Topic: for society

We invite all interested parties to attend the defence of semiotics theses on 20 January 2026, either in person at Jakobi 2–305 or in Zoom (ID: 955 3332 4547, Password: 594333).

Communication seems simple… until you realise you’re talking to a wall. We invite you to a conference where we ask when dialogue is actually needed in society and which shared agreements form the basis of good dialogue.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Estonia has been a leader in providing refuge to the Ukrainian people. At the start of the war, Estonia accepted the most Ukrainians per capita of any country in the world, and it remains among the top three, behind Czechia and Poland. There are now approximately 60,000 Ukrainians in Estonia, representing about 4.4% of the population. Three-quarters of these Ukrainians have arrived since 2022. These individuals must negotiate how to maintain their cultural identity while integrating and building new lives abroad.

On Friday, 30 January, at 14:15, an English-language colloquium will take place at the University of Tartu Philosophicum (Jakobi 2–336), exploring how Stoic ideas and practices can be applied in contemporary psychotherapy to help people cope more effectively with difficulties.

Värske kogumik näitab, kuidas hirm on muutunud tänapäeva meediastunud ühiskonnas üheks keskseks jõuks, kujundades sõnumeid ja suunates avaliku elu arenguid. Raamatu „Through the Lens of Dread: Exploring the Meaning-Making of Fear in the Mediasphere“ („Läbi hirmu prisma: hirmu tähendusloome uurimine meediasfääris“) on toimetanud Merit Maran Tallinna Ülikoolist ja Juri Lotmani semiootikavaramust ning Mari-Liis Madisson ja Andreas Ventsel Tartu Ülikooli semiootika osakonnast.

On 2 December 2025, Paul Cobley — Honorary Doctor of the University of Tartu — delivered a public lecture titled “Thinking: close and distant” as part of the Juri Lotman Lecture Series. The lecture is now available to watch online.

The University of Tartu and the Blood Centre of Tartu University Hospital invite university members to the Blood Donor Day in the Delta Centre on 6 November, from 10:30 to 15:00.

On 1 October 2025 at 10:15, the Department of Semiotics of the University of Tartu, Jakobi 2, room 306, will host a public lecture by Senior Lecturer and ecosemiotician Xany Jansen van Vuuren from South Africa. Jansen van Vuuren will discuss how animal welfare work functions as interspecies translation. Special attention will be given to equine-based welfare work in South Africa.

University of Tartu semioticians Andreas Ventsel and Mari-Liis Madisson, along with Junior Research Fellow in Information Resilience Diana Poudel, have developed tools for enhancing critical digital literacy in cooperation with international partners. The practical materials are designed for use in higher education, schools, companies and organisations to support navigating the digital landscape and countering the spread of disinformation.

On 27 October from 13–18, the University of Tartu development conference “A university for us, Estonia and the world” took place at the assembly hall of the university's main building and online to initiate a discussion on topics important for society and the university. The discussion were be based on the new University of Tartu strategic plan approved in June.