Topic: for society

The new collection shows how emotions and affects shape political identities, amplify polarisation in times of crisis, and often turn public debate into emotional confrontation. „Power of Emotions. On the Affective Constitution of Political Struggle“ is edited by Andreas Ventsel, Professor of Political and Sociosemiotics at the University of Tartu, and Peeter Selg, Professor of Governance and Political Analysis at Tallinn University.

In Arvo Pärt’s jubilee year, the lectures from his year as a University of Tartu professor of liberal arts have become accessible to an international audience, as English subtitles have been added to the recordings of the lecture series.

Estonian researchers have created the AI Barometer where users can compare the responses of language models and assess their proficiency in Estonian. Everyone is welcome to try out the barometer at baromeeter.ai. The researchers aim to collect at least 50,000 comparisons by the end of June.

The children's book on values and philosophy „Mis on sulle kallis?“ („What do you hold dear?“), by Tiia Kõnnussaar (writing under the pen name Tia Navi) and Kadri Simm, has been selected as one of the 25 gems of Estonian children's literature featured in Estonia’s catalogue at the Bologna Children's Book Fair.

Doctoral studies offer the chance to become an expert in a narrow field while also developing the skills of making connections and the ability to process information, manage challenging projects, learn from criticism, and, at the same time, manage time efficiently.

University of Tartu’s philosophers received funding from the Estonian Research Council for the project “Imagination in Cognition: Contemporary and Ancient Perspectives”. The five-year project brings together contemporary and Ancient Greek perspectives on imagination to better understand its diverse roles in human cognition. The project is led by Uku Tooming, with research team members Roomet Jakapi, Toomas Lott, and Riin Sirkel.

In September 2024, the Philosophy Department launched a special issue of Studia Philosophica Estonica on the Russia-Ukraine War, edited by Aaron James Wendland. The issue aimed to deepen global moral, cultural, and political understanding of the conflict while also keeping it in public discourse. We are thrilled that this public philosophy project has been featured in over 25 news outlets worldwide.

The Centre for Ethics of the University of Tartu has established a nationwide network to foster collaboration in artificial intelligence ethics.

The discussion game developed by researchers at the Centre for Ethics of the University of Tartu has received a remake – the game is now available in English.

At the University of Tartu, the weaving of camouflage nets and the making of helmet covers for the Ukrainian armed forces continues.