IEEE Latvia Section History

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Background

The IEEE Latvia Section is part of Region 8 and covers the area of the Republic of Latvia.

The first talks about foundation of IEEE Latvia Section started in 2004, when IEEE Lithuania Section Officers visiting Riga Technical University. Finally, in 2007, during the meeting of European Nordic and Baltic countries IEEE Section officers, which was held in Riga, IEEE members from Latvia formed petition for the creation of Latvia Section.

IEEE Latvia Section was founded February 16, 2008, with the first elected Chair Professor Leonids Ribickis. Since its creation, the Latvia Section has been working professionally in various activities, mainly within the city of Riga.

Section Officers

Year	Chair	Vice Chair	Secretary	Treasurer
2008	Armands Srazds – Deputy Chair
2009	Leonids Ribickis	Elmars Bekeris	Armands Srazds	Atis Kapenieks
2010	Leonids Ribickis	Andrejs Romanovs	Oskars Krievs	Atis Kapenieks
2011	Leonids Ribickis	Andrejs Romanovs	Oskars Krievs	Atis Kapenieks
2012	Andrejs Romanovs	Leonids Ribickis	Arnis Lektauers	Yuri Merkuryev
2013	Andrejs Romanovs	Leonids Ribickis	Arnis Lektauers	Yuri Merkuryev
2014	Leonids Ribickis	Andrejs Romanovs	Oskars Krievs	Yuri Merkuryev

Membership

As of 1 July 2014, the IEEE Latvia Section has a total of 113 active members:

• Life Member - 1
• Senior Member - 7
• Member - 75
• Affiliate - 2
• Associate Member - 2
• Graduate Student Member - 21
• Student Member - 10

Chapters/Affinity Groups/Student branches

• 2009, IEEE Education Society Latvia Chapter was founded, with the first elected Chair Mr. Armands Strazds.
• 2010, IEEE Computer Society Latvia Chapter was founded, with the first elected Chair Professor Janis Grundspenkis.
• 2011, IEEE Latvia Section Student Branch was founded, with the first Deputy Chapter Chair Mrs. Inese Polaka
• 2013, IEEE Latvia Section Power Electronics Society, Industrial Electronics Society and Industry Applications Society Joint Chapter was founded, with the first Deputy Chapter Chair Professor Ilja Galkins

The Baltic Cooperation

The IEEE Latvia Section participates in a group titled the Baltic Cooperation, which consists of the following IEEE Sections: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia North-West, and Sweden. The objective of the IEEE Baltic Cooperation is to create a functioning collaboration between the Baltic Region sections which shall result in common activities, such as; joint events, joint chapters and common utilization of IEEE resources.

Major Events

• October 2009, Celebration of 125th Anniversary of IEEE. Plenary report: “Scientific Research in Riga Technical University in 2009”, speaker Professor Leonids Ribickis, attendance: more than 200 IEEE members and guests from different countries.
• May 2010, IEEE Region 8 94th Committee Meeting in Riga, Latvia, May 7-9, 2010. Region 8 Committee awarded Latvia Section for Exemplary Service and Dedication as a host of the 94th IEEE Region 8 Committee Meeting.
• February 2011, Technical Co-sponsor of 2011 Baltic Congress on Future Internet Communications BCFIC Riga 2011
• June 2011, first IEEE Distinguished Lecturers Program’ Lection in Latvia, Prof. Manos M.Tentzeris, "Inkjet-Printed Paper/Polymer-Based "Green" RFID and Wireless Sensor Nodes: The Final Step to Bridge Cognitive Intelligence, Nanotechnology and RF"
• October 2012, Technical Co-sponsor of 1st Congress of World Engineers and Riga Polytechnical Institute

IEEE Geographic Unit Organizing Document - Latvia