History

    

    The International Business and Customs Institute (SESMI) as a structural unit of Riga Technical University under the Faculty of Engineering Economics began its operation on 1 June 1994. SESMI was established with the aim to unite, coordinate and improve the performance of the system of academic and professional studies concentrated on SESMI specialisations, as well as to provide professional advancement and retaining possibilities to specialists with a strong focus on research and various economic activity fields related with international economic relations, economics and organisation of transport, business logistics, and administration of customs and taxes.  Thus, one of the key tasks of the newly established Institute was and still is training of highly-qualified specialists in the fields of international economic relations, administration of customs and taxes, and transport and logistics.

    SESMI was established by incorporating the RTU FEE (Faculty of Engineering Economics) Department of Management of International Business and National Economy, the Customs Institute, the qualification advancement courses for customs officers, the Institute of Economics and Organisation of Transport, and the Language Instruction Group under one institute – the Institute of International Business and Customs. Today the number of students at SESMI has reached 1 600 students. The Institute consists of two departments: the Department of International Business, Transport Economics and Logistics and the Department of Customs and Taxes, the Language Instruction Group, and Qualification Advancement Courses. The founder of the Institute and its director till 1999 was Dr.oec., Professor Aivars Krastiņš. Since 1999 to date, SESMI is administered and further developed by its director Dr.habil.oec., Professor Remigijs Počs.

    Studies and training of specialists in the speciality of Management of International Business are organised and provided by the Department of International Business, Transport Economics and Logistics. Until September 1999, this study program was provided by the SESMI Department of Management of International Business and National Economy (after reorganisation – SESMI Professor’s Group of Management of International Business and National Economy), which in 2002 was merged with the SESMI Professor’s Group of Transport Economics and Organisation, thus forming the Department of International Business, Transport Economics and Logistics (DIBTEL).

    Since 1994, SESMI has offered the study programme in this speciality as a higher professional economists’ education programme, as well as Bachelor studies, since 1996 it is also offered for Master and Doctoral studies. DIBTEL provides education concentrated on management, organisation, planning and forecasting of international business, as well as international commerce and marketing. DIBTEL in collaboration with specialists of the LR Ministry of Transport, the LR Ministry of Economics and the LR Ministry of Finance regularly implements scientific research projects concerned with the development of the national economy, export/import trends and elaborates national economic development forecasts, etc.  DIBTEL is actively cooperating in the fields of teaching and exchange of experience with the Institute of Economics of Aarhus University (Denmark), the Department of Econometrics of Gdansk University (Poland), Florence University (Italy), Monash University (Australia), etc.

    The head of the Department of International Business, Transport Economics and Logistics is Dr.habil.oec., Professor Remigijs Počs, who is also the chairman of the Promotion Council of the Faculty of Engineering Economics.

    The studies and training of specialists in the speciality of Administration of Customs and Taxes are organised and provided by the Department of Customs and Taxes (DCT). The academic staff of DCT provide study programmes related with the system of taxes and duties applicable in the European Union and the Republic of Latvia, as well as customs policy, relevant customs legislation, and application of correspondent customs procedures.

    In 2004, a new study programme “Customs and Tax Administration”, was launched which provides training of specialists of tax administration and customs. Higher education in this study programme is provided at three levels:

  1. 1st-level (college level) education programme

Duration of the full-time 1st-level (college level) education programme is 2 years, in the part-time and correspondence programme – 2.5 years. The qualification awarded upon completion of the specialisation Customs Administration is “Customs Expert”; and in the specialisation Tax Administration – “Tax Inspector”.   The completion of the programme gives graduates the right to continue education in the professional Bachelor study programme;

     2.  Professional bachelor studies

Duration of the professional bachelor studies in the full-time mode is 4 years (after the 1st-level studies – 2 years), but in the part-time and correspondence studies – 5 years (or 2.5 years after the 1st-level studies). The qualification awarded after completion of the major Customs Administration is ”Head of a Customs Unit”; after completion of the major Tax Administration graduates are awarded the qualification ”Tax Economist”. Simultaneously graduates are awarded the professional Bachelor degree in customs and tax administration;

      3.  Professional Master study programme

Duration of the professional master study programme after acquisition of the professional Bachelor degree in full-time studies is 1.5 years; in part-time and correspondence studies – 2 years. Upon completion of the programme graduates are awarded the professional Master degree in customs and tax administration. Duration of studies for persons with the academic Bachelor degree in social sciences is 2.5 and 3 years accordingly.

    Since 1994, the department has had good cooperation with the State Revenue Service (SRS), the National Customs Board, the National Tax Board as well as regional SRS offices. To ensure quality of education DCT is also actively involving highly-qualified SRS customs and tax specialists having solid experience in organisation and administration of customs and taxes. DCT also collaborates with the World Customs Organisation, educational and research institutions of customs education and training (qualification advancement), e.g., University of California (USA), IBFD (Netherlands), Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania), as well as customs authorities in other countries.

    Since 1994, more than 3 000 graduates have received diplomas, including 1700 employees of the State Revenue Service. At present, the number of students in the programme Administration of Customs and Taxes is almost 1 400.

    Since 2001, the head of the Department of Customs and Taxes has been Dr.oec., Professor Aivars Krastiņš. From 1994 to 1999 he was Director of SESMI, as well as Director of the Customs Institute. From March 1999 to August 2001 he was the1st Deputy of Director General of the State Revenue Service and was Director General of the SRS National Customs Board.