News

In collaboration with the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various partners at Stanford University, Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom has announced the 2026 Short-Term Research Fellowships for Estonian scholars. Two of the Stanford University Fellowships for Estonian Security and Foreign Policy Experts were awarded to researchers from the University of Tartu, semioticians Mari-Liis Madisson and Andreas Ventsel.

Call for applicants: Professor of Semiotics of Culture. Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics, University of Tartu, Estonia. The application deadline is 1 July 2025.

On Thursday, 5 June, a new board for the University of Tartu Student Union (UTSU) was elected during a meeting of the student parliament.

We mourn the passing of Professor Vilmos Voigt, honorary doctor of the University of Tartu.

On 23 May 2025, Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas approved the results of the external evaluation of Estonian research and development. The University of Tartu was the only institution in Estonia to receive a positive evaluation in all six fields: natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, agriculture and veterinary sciences, social sciences, and humanities and the arts.

The University of Tartu’s opening ceremony of the 2025/2026 academic year will take place on the corner of Lossi and Ülikooli streets at Pirogov square on Monday, 1 September at 10:00.

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.

All Estonian public universities will celebrate Diversity Week from 5–11 May for the second year. This year’s focus is on encouraging people to notice and to act.

Doctoral studies are a part of the career path, giving you the knowledge and future skills needed to become a top specialist or manager.

The university opens 182 student places in doctoral studies this spring. Everyone who desires to create new knowledge and pursue a career as a researcher, top specialist or manager is welcome to apply.

The University of Tartu invites international students interested in English-taught curricula to submit their applications in DreamApply.

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.

Igor Černov, born on 18 March 1943 in the village of Oktjabrski in the Gorky region in Russia, passed away on 21 March 2025 in Joensuu in Finland. Until the late 1990s, Černov played an immensely significant role in shaping the landscape of semiotics in Estonia and was a driving force behind its development.

The call for the Erasmus+ intra-European mobility application for the 2025/2026 academic year closed in March, revealing increased interest among students in studying at ENLIGHT universities.

Starting from March 24, it is possible to apply for the position of a student representative of the University of Tartu, both faculty and institute.

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.

Now, the internal reporting channel of the University of Tartu in FaceUp can be used to send breach reports confidentially and, if requested, anonymously. It is no longer possible to report by email.

Today, at the ceremony and concert dedicated to the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia in the University of Tartu assembly hall, the Peeter Tulviste memorial fund prize, the Ernst Jaakson memorial fund scholarship and the Lennart Meri award for research and for master’s thesis were presented.

On 21 February, the Peeter Tulviste memorial fund prize was presented at the ceremony marking the Republic of Estonia’s anniversary at the University of Tartu. The 5,000-euro prize was awarded to Research Fellow in Theoretical Philosophy Uku Tooming, whose research focuses on understanding the cultural nature of humans.

Lecture by University of Tartu Professor of Political and Sociosemiotics Andreas Ventsel at the ceremony and concert dedicated to the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia on 21 February 2025.