (Kultūra/K.Helmaņa Street).
1969 - the department of Surgery and Therapy is reorganized, resulting in two departments: Department of Internal Non-communicable Diseases and Department of Surgery and Obstetrics. The Pharmacology study course is added to the Department of Internal Non-communicable Diseases and study course Zoology is added to the Department of Pathological Anatomy and Parasitology.
1987 - departments of Anatomy and Physiology are established. Study course Zoology is added to the Anatomy department and study course Zoohygiene is added to the Physiology department. The department of Epizootology and Zoohygiene is renamed to department of Epizootology.
1993 - a new depatrment is established on the basis of the departments of Internal Non-communicable Diseases and Surgery and Obstetrics and is named FVM Clinical Institute. The FVM Clinical Institute is cimprised of three departments: Internal diseases, Surgery, Obstetrics and gynecology, as well as teaching farm Kalnenieki. The Department of Epizootology is renamed to Department of Infectious diseases.
11 January, 1998 - The following structure of the FVM is approved bu the LBTU Senate: Departments of Anatomy; Physiology; Pathological Anatomy and Parasitology and Infectious Diseases, and the Clinical Institute, which was comprised of the Department of Internal Diseases, the Department of Surgery and Obstetrics, teaching farm Kalnenieki, the Clinic, as well as BO SIA Veterinary Education Center and BO SIA Universitāte Vetfonds.
March, 2000 - the structure of the faculty is changed, departments are replaced with three institutes: Preclinical Institute, Institute of Food and Environmental Hygiene, and the Clinical Institute.
11 April, 2001 - two study programmes are accredited for six years:
- II level professional higher education study programme "Veterinary Medicine"
- Doctoral study programme "Veterinary Medicine".
2003 - the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine is evaluated by experts of the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary education (EAEVE).
23 September, 2003 - the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Latvia issues licences for the realization of study programmes:
- I level professional higher education study programme "Food Hygiene"
- professional higher education Master's study programme "Food Hygiene"
- professional higher education Master's study programme "Veterinary Medicine".
14 December, 2005 - two study programmes were accredited for six years:
- professional higher education Master's study programme "Food Hygiene"
- professional higher education Master's study programme "Veterinary Medicine".
2012 - professional higher education Master's study programme "Veterinary Medicine" is closed.
2016 - realization of second level professional higher edcuation programme "Veterinary Medicine" in the English language is started.
2019 - EAEVE accreditation is performed and the evaluation "Approval" is received.
2022 - Master's tudy programme "Food Hygiene" is closed.
Information was prepared by: Mg. med. vet., docent emeritus Oļģerts Parčinskis; Dr.med.vet., professor Kaspars Kovaļenko