News

On 21 November, Rector Toomas Asser handed over the university’s this year’s 123 honorary decorations. This marked the beginning of the traditional events of the 106th anniversary of Estonia’s national university.

On 21 November, the University of Tartu senate decided to make nominations for the national research awards of the Republic of Estonia.

University of Tartu Professor of Nanomedicine Tambet Teesalu has become the first Estonian researcher to receive a Synergy Grant from the European Research Council, which supports collaboration of top-level research teams in tackling highly complex and ambitious scientific challenges.

On 27 October from 13–18, the University of Tartu development conference “A university for us, Estonia and the world” took place in the university assembly hall and online. Keynote speakers were Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Kersti Kaljulaid and Kristina Kallas.

The three-minute thesis competition for doctoral researchers, held at the University of Tartu Library on 22 October, featured 13 popular-science short lectures in Estonian and 14 in English.

All university staff and students are invited to nominate candidates who deserve to be awarded the university’s honorary decoration for their outstanding achievements.

The Institute of Genomics at the University of Tartu, home of the Estonian Biobank, invites you to the 24th annual Gene Forum, co-hosted with the Estonian Genome Foundation. The event will take place on 9–10 September 2025 at the Estonian National Museum in Tartu.

The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) and the University of Tartu have agreed on up to 100 million euros financing for the construction of the university’s academic and research buildings in Tartu and Tallinn, Estonia.

On 16 June, the council of the University of Tartu approved the new strategic plan, which sets the direction for the university’s activities for the next ten years.

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

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.

On 2-5th of June, 2025 students of the Science & Technology BSc and Bioengineering MSc study programs thesis defenses will take place at the Institute of Bioengineering, Nooruse 1-121.

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.

On 4 April, the council of the Institute of Bioengineering elected Associate Professor of Molecular Biology Ilona Faustova as the institute’s director. Her three-year term of office starts on 1 May.

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.

Associate professor Margus Varjak Research group has joined the Institute of Bioengineering. Laboratory studies the interactions between pathogenic viruses and host cells

Led by the Dean’s Office of the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Centre for Sustainable Development of the University of Tartu, a guidance material has been developed for researchers on how to conduct interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research.

Representatives of the Institute of Bioengineering did several workshops during the international competition Robotex.

In November, Science & Technology Bachelor's program and University of Tartu representatives took part in the annual Education Fair STUDIA in Helsinki, Finland.