1 December marks 105 years from the opening of the Estonian-language University of Tartu. Traditional anniversary events will be held on that occasion.

On 1 December at 12:00, the anniversary ceremony took place in the assembly hall. The university’s doctorates and honorary doctorates were conferred, the “Contribution to Estonian National Identity” award was presented and the recipient of the scholarship for the expatriate visiting professor was announced. At the ceremony, Professor of Artificial Intelligence Meelis Kull delivered an academic lecture "On the future and thinking". Watch the ceremony with simultaneous interpretation into English on UTTV.

On 1 December at 17:00 will be the traditional torchlight procession. Gathering is in front of the academic building at Vanemuise 46. At 19:30 takes place anniversary ball in Vanemuine Concert Hall.

To celebrate the university's anniversary, the exhibition of wool blankets woven by the native textile students of the Viljandi Culture Academy is open from 13 November in the lobby of the University of Tartu main building.

On 21 November the University of Tartu honorary decorations were presented in the university’s assembly hall. The recording is available on UTTV.

Gallery of the torchlight procession Gallery of the anniversary ceremony

Honorary doctors

At the senate session on 31 May 2024, the University of Tartu senate appointed five new honorary doctors:

• Professor emerita Pirkko Koski from the University of Helsinki, for her outstanding achievements in the field of theatre research and the integration of the University of Tartu theatre researchers into the international community; 
• Professor Sabine Andresen from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, for her pioneering research in childhood studies and her long and fruitful collaboration with the social scientists of the University of Tartu in the study of child and family well-being; 
• Professor emeritus Anthonius Johannes Maria de Jong from the University of Twente, for promoting research in educational technology, educational psychology and instructional design, and for his long and fruitful collaboration with University of Tartu researchers in international projects;
• Professor emeritus Jouko Kalervo Yliruusi from the University of Helsinki, for advancing research in pharmaceutical technology and physical pharmacy and for his effective collaboration in shaping a new generation of pharmaceutical scientists at the University of Tartu and modernising the research infrastructure;
• Professor Jussi Sakari Jauhiainen from the University of Turku, for his effective work in developing Estonian-language geography and contributing to its internationalisation and for his long-standing leadership in Estonian-Finnish research cooperation in geography.

Doctoral conferment

Doctoral degrees are conferred at the ceremony on 1 December 2024. See who has defended their doctoral thesis during the past year.

Until 20 December, an exhibition showcasing the doctoral theses defended in 2024 is open at the UT Library.