Sarmite Rozentale

Professor Sarmite Rozentale serves as Professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Lead Researcher at the Scientific Institute of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences in Valmiera, Latvia. Holding these dual roles continuously since 2016 and 2013 respectively, she anchors the university's research capacity in regional socioeconomic development with particular focus on Latvia's Vidzeme region.

Her academic foundation includes a Doctor of Economics (Dr.oec) from the University of Latvia's Faculty of Economics (2006-2009), where her dissertation established methodological rigor later applied to regional policy analysis.

Rozentale's research program centers on critical intersections of labour economics and spatial development. She pioneered studies on forced telework transitions during the pandemic, documenting systemic vulnerabilities in Latvia's workplace protections while proposing evidence-based ergonomic and policy solutions. Her foundational work examines rural development through innovative lenses: talent attraction in shrinking cities like Valmiera, socioeconomic evaluation of rural mobility systems, and dynamic simulation modeling for sustainable municipality planning. The Vidzeme region serves as her primary living laboratory, where she develops context-specific indicators for smart development that challenge one-size-fits-all EU regional policies.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals a pronounced pandemic-driven pivot: 80% of her 2020-2022 work addresses remote work transformations, shifting from pre-2020 focus on regional entrepreneurial potential and labour market forecasting. This responsive scholarship demonstrates exceptional agility in capturing real-time socioeconomic disruptions while maintaining longitudinal analysis of Vidzeme's development trajectory.

No scientific awards are documented in the available records.

Her supervisory approach emphasizes policy-relevant research, with students engaging in municipal-level fieldwork across Vidzeme. Current projects involve evaluating EU rural development funds and modeling post-pandemic labour market adaptations, supported by collaborations with Latvian ministries and regional development agencies. Funding appears anchored in national research councils and EU structural programs targeting regional innovation.

Rozentale operates at the nexus of academic research and regional policymaking, directing studies that directly inform Vidzeme's development strategies through the university's Scientific Institute infrastructure.