Uudised

On 22 January, Tartu city council awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Tartu to Professor emerita Ene Ergma and Professor Aare Märtson, Head of the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of Tartu Institute of Clinical Medicine.

On 14–15 January, the conference “Teaching for learning 2026: anxiety and excitement of teaching” took place at the University of Tartu. The focus of the two-day event was on shaping an academic culture that supports learning and pedagogical wellbeing.

On 2 February, IT Office will delete Teams and SharePoint groups without an owner. Before this, automatically selected group members will receive a notification email with instructions on how to proceed.

At the conference “Teaching for learning 2026”, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Aune Valk presented the teaching awards and the teaching quality award of 2025.

The University of Tartu is recruiting an equality officer to support university members in cases of unequal treatment and ensure a fair and professional handling of such cases.

On 13 December, the team Rowtalia, consisting mainly of University of Tartu alumni – Karl Jürgenstein, Kait Kaarel Puss, Arnold Rein Tatunts and Andres Käosaar – set off to compete in the ocean rowing race World’s Toughest Row Atlantic 2025.

From 28 to 30 January 2026, the 10th international business festival Startup Day takes place at the Estonian National Museum in Tartu. The University of Tartu will be present with a diverse and engaging programme.

In 2025, the study that drew the most attention in public digital channels was led by Professor of Botany Meelis Pärtel and confirms the negative effect of human activity on wildlife biodiversity.

We wish our university community and friends a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Researchers at the University of Tartu Institute of Computer Science, Junior Research Fellow of Artificial Intelligence Joonas Ariva and Associate Professor in Artificial Intelligence Dmytro Fishman, together with radiologists from Tartu University Hospital and engineers at Better Medicine, have developed an AI-based tool that accelerates the detection of kidney cancer. Its effectiveness was validated in a study published in Nature Communications Medicine.

The European Space Agency and the University of Tartu have signed an agreement to develop the ESTCube-3 satellite. This is a major step forward in advancing Estonia’s space technology and cybersecurity, providing students and researchers with the opportunity to practise satellite control and operations. ESTCube-3 is planned for launch by early 2029.

Hanna Hõrak, Associate Professor of Molecular Plant Physiology at the University of Tartu Institute of Technology, has received a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grant to study how cell patterns form in plant leaves. The knowledge gained will support the breeding of plants suited to future climates.

In the recent call for the European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grants, University of Tartu researchers received funding for three projects: to study the climate impact of air pollution particles, the formation of cell patterns in plant leaves, and women’s hormonal sensitivity. Each grant amounts to nearly two million euros, and the projects last for five years.

University of Tartu Associate Professor in Climate Physics Velle Toll received the Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to quantify the extent to which air pollution particles cool the Earth’s climate. The results of Toll’s work would help fill a gap in our detailed understanding of human-induced climate change and improve the accuracy of climate projections.

The Estonian Young Academy of Sciences (EYAS) accepted nine new members, including Research Fellow of Microbial Communities Kertu Liis Krigul and Associate Professor in Climate Physics Velle Toll from the University of Tartu.

At the meeting on 8 December, the council of the University of Tartu Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences re-elected Professor in Molecular Ecology Maarja Öpik as director of the institute.

At its general assembly the Estonian Academy of Sciences elected Rainis Haller as the new academician in the field of mathematics.

The general assembly of the Estonian Academy of Sciences elected seven new members of the academy, including six from the University of Tartu.

Adult learners are welcome to participate in micro-degree programmes starting in the spring semester to acquire an additional specialisation or competence in a narrow field. Applications can be submitted until 25 January.

To ensure the continuity of the national university, we must take responsibility to pass on and uphold the intellectual heritage of the national university.