News

On 14–15 May, mathematician and former President of the European Research Council (ERC) Jean-Pierre Bourguignon visited the University of Tartu and met with researchers from the Institute of Mathematics and Statistics and the Institute of Computer Science. On 15 May, he gave a public lecture in which he addressed, among other topics, the ERC grant application process.

At the Tartu Observatory of the University of Tartu, the optical periscopic imager for comets OPIC was completed and will be handed over to the European Space Agency (ESA).

TEDx University of Tartu brings people together to share “ideas worth spreading” across diverse topics on 2 June at the University of Tartu Delta Centre.

A new free course combining Estonian language studies with culture studies will begin at the University of Tartu Museum.

On 13 May, the Ministry of Education and Research and the University of Tartu concluded an administrative contract for 2026–2028. It sets out the objectives of increasing student admissions in fields with higher labour demand, expanding the volume of doctoral research related to artificial intelligence, and supporting internationalisation and talent policy.

According to recent data from the international Web of Science database, the University of Tartu now also ranks among the top 1% of the world’s most highly cited research institutions in the field of physics. This is the sixteenth field of research in which research carried out at the University of Tartu has reached the global top level in impact.

The Europe Universities Summit 2026, organised by Times Higher Education in Milan from 5 to 7 May, brought together university leaders, policymakers and sector experts.

How does international research cooperation begin? How do new research methods emerge, and how are connections forged that last a lifetime? Sometimes, it all starts with a scholarship. This year’s recipients of the University of Tartu Seventh Pillar Fund scholarship, history master’s student Marie Anna Blehner and pharmacy student Janeli Lember, will use the grant to go abroad to study and represent Estonia, and later bring the knowledge and experience back home.

In the next academic year, the professorship of liberal arts at the University of Tartu will be held by one of the most distinctive creators of audiovisual works in Estonia, the film director, stage director and screenwriter Rainer Sarnet.

European Doctoral Day is held on 13 May to inspire students to pursue doctoral education, increase employers’ awareness of the value of doctoral degrees, and showcase the diverse career opportunities.

Biotech is a gruelling, capital-intensive business, and can take years for scientists to strike gold. But there is hope, in fact, even on a cold April day, Teesalu is unusually chipper and optimistic.

From 2 to 6 November, the Fall Campus of CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, will take place in the Delta academic building of the University of Tartu. Organised in cooperation with CERN scientists, the five-day programme offers students and other science enthusiasts a unique opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the development work at one of the world’s leading scientific organisations and to take part in international research collaboration.

Academic freedom refers to the ability of students, teaching staff, and researchers to express their views freely and ensures the independence of universities. In Estonia, academic freedom remains high, but according to a recent report, it is declining worldwide.

UT staff and students are welcome to apply to participate in the ENLIGHT Teaching and Learning Conference 2026, held in Bern, Switzerland, from 22 to 24 October. The central theme of this year’s conference will be context and learning.

In the Faces of ENLIGHT campaign, the alliance of European universities ENLIGHT presents its members who stand out as role models with their professional achievements and personal qualities. In total, six people from each university are selected; three representatives of the University of Tartu have already been introduced. It is now the turn of Ulrich Norbisrath, Visiting Professor in the Chair of Distributed Systems at the Institute of Computer Science.

Diversity Day is celebrated in Estonia and across Europe on 13 May, the second Wednesday in May, and the whole month is marked as Diversity Month. The aim is to value the uniqueness of every individual and emphasise the importance of an inclusive, respectful and fair working environment.

This episode of Tiksu to UniTartu shares tips for making friends in Estonia: join hobbies, attend student and cultural events, learn a few Estonian phrases, talk to classmates, and keep on showing up.

On 15 May, from 10:15 to 11:45, he gives a public lecture “Applying for ERC grants. The future of European research” in the building of the Institute of Cultural Research (Ülikooli 16–216).

On 29 April, the international Denim Day was marked to draw attention to the prevention of sexual violence and the message that no choice of clothing ever constitutes consent – responsibility lies solely with the perpetrator. The action also aimed to raise awareness of the study currently being conducted at the university, focusing on experiences and attitudes related to harassment, bullying and discrimination.

A new comprehensive study on Estonian leadership, commissioned by Enterprise Estonia and conducted by the University of Tartu and LevelLab OÜ, reveals that Estonian companies are embracing a more inclusive and human-centric management style, while also adapting rapidly to technological and global changes.