Topic: research

The Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies and the Ukraine Centre of the University of Tartu are participating in the international project RESTART, which aims to enhance the research and innovation capacity of Sumy State University in Ukraine and support its integration into the international research community.

The University of Tartu, together with seven leading European university networks and research organisations are calling on EU policymakers to increase investment in research and innovation in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).

A recently completed study on conspiracy theories, the most extensive one ever conducted in Europe, found that narratives circulating across national borders adapt to local history, cultural memory and social tensions. A book presenting the study’s findings has now been published, co-edited by Mari-Liis Madisson, Associate Professor of Semiotics at the University of Tartu.

The DNA of two randomly selected people is approximately 99.9% identical. However, differences in the remaining 0.1% of the genome influence many individual traits, including appearance, disease risk, and the body's response to medications. A study by researchers at the University of Tartu found that this small amount of genetic variation may also be linked to several personality traits.

On 31 August, Prime Minister Kristen Michal convened a government advisory board of digital safety experts, including five researchers from the University of Tartu, who advocate evidence-based solutions.

On 16 September, Arun Kumar Singh, Professor of Motion Planning, at the University of Tartu, gave his inaugural lecture titled “Beyond Scaling: Building Safe and Data-Efficient Learning Robots”.

Nominations for the Estonian Science Communication Awards can be submitted to the Estonian Research Council (ETAG) until 15 September. The competition aims to recognise outstanding and active science communicators as well as innovative initiatives that promote science to wider audiences.

The Estonian Research Council (ETAG) invites students to participate in the 2026 National Contest for University Students. The last day for submissions is 15 September. This year, the total prize fund exceeds €200,000.

Registration is now open for the University of Tartu’s three-minute thesis competition for doctoral researchers, which will take place on 21 October at the University of Tartu Library. The deadline for registration is 12 October.