History of European Christian academy in brief:

• 1993.05.13. – License issued by the Ministry of Education and Science, Latvia.
• From 1994 till now: a long-term participation in archaeological digs in Holy Land. In archeological reserach project “Emmaus-Latroun” under supervision of Israel Antiquities Authority and Rockefeller Museum (Israel).
• 1995 – cooperation with Israel Antiquities Authority and Rockefeller Museum (Israel) for promotion of Patristic anthropological studies as revealed in the Judeo-Orthodox Christian Tradition.
• 1997 – the first State and International accreditation.
• Several visits to the Orthodox monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai, and Mt. Athos, Sinai, led to penetrating studies of the theological / iconographical heritage of the Eastern Church Fathers and art.
• The Bible art study program was initiated as first in Europe in cooperation with Icon painters from Sinai, Israel, Greece and Russia, and follows the Canon of the Eastern Orthodox Church.
• 1998 – The first graduation ceremony. The State President of the State Mr. Guntis Ulmanis personally handed out Diplomas to graduates and Minister of Education was present. State President Mr. Guntis Ulmanis wrote in Address: „Ministry of your University clearly testifies to successful synthesis of education and Christian faith when we all take part in the rebuilding of our new Latvian State.”
• 2003 – Latvian Christian Aacademy is the first from Latvian HEIs who became a member of the ERASMUS European Universities Charter permitting wide-spread mobility to universities of other countries. The Academy cooperates with universities and research centers in Finland, Germany, Romania, Hungary, Greece, Lithuania, Estonia, Israel and USA as well as with both Catholic and Orthodox research and networking institutions (EC-EZA, IDC, EUROCS, CAC, Semaines Sociales de France, IXE group, RENOVABIS, Association for Schools of Social Work etc.).
• 2003 – An International Board of Advisors was established with highly respected academic experts from Israel, USA, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Belgium. The Board cooperates with the Senate of the Academy (implementation of the concept and international Copyright issues).
• September 2006 – the Academy moved to the renovated building at 5th line 3, Jurmala, in the midst of beautiful nature, just a dozen meters from the Baltic Sea shore!
• Since 2006 the Academy works under the blessings of HE Metropolitan of the Latvian Orthodox Church Alexander and Patriarch of Georgia Elijah.
• Together with Ministry of Education and Science and following standards of European Commission for higher education the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa (DrHC) was established under authority of the Council for Higher Education, Latvia. Academic and pedagogic excellence was marked: Dr William Bell SHUV Research institute, Seattle, WA, 2002), Metropolitan of the Latvian Orthodox Church Latvia Alexander (2007), Mrs. Aija Barča and Mrs. Baiba Rivža (members of Latvian Parliament, 2008), Mr. Jan Gossner (Principal of Evangelical Lutheran College, Norway), and Mr Eskil Albertsson (President of the Swedish Alliance Mission, Sweden) (2010), Rev. Mr Jerald Borgie (Penasquitos Lutheran Church, California, USA, 2011), prof. Dr. Dr. Klaus Kießling (Institut für Pastoralpsychologie und Spiritualität; Seminar für Religionspädagogik, Katechetik und Didaktik; Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Georgen, Germany, 2014), Mrs Roswitha Gottbehut (Secretary General of EC-EZA, 2016), Mr. George van Durtanossky (scriptologist and calligrapher, Germany, Macedonia, 2018 ), prof. Elvyra Aciene (Head of the Social work chair, faculty of Health Sciences, Klaipeda University, Lithuania, 2020).
• 2012 – after European expertise of study directions Latvian Christian academy was ranked among the best universities in Latvia.
• 2012 – Rector of the Academy prof. Skaidrīte Gūtmane, prof. Jānis N. Vējš and assist. prof. Dace Dolace were awarded by the Ministry of Education and Science for excellent achievements in higher education.
• 2013 – Latvian Christian academy underwent regular State and European expertise and assessment of quality of study directions (Visual Arts, Social Welfare and Theology) receiving accreditation for maximum duration 6 years. Experts’ evaluated all study programmes as “qualitative, sustainable study opportunities”.
• Rector of the Academy prof. Skaidrīte Gūtmane was awarded with the order of Russian Orthodox Church of St. Olga (2008) and the order of Latvian Orthodox Church of St John (Pommers) of Riga (2011).
• Diploma issued by the Academy was awarded with the quality hallmark of the European Commision executive agency EACEA (Diploma Supplement Quality Label) (2014). The decision was made following criteria prescribed by the document “ECTS DS Guidelines for applicants”.
• Latvian Christian academy was awarded with prestigious prize “Spārni 2015” (Wings 2015) as the best among Latvian Universities in the international Erasmus+ Mobility Cooperation competition organized by the Latvian State Education Development Agency (VIAA), December 2015, and again in 2024.
• June 2018 Rector of European Christian Academy prof. Skaidrīte Gūtmane was invitated to share the vision of higher education in Caritative Social Work at ECA with His Holiness Pope of Rome Francis in His Apostolic Palace, Vatican.
• April 2021 rating in U-Multirank University Ranking ECA was among 7 the best Latvian Universities.
• May 20, 2022 – the title of Latvian Christian Academy was changed to EUROPEAN CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (ECA). European Christian Academy is legal successor of rights and responsibilities of Latvian Christian Academy.
• September 26, 2024, Rector of ECA prof. Skaidrīte Gūtmane received Apostolic Blessing from the Holy Father Francis confirming “the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary invoking an abundance of Divine Graces”.