Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies

Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (LLU), named Latvia University of Agriculture until 2018, is a university in Jelgava, Latvia specialising in agricultural science, forestry, food technology and related areas.

The roots of the university can be traced back to the agricultural department at the Riga Polytechnical Institute, which opened in 1863. However, it relocated to Jelgava and opened as a separate university in 1938. Its motto translates to "For the Growth of the Fatherland" and its colours are yellow, white and brown. The official hymn was composed in 1940 by Jēkabs Mediņš.

The university is comprised of eight faculties,including economics and social development, information technologies, agriculture, environment and civil engineering, forest, food technology, engineering and veterinary medicine.

Each faculty holds an annual festival. For example, the forestry faculty organises a sawing competition while the food technology students organise Porridge Day, in which prominent food producers provide samples of their food for tasting and a student cooking competition is often organised.

The Latvia Nationwide Students’ Day is a tradition which was introduced by the university in 1993, in which students from all the universities of Latvia come to Jelgava to participate in sports and competitions while famous Latvian artists perform. The day culminates in an evening ball.

The International Cooperation Centre coordinates exchange programmes with international students from universities in formal agreements with the university.

Notable alumni include Latvian Prime Ministers Andris Šķēle and Aigars Kalvītis and the last Premier of the Soviet regime in Latvia, Vilnis Edvīns Bresis, who voted for the renewed declaration of independence.