University of Tartu and Estonian National Museum step up cooperation in teaching doctoral students

On 29 October, the University of Tartu and the Estonian National Museum signed a framework agreement for industrial doctorate studies to support the education of future researchers for the museum and intensify cooperation between the two institutions. While the joint activities have so far been mostly limited to the arts and humanities, there is now potential to develop connections with other fields of research.  

The University of Tartu Institute of Cultural Research has been cooperating with the Estonian National Museum (ENM) for a long time. The results of this cooperation can be enjoyed by all people who visit the museum’s permanent exhibition or the exhibition on the culture and heritage of the Finno-Ugric peoples. According to Riho Altnurme, Vice Dean for Research of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, the joint work has covered themes related to ethnology, archaeology and religious studies. The new field of digital humanities is promising attractive new research opportunities.   

The ENM’s Research Director Pille Runnel considers the industrial doctorate programme very important for the museum, as doctoral studies are central to different research areas and groups. “Doctoral students bring new professional knowledge to the research teams. ENM, on the other hand, can provide them with a strong support network on topics we specialise in. It is important for us to raise new generations of researchers so that today’s students will eventually become supervisors,” said Runnel. She believes that the museum's ethnologists have an indispensable role in collection-based research, the results of which reach broader audiences via the exhibitions of ENM.  

The new framework agreement on industrial doctorates will also facilitate cooperation with other research areas at the university. “In addition to culture, it is important to study and understand the operation of museums from an economic or social perspective. Therefore, ENM would be highly interested in a cross-disciplinary doctoral programme covering education, communication science, and aspects of the data-driven society,” said Runnel. For example, the ENM’s museology research team is working on a data-driven organisation, using digital cultural heritage and media formats for exhibitions. Runnel said that as museum collections have historically pioneered the use of open data, there could also be common ground with research ethics and data protection.  

Industrial doctorate is a form of cooperation that allows enterprises and institutions to work with the university to create new knowledge and improve their employees’ competence. The University of Tartu has industrial doctorate partners among IT companies, healthcare institutions, and institutions studying literature and culture.  

Read more about industrial doctorate