University of Latvia (UL) with its 14 000 students, 13 faculties and more than 13 research institutes is one of the largest comprehensive and leading research universities in the Baltic States. According to QS University rating, the UL was awarded 4 out of 5 stars. The quality of studies, research, international collaboration, innovations were only a few of the aspects taken into account in the evaluation. The rating places the UL among 5% of the world`s best universities.

Times Higher Education university rating has rated the UL among TOP 800 higher education institutions in the world. To date, the University of Latvia has signed 136 bilateral agreements worldwide and more than 700 agreements with 368 institutions in 32 European countries within the Erasmus+ programme.

UL is active in international R&D programs, and creates almost half of the research results of the country. UL has participated in over 30 HORIZON 2020 projects; between 2007 and 2013 UL has participated in 41 FP7 projects. During the last 10 years UL was also involved in many other research, development and education projects financed by EU (COST, EUREKA, COSME, EPLUS, LIFE+ etc.).

Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine is one of the research institutes within the UL being established to bridge basic research to clinics. This institute is running a population-based gastric cancer prevention study GISTAR (www.gistar.eu), the only of its type in Europe. UL and the institute has close collaboration (strategic partnership) to Riga East University hospital (the largest state-owned University hospital); this should be mentioned that Latvia Oncology Centre is within the structure of this chain of hospitals.

Institute of Clinical and Preventive Medicine is one of the structural units (departments) within the structure of University of Latvia (not being a separate legal entity).