Professor Margit Sutrop started working in the Parliament of Estonia and its' Cultural Affairs Committee

Professor Margit Sutrop, Head of the Centre for Ethics at the University of Tartu, took up her position as a member of the Parliament of Estonia last week, being a substitute member of the new government's Minister of Social Protection.

“I want Estonia to be the rule of law sate with deliberative democracy, our people healthier and happier, and the Estonian language and culture to develop,” says Prof. Margit Sutrop. “As a member of the Parliament I will stand for education and science to be more valued, medicine to be more patient-centred and more knowledge-based decision-making in politics.”

In the Parliament, Prof. Sutrop was appointed as a member of the Cultural Affairs Committee, which enables her to work with the topics she has worked with at the Centre for Ethics and in her research work at the legislative level. “I can use my experience and knowledge I have gained in creating the education and research strategy and the educational vision “Tark ja tegus Eesti 2035” (“Smart and Active Estonia 2035” – ed.), introducing value education in Estonian schools and creating a system of research ethics in Estonian universities and research institutions,” Prof. Sutrop described.

Prof. Margit Sutrop is familiar with the topics of higher education, research management and financing, as she was the Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy (3 years) and the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (4 years). In addition, she has extensive experience in international cooperation: she is an expert of the European Commission, the European Research Foundation and the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, and the leader of the Estonian working group of 12 European Commission research projects and led a total of nearly 40 R&D contracts.

Prof Sutrop took the oath of office on 27 January. The work at the Centre for Ethics, University of Tartu will be reorganized during her term of office and an ad interim head of the Centre will be appointed by the council of the centre. In addition to being a MEP, Margit Sutrop will also continue to work as a part-time professor at the University of Tartu. Triin Paaver, the CEO of the centre, will continue to coordinate the centres’ the daily work.