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Boris KurovFounder and long-term rector of the Riga International Higher School of Economics
Date of Birth: 26.02.1943
Country:  Latvia |
Content:
- Early Life and Family
- Fencing Career
- Competition and Mastery
- Academic Career
- Leadership in Student Affairs
- International Experience and Business School Vision
- Founder of an International University
- Growth and Leadership
- Advocacy for Higher Education Reform
- Scientific Contributions
- Management Education and Training
- Computers and Business Simulations
- Publications
Early Life and Family
Boris Vladimirovich Kurov was born in occupied Latvia to Vladimir Alexandrovich Kurov and his wife, Natalia Yermolaevna. Natalia hailed from a noble family, with her grandfather, Iosif Vyacheslavovich Kansky, holding the rank of Active State Councillor and receiving hereditary nobility for his service to Russia. Her grandmother, Maria Samsonovna Popova, came from an Old Believer family of industrialists who established the "Brothers Popov" iron and steel company in Riga in 1788. Two of her children, Vyacheslav and Ermolay, lived in Latvia. Vyacheslav mastered Latvian and became a notary public, while Ermolay practiced medicine in Dvinsk. Boris' father, Vladimir Alexandrovich, a native of St. Petersburg, ended up in Riga after the Russian Civil War. Through hard work and perseverance, he rose from a factory worker to the director of a textile mill. When Latvia became part of the USSR in 1940 and Vladimir Alexandrovich was arrested, the factory workers stood up for their director, threatening a strike if he was not released. This intervention proved successful, and no further claims were made against Kurov.
Fencing Career
Influential MentorDuring his schooling, Boris took up fencing, and his coach at the "Daugava" sports club, Sergei Khabarov, persuaded him to use his left hand, which gave him an advantage over his opponents. However, as Kurov was naturally right-handed, this training was a challenge. Years later, he admitted that he could have achieved more by fencing with his dominant hand.
Competition and Mastery
In 1960, Boris became the Champion of the Latvian SSR and went on to represent Latvia in the USSR championships. He twice competed in the World Youth Championships as part of the USSR national fencing team. After securing second place in the USSR Cup, he earned the title of Master of Sports. From 1964 to 1978, he held the Latvian championship, winning 78 medals in various tournaments. Kurov regards fencing as an intellectual sport where calculations, agility, and quick reflexes prevail over physical confrontations.
Along with his family, Kurov credits Khabarov with heavily influencing his character, instilling in him valuable skills that would benefit him in both his personal life and his business ventures.
Academic Career
University EducationAfter serving in the Soviet Army, Boris enrolled at the Riga Polytechnic Institute. However, lacking interest in engineering, he transferred to the Faculty of Economics at the University of Latvia. Upon graduating in 1971, he pursued postgraduate studies while working at his alma mater as an assistant, lecturer, associate professor, and deputy dean. In 1980, he took over as head of the educational and methodological department of the University of Latvia.
Leadership in Student Affairs
In 1982, Kurov was elected chairman of the university's trade union. However, he fell out of favor following the case of the deputy rector for administrative affairs, Grigory Luchansky, who was accused of embezzlement. In 1983, Kurov was removed from his administrative positions and transferred to the Department of Mechanized Information Processing at the University of Latvia's Faculty of Economics.
International Experience and Business School Vision
In 1984, he moved to the Latvian Institute for Advanced Training of Specialists in the National Economy under the Council of Ministers of the Latvian SSR. There, he organized the first international internships for specialists, taking advantage of the eased restrictions on foreign travel. Business seminars in Poland catered to aspiring entrepreneurs and Soviet executives with little knowledge of market economics. These trips inspired Kurov to create a European-style business school, RSEBAA (Rīgas Starptautiskā ekonomikas un biznesa administrācijas augstskola), which was officially registered on September 9, 1992.
Founder of an International University
International Partnerships and RecognitionFrom its inception, Kurov aimed for international recognition for his institution. Manchester College became an early partner, and in 1994, RISEBA became the first Latvian university to accredit a program in the United Kingdom, adopting British assessment standards. The collaboration with Salford University followed.
Growth and Leadership
By 2004, the student population at RSEBAA surpassed 4,000, receiving instruction in English, Russian, and Latvian. Kurov served as the business school's president from 1997 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2010.
Advocacy for Higher Education Reform
Throughout his presidency from 1997 to 2017, Kurov published numerous articles and interviews on the challenges facing higher education in Latvia. He criticized excessive regulation and the inefficient use of state funds, proposing that universities should receive funding based on competitive programs rather than general allocations. He emphasized the need to focus resources on specialized training to meet the specific demands of the economy.
Kurov strongly opposed restrictions on the use of Russian as a language of instruction in universities. He argued that by signing the Bologna Declaration, Latvia had a responsibility to facilitate student mobility. He believed that self-isolation was detrimental to Latvia's interests, and that students unable to study in Russian would seek opportunities elsewhere within the EU.
Scientific Contributions
Social and Economic ResearchIn the early stages of his academic career, Kurov focused on social and economic aspects of living standards in a planned economy, publishing 15 articles on the subject from 1972 to 1980.
Management Education and Training
Starting in 1981, he shifted his research towards management training, including the development of guidelines for planning this process for the State Planning Committee of the Latvian SSR in 1985.
Computers and Business Simulations
In 1987, he became one of the pioneers in exploring the use of computers and business simulations in management education.
Publications
- 1988. Managing Scientific — Technical Progress in the Economy of Bulgaria (with A.Plaude and N.Myadenov). - Riga, 48 p.
- 1988. Kadry Kierownicze w Przebvdwie Gospodarki Zsn. Academic journal Wektory Gospodarki, Poland.
- 1989. Management of Human Resources. Conference "Management of Regional Economy", Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga.
- 1990. Joint Stock Companies as a New Type of Entrepreneurial Activity in Post-Communist Countries. Conference "Improving Economic Mechanisms in the Transitional Period. Academy of Sciences of the Latvian SSR, Riga.
- 1994. Structural Changes in Goods Consumption in Latvia During Transition Period. International Conference, Jurmala, Latvia.
- 1996. Comparative Analysis of Goods Consumption in Poland and Latvia over the Period of 1994—1995. International conference "European Integration", Warsaw, Academy of Entrepreneurship and Management.
