Grand Medal

Jaak Aaviksoo, Professor emeritus, rector of the University of Tartu from 1998–2006

Jaak Aaviksoo is one of the most influential leaders in Estonian higher education over recent decades. As a visionary, reformer and scholar, he has always been ahead of his time, shaping the development of the University of Tartu and the entire Estonian higher education and research system.

His research career began at the Institute of Physics of the Estonian Academy of Sciences and continued at his alma mater – the University of Tartu – as Professor of Optics and Spectroscopy. Jaak Aaviksoo’s broad international reach led him to work as a visiting professor and researcher at several universities and research institutions abroad, including in Germany, Japan and France.

Jaak Aaviksoo is the most internationally influential and remarkable rector of the University of Tartu since the restoration of Estonia’s independence. Colleagues from foreign universities still recall his speeches with admiration. Under his leadership, the University of Tartu implemented significant reforms and began to re-establish its position in the international academic arena. Aaviksoo’s strong leadership gave the university strategic clarity and intellectual momentum. His tenure as rector is marked by a solid financial framework, curriculum reform aligned with the Bologna Process, the introduction of threshold-based admissions, and preparations for a structural reform aimed at overcoming barriers between faculties and disciplines to create larger, more competitive research groups.

In his various roles within the Government of the Republic of Estonia, Aaviksoo has consistently helped develop Estonia’s research and higher education system. He initiated the integration of the institutes of the Estonian Academy of Sciences with universities and strongly advocated for research-based policymaking.

Jaak Aaviksoo embodies the precision of a scientist, the breadth of a scholar, and the far-reaching vision of a leader. His work has shaped both the present and future of the University of Tartu.

Marlon Gerardo Dumas Menjivar, Professor of Information Systems

Professor Marlon Dumas is one of the most outstanding representatives of Estonian and international computer science, whose long-standing work at the University of Tartu has left a profound mark both on the Institute of Computer Science and the field of research.

Originally from Honduras, Professor Dumas started work at the University of Tartu in 2007. The Software Engineering master’s programme, which he initiated and has continuously developed, has become an important pillar of the field, having produced more than 500 specialists with a master’s degree to date. With his support, the Institute of Computer Science has grown from a small team into an internationally recognised centre of excellence employing over 250 people.

Professor Dumas is a leading authority in business process management, process analysis and developing service-oriented information systems. His work has been widely cited and used in teaching worldwide. Through active publishing, he has become one of Estonia’s most highly cited researchers, significantly influencing both the academic and business spheres, particularly in the fields of data mining and automated analysis.

Professor Marlon Dumas has set an example in the effective application of research in entrepreneurship. His research and collaboration with Queensland University of Technology and the University of Melbourne have led to the development of Apromore, an AI-based business process optimisation platform that has enabled important scientific ideas to be successfully applied in industry. He is also one of the authors of the textbook Fundamentals of Business Process Management, which is used in many universities abroad.

Marlon Dumas is one of the brightest stars among computer scientists, distinguished by an exceptional sense of humour and unique talent admired by colleagues at the University of Tartu and in scientific circles worldwide. He has broad horizons, is always kind, solution-oriented and available to colleagues, offering new and creative perspectives when discussing work issues.

Kalle Kirsimäe, Professor of Geology and Mineralogy

Kalle Kirsimäe is an internationally renowned researcher and a promoter of geological science in Estonia. For years, he has led geology-related research and teaching at the University of Tartu. His contributions to the advancement of this scientific discipline of national importance and to maintaining its high level are invaluable. It is by no means self-evident that such in-depth work on Estonian geology is carried out specifically at the University of Tartu, and that a once small department has, thanks to Professor Kirsimäe, grown into the country’s most influential scientific centre in both fundamental and applied geological research.

Kalle Kirsimäe has taken it upon himself to bring young people into science. He has been involved in shaping and implementing national research programmes. He is a respected expert for both the private and public sectors, including ministries and the Geological Survey, and is a recognised thought leader in research-based policymaking.

Alongside all this, he continues to be successful in conducting fundamental research. His scientific interests began with the study of clay minerals and sediments and have expanded to global climate history research. For example, Kirsimäe is the lead partner in an international deep drilling programme investigating sedimentary rocks in Africa that are around two billion years old to understand the factors that influenced the formation of our atmosphere and hydrosphere.

Professor Kirsimäe is a highly regarded teaching staff member who maintains close contact with students from their first-year orientation events all the way to their doctoral degrees. In his teaching, he integrates the latest knowledge from chemistry and physics into geology. Among students and colleagues, he is a true legend, whose candid remarks and assessments are always taken very seriously.

Kalle Kirsimäe is determined and uncompromising, fights for the goals of his discipline and actively participates in public debate. He has a deep love for his alma mater and is wholeheartedly committed to its development.

Ivo Leito, Professor in Analytical Chemistry

Professor Ivo Leito is an internationally renowned expert in analytical chemistry and a dedicated lecturer who has successfully combined high-level fundamental research, metrological precision, and innovative teaching.

Professor Leito’s research area includes acid-base equilibria, the chemistry of superacids and superbases, chemical metrology, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry applications, and the characterisation of databases and measuring instruments. His research group is well known for collecting and critically evaluating pKₐ data, which supports mechanistic analyses and the development of computational methods. This work has helped standardise acidity measurements in solutions and the gas phase, and improve the comparability of methods. Leito has advanced chemical metrology in terms of scientific methodology and practical quality assurance.

As a lecturer, Leito emphasises not only the correct use of measurement methods but also the assessment of measurement reliability and the application of scientific thinking. His approach combines theoretical accuracy, practical examples and active learning methods (such as flipped learning), which appeal to students and prepare them for research and practical laboratory work.

Professor Ivo Leito is an outstanding researcher and inspiring lecturer whose work has significantly influenced the research and educational space of analytical chemistry. Students regard him as a charismatic and inclusive teacher and an inspiring supervisor. The courses and international master’s curricula he has created and coordinated have received wide international recognition. With his scientific thoroughness and engaging teaching style, Ivo Leito sets an example for all who value excellence in research and education.