Digital Humanities in Latvia - events

The 14th episode of the podcast “Digital Humanities” has been released

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:42:00 +0000

The 14th episode of the podcast “Digital Humanities”, titled “The Library and Digital Tools for Researchers,” has been released. In this episode, Haralds Matulis engages in a thoughtful and approachable conversation with Uldis Zariņš, Director of the Library of the University of Latvia.

Watch the podcast on YouTube

We discussed the Library of the University of Latvia (LUL) as both a physical and digital library, and explored its role among other University of Latvia units involved in digital transformation. We talked about the first digital tools researchers encounter through the library (the Union Catalogue and Primo), whether artificial intelligence (AI) will fundamentally change library work, and what aspects are likely to remain unchanged.

The conversation also covered practical and detailed questions, such as when institutions might begin funding AI tool subscriptions for researchers, and how Google Scholar differs from ORCID and Pure.

In the podcast series “Digital Humanities,” we present conversations with representatives of the digital humanities community on the most relevant developments in the field of digital humanities in Latvia. The podcast is jointly organized by the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia and the National Library of Latvia.

The podcast was produced in cooperation with the project “The University of Latvia and Institutes in the European Research Area – Excellence in Research and Cooperation” (No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/011).

DH Seminar to Explore Neputns Books and Cultural Heritage Authorization Strategies

Tue, 19 May 2026 12:55:00 +0000

Continuing the well-received DH seminar series, in which researchers present their digital methods, the next DH seminar, “Authorization Strategies of Cultural Heritage – An Analysis of Neputns Publishing House Books”, will take place on June 5 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM in the LFMI LFK Reading Room.

Dace Krecere-Vule and Haralds Matulis will share their experience working with the Neputns bibliography dataset to explore strategies for authorizing cultural heritage.

This seminar is especially suitable for beginners, but will also be valuable for experts, as we will start from the very first steps — selecting a dataset, deciding whether or not to use digital methods, and discussing the practical steps, challenges, and insights gained through collaboration between a humanities researcher and a DH researcher in data analysis. The seminar will cover the full process — from a research idea to the creation of a digital dataset and its processing using digital methods (Python, Excel, Voyant, Flourish).

Participation in the seminar is in person only. Please use the following link to register for the seminar: registration form: https://ej.uz/lfmi-dh-seminars.

The seminar was created in collaboration with the project “University of Latvia and Institutes in the European Research Area – Excellence in Research and Collaboration” (No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/011).

The 13th episode of the podcast

Wed, 06 May 2026 13:07:00 +0000

The 13th episode of the podcast Digital Humanities, titled “AI Literacy for the Humanities-Oriented Person”, has been released. In this warm and engaging conversation, Haralds Matulis speaks with Aldis Ērglis — head of Emergn in Latvia and a researcher at University of Latvia — about the artificial intelligence (AI) tools that every humanities-oriented person should know about.

Watch the podcast on YouTube.

Nowadays, when there is an abundance of almost everything, what has been missing from the public sphere is a truly meaningful conversation about artificial intelligence (AI). We spoke with Aldis Ērglis in a more focused format about topics such as:

How AI tools are changing the role of researchers in the humanities and social sciences within the labor market, and which humanistic skills will remain irreplaceable.
How to learn AI tools without becoming overwhelmed or experiencing FOMO.
Which tools to start with and how much time to dedicate to them daily.
How to keep up with the rapid development of AI and how to create effective prompts.

The episode also touches on the importance of critical thinking, as well as the opportunities AI provides for researching unstructured data.

In the Digital Humanities podcast, we offer conversations with representatives of the digital humanities field about the latest developments in digital humanities in Latvia. The podcast is jointly organized by the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia and the National Library of Latvia.

To stay informed about other developments in Latvian digital humanities, we invite you to visit the website www.digitalhumanities.lv

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The podcast was created in cooperation with the project “University of Latvia and Institutes in the European Research Area – Excellence in Research and Collaboration” (No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/011).

Workshop “Exploring the digital heritage of reading: multilingualism, automatic detection and annotation”

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:06:00 +0000

On May 13, the sixth seminar in the series organized by digitalhumanities.lv and DARIAH-LV will take place. The workshop “Exploring the digital heritage of reading: multilingualism, automatic detection and annotation” will be led by visiting researcher Dr. François Vignale from Le Mans University. In his lecture, he will introduce the interdisciplinary project READ-IT, which brings together social sciences, Digital Humanities, and computer science to study reading experiences in Europe across different times and contexts.

The workshop will explore innovative methods and tools for analyzing multilingual text corpora, automatically identifying and semantically annotating descriptions of reading experiences, as well as assessing the impact of reading on individuals’ lives. Technologies developed within the project will also be presented, including natural language processing (NLP), ontologies, and semantic search solutions that enable large-scale exploration of digital sources.

Dr. François Vignale works at Le Mans University (3L.AM lab). His research focuses on the study of reading practices and cultural history in combination with Digital Humanities and Information Sciences (knowledge organization, data modeling, textual data analysis). He has authored or co-authored 20 papers. Within the EU-funded READ-IT project, he was in charge of the design of the Reading Experiences Ontology (REO) and coordinated the ICT aspects, in particular the integration and validation of NLP-based data exploration tools.

The worksjop will take place on May 13 at 15:00, in person at the Reading Room of the Archives of Latvian Folklore, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, University of Latvia (5th floor of the National Library of Latvia), as well as online via Zoom.

Working language: English.

📝 Please register whether you plan to attend in person or online:

🔗 ej.uz/dh-seminars-13052026

The workshop is organized within the project “University of Latvia and Institutes in the European Research Area – Excellence in Research and Collaboration” (No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/011).

April 24 – practical DH seminar “What to do with a table?!”

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:20:00 +0000

Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia (ILFA) Digital Humanities (DH) seminar series continues to develop. This spring, a new thematic strand has been introduced – “Digital tools I use”. The aim of this initiative is to create a space for researchers who use digital methods in their work to share practical experience: to demonstrate their workflows, talk about the tools they use, and openly discuss not only successes but also challenges, mistakes, and solutions. The new format emphasizes the exchange of experience “from practice to practice”.

The next DH seminar will take place on April 24 from 15:00–17:00. It will feature a presentation by leading ILFA researcher Ieva Vīvere titled “What to do with a table?!”. The talk will explore experience working with Skandinieki data obtained from the National Library of Latvia. It will present experiments with tools such as Excel, OpenRefine, and Nodegoat, as well as outline key conclusions – what to do, what not to do, and which solutions might be worth approaching differently.

To strengthen ILFA's role as a center of excellence and knowledge in DH in Latvia, these seminars are designed as open “work in progress” events. They are primarily intended for ILFA researchers, but participants from the broader DH community are also warmly welcome.

The seminar will take place in the reading room of the Archives of Latvian Folklore, Mūkusalas Street 3, Riga, on the 5th floor of the National Library of Latvia. The number of places is limited, so early registration is encouraged: https://ej.uz/lfmi-dh-seminars

The activity is supported by the project “University of Latvia and Institutes in the European Research Area – Excellence in Research and Collaboration” (No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/011).

Citizen Science and Artificial Intelligence in the Preservation of Ukrainian Cultural Heritage

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:47:00 +0000

On March 27 and April 4, the Digital Humanities Center (DHC) of the Faculty of Humanities (HZF) and the Library of the University of Latvia (LUB) organized two Ukrainian cultural heritage data workshops as citizen science activities within the framework of the AISTER project. Participants included youth from the Ukrainian community and their friends from Young Folks LV, members of academia, and other interested individuals. Together, they helped to improve an Artificial Intelligence (AI) prototype's ability to recognize elements within images of Ukrainian ethnographic artifacts.

The work took place on Europeana CrowdHeritage, a platform created for crowdsourcing campaigns using metadata from European cultural heritage institutions, utilizing a prototype developed by the AISTER project partner, Web2Learn.

The task for the workshop participants was to review the ethnographic collection of the online-museum of the traditional art of Ukraine "Krovets", evaluate the relevance of the keywords automatically generated by the digital tool's prototype to the images, and, if necessary, supplement them with their own descriptive variations. During the in-person workshops organized by DHC and LUB and separate remote sessions hosted by Web2Learn, nearly 55,000 annotations were prepared in this manner, which will help to improve the accessibility of digital cultural heritage artifacts.

AISTER is an international Erasmus+ KA2 program project involving partners from the University of Luxembourg, the University of Latvia (HZF DHC and LUB), Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Ukraine), Web2Learn (Greece), and Europeana (the Netherlands). Its main goal is to explore the potential of AI-driven approaches and citizen science in the protection and safeguarding of cultural heritage during crisis situations, with a special focus on Ukraine.

The DHC expresses its gratitude to the specialists at LUB for their support in organizing these activities.

Riga Technical University offers a professor position in interdisciplinary Human(IT)ies data research

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Riga Technical University has announced an open call for a Professor position in Computer Science and Informatics at its Institute of Digital Humanities, offering an opportunity for internationally recognized researchers to join a leading interdisciplinary research environment in Latvia.

The position is based within the Faculty of Computer Science, Information Technology and Energy (FCSITE) and focuses on the rapidly developing field of Interdisciplinary Human(IT)ies Data Research, which combines digital humanities, data science, and advanced computational approaches.

The selected candidate will be expected to strengthen and expand the Institute’s research capacity, while contributing to the development of innovative research directions and academic programmes. Particular emphasis is placed on areas such as Human(IT)ies Data Diversity, Language Data and Technology, as well as interactive and immersive learning design.

This is a full-time professor position with guaranteed centralized funding for an initial six-year period. Following this term, the continuation of employment will depend on performance and the Institute’s funding portfolio, including research projects and academic activities.

RTU is looking for a candidate with a doctoral degree in a relevant field and at least three years of experience in a senior academic position. Applicants should demonstrate strong international research experience, the ability to attract external funding, and the capacity to lead research initiatives and teams in an interdisciplinary environment. Excellent communication skills and full professional proficiency in English are required.

The university offers a competitive gross salary of EUR 6,050 per month, along with a supportive and collaborative academic environment. The selected professor will have the opportunity to establish and lead an independent research group, participate in European research projects, and benefit from flexible working arrangements. Additional benefits include health insurance, access to sports facilities, and relocation support for international candidates.

Applications must be submitted in English by 21 May 2026 (17:00, Europe/Riga). Required documents include a motivation letter, research plan, CV, and supporting materials.

Applications should be sent to: tenure@rtu.lv

More information about the position and application process is available here.

CLARIN & DARIAH Latvia's Spring Conference 2026: Digital Infrastructure for the Humanities

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 07:32:00 +0000

On 5 March 2026, the CLARIN & DARIAH Spring Conference will take place at UL Sapere Aude Hall (Kalpaka Boulevard 4), bringing together researchers, language technology experts, and everyone interested in digital humanities. This conference is a strategically important event that connects national consortia of two leading international research infrastructures in the humanities – CLARIN ERIC and DARIAH-EU – to promote collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the development of digital solutions in the fields of the humanities and social sciences.

The conference program includes experience stories about the operation of the DARIAH and CLARIN infrastructures in Latvia and Europe, highlighting their practical significance in research and interdisciplinary cooperation. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about specific projects, examples, and solutions; digital tools, as well as the use of data and digital resources in the humanities and social sciences, will be demonstrated. The conference will conclude with a discussion addressing the importance of digital infrastructures for the development of the humanities, the challenges involved in building them, and the needs of researchers.

This year marks 10 years since Latvia joined CLARIN ERIC, making a sustained contribution to improving access to language resources, developing digital tools, and fostering international integration in the research environment. Inguna Skadiņa, Head of CLARIN-LV, Professor at the University of Latvia, and Leading Researcher at the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, notes:

“Latvian language and cultural life in the digital environment are important to each and every one of us. Digital infrastructures make it possible to preserve research results in the long term and promote the availability of language and cultural data for research, education, and all interested users.”

Meanwhile, Latvia is still on its way toward joining DARIAH-EU – Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities. Emphasizing the need for Latvia to obtain full DARIAH-EU membership status, Sanita Reinsone, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia, says:

“Over the past few years, our digital humanities community has drawn closer to DARIAH-EU, and we would like to thank the Ministry of Education and Science for supporting our efforts in strengthening this cooperation. This experience has highlighted how important national consortia and collaboration are for the development of digital humanities. The spring conference, which will become an annual event, provides an excellent platform to meet, learn about the latest developments in digital humanities in Latvia, and discover what our colleagues are working on.”

Registration for the conference is open until March 3:

https://www.digitalhumanities.lv/notikumi/clarin-dariah-pavasara-konference2026

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The conference is organized by the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Latvia, the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Latvia, and the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia, with support from the project “University of Latvia and Institutes in the European Research Area – Excellence, Activity, Mobility, Capacity” (No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/011).

Save the date for Baltic Summer School of Digital Humanities 2026

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:06:00 +0000

A seminar will take place titled “Quantitative Approaches to Historical Visual Culture – an Example of Soviet Newsreels”

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 08:35:00 +0000

On November 5 at 15:00 (EEST), the fourth seminar in the series organized by digitalhumanities.lv in collaboration with CLARIN-LV and DARIAH-EU will take place online, focusing on digital humanities and historical research. This time, the topic “Quantitative Approaches to Historical Visual Culture – an Example of Soviet Newsreels” will be presented by Adjunct Professor Mila Oiva. She says about the upcoming seminar: “In my talk I will discuss the potentialities and pitfalls of quantitative study of visual culture. Drawing on my and my colleagues' studies on Soviet newsreels from 1918 to 1992, I will exemplify uses of multidimensional vector embedding of images and Multimodal Large Languages Models for detecting long-term continuities and changes in historical audiovisual materials.”

Dr. Mila Oiva, Adjunct Professor of Cultural History at the University of Turku, Finland, is an expert of Russian and Polish cultural history and digital research methods. Her research interests focus on the circulation of knowledge and changing perceptions of the world. She has explored these themes through a variety of case studies, ranging from 19th-century global news flows, Cold War-era transnational information circulation between Poland, the Soviet Union, and France, as well as contemporary Finnish and Russian internet forum discussions on medieval history. Her current research focuses on computational analysis of Soviet and Estonian newsreels.

The language of the seminar is English, and all interested participants are welcome to attend.

To receive the Zoom link, please register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/f72Ra9oBR8amlgEYvkIeIw

The seminar is organized within the framework of the project “Latvia’s 20th–21st Century History: Social Morphogenesis, Heritage and Challenges” (VPP-IZM-Vēsture-2023/1-0003) in collaboration with “Development of an Open and FAIR-Compliant Digital Humanities Ecosystem in Latvia” (VPP-IZM-DH-2022/1-0002). The seminar is also supported by the project “University of Latvia and Institutes in the European Research Area – Excellence in Research and Collaboration” (Project No. 1.1.1.5/3/25/I/011).