President of the Student Union: alma mater does not grow and flourish but is forced into survival mode

Speech by President of the University of Tartu Student Union Katariina Sofia Päts at the opening of the academic year 2022/2023. See the recording.

Minister, rector, mayor, ladies and gentlemen, and, first and foremost, all first-year students.

Welcome to the cradle of Estonian higher education, and welcome among the students!

I am very happy that you have decided to choose Estonia’s only student city to begin your independent life. I sincerely believe that besides the specialised knowledge, this environment enables you to find friends for life, an interdisciplinary circle of people and lots of practical life experience.

Dear friends,

The enthusiasm and joy of the new beginning today are unfortunately overshadowed by dark could hovering above Estonian higher education.

Please look at the persons to your right and your left. The reality is that there is no real resource to teach one of the three of you today. Our alma mater does not grow and flourish but is forced into survival mode instead.

We all know that Estonia and the rest of the world are facing the most complicated and existential problems. We also know that all of these problems need to be solved by students of today and tomorrow.

Instead of dedicating itself to making us smart, creative and open-minded as well as well-educated experts, the university needs to pay attention to where to save money because they need to count every penny. 

Unfortunately, it also applies to students. A technically non-existent state study support scheme also forces many students to concentrate on counting money instead of studying to pay for accommodation and food and make sure they have enough money at the end of the month on their bank account to buy a meal of instant noodles.

In these conditions, we are no visionaries of tomorrow but beggars instead. As it seems that words have lost meaning, please help me get the message across and let us all jingle the coins like real beggars. Let us show that a good-quality higher education and study support system are not a luxury but the basis of our society.

Dear politicians, soon it is time for you to bear responsibility for Estonia’s future. It is your chance and responsibility to give us the best tools possible to take care of this future.

Vivat academia! Thank you!