News

At the end of October, multi-purpose academic centre named after the 19th-century rector of the university, professor of physiology Alexander Schmidt were opened in the Biomeedikum building of the University of Tartu Faculty of Medicine.

This week the Faculty of Medicine is marking its 385th anniversary with two conferences, the awarding of its faculty medals and recognising its best students. The focal topic of the traditional anniversary conference is drawing attention to the importance of scientific research in benefiting the health of the people of Estonia.

Since 1998, the International Summer University of the University of Tartu has introduced higher education and research in Estonia, incl. study opportunities at the University of Tartu, to participants from all over the world.

The European Research Council (ERC) awarded the University of Tartu scientist Tambet Teesalu a grant of 150,000 euros to support his research on developing a smart anticancer drug.

For the third year already, the Estonian Academy of Sciences organises the competition in which public university students explain their field of science in three minutes.

The Times Higher Education (THE), arguably the world’s most influential compiler of university rankings, published the most recent ranking of the world’s best universities. In the 2018 rankings the University of Tartu continues to hold a place in the 301–350 band.

Opening ceremony of the new academic year starts on Monday, 4 September at 10:00 in the university assembly hall. Salutatory addresses are delivered by rector Volli Kalm and the mayor of Tartu Urmas Klaas. In the 2017/2018 academic year, nearly 4000 students start their studies in UT at all study levels.

From 7 to 14 July, academic staff and doctoral students from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and North India participate in the University of Tartu summer school. At the summer school in Tartu, participants learn about new research methods in environmental health and epidemiology, which they can use to conduct similar studies in their home universities.

The admission period for most Estonian-language bachelor’s and master’s curricula in the University of Tartu ended last week. Application for English-taught curricula took place in spring. In total, the university received more than 12,100 applications for admission to Estonian and English curricula of all study levels.

On September 8, the election commissions approved the dean candidates for the University of Tartu’s four faculties. The new deans are elected at the end of September and beginning of October and their term of office begins on 1 January 2016 when the university’s academic units continue as four faculties within the new structure.

The University of Tartu has the largest number of graduates in Estonia—an estimated of 70 000 graduates. Aiming to bring the alumni community closer together, link them more to the university, develop mutual communication and professional cooperation, the University of Tartu launched a network for its alumni (www.utalumni.ee), novel in Estonia as well as Europe, the like of which is also used by the University of Oxford.

University of Tartu Institute of Computer Science opens a new position in autumn – the professorship of information systems. The new position will be held by current Professor of Software Engineering Marlon Dumas, who is ranked among the world’s top 1% of most cited researchers in the area of computer science.

On 30 June, the inauguration ceremony where rector Professor Volli Kalm takes an oath of office for the new term as the rector will be held in the assembly hall of the University of Tartu.

From 24–28 April, the Faculty of Medicine of University of Tartu organises an international Erasmus staff training week that focuses on international medicine studies programmes.

In collaboration of University of Tartu and University College London a workshop “Targeted nanosystems for imaging and therapy” will be held in Tartu from May 10-12.

This year, 2438 applications were submitted to the 20 international master’s curricula of the University of Tartu. The amount of applications filed by Estonian candidates increased by a fifth.

The University of Tartu Student Council has asked the student body to express their ideas on what they expect of the rector. Above all, students want the university to be led by a person who is forward-looking and has a clear vision for both the society and the university.

It is our pleasure to invite you to the Erasmus Staff Training Week that will be held at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Tartu from 24 to 28 April 2017 in Tartu, Estonia. Participants will have an opportunity to meet our staff and students, see the faculty, the university, the university hospital and get to know Estonian student capital Tartu.

On 21 November the opening event of the new network of European research-intensive universities GUILD took place in Brussels. The gathering of 18 leading research-intensive universities is focused on science and innovation policy issues and seizing a leading role in the middle of the economic, cultural and social changes in the society.

At a meeting on Monday, the University of Tartu and the construction company AS YIT EHITUS agreed that the contractor will complete the second stage of works on the university library by 30 November this year. Thereafter the request for getting a permit for partial use is filed, and after the request is satisfied, the university can open a part of the library for readers.