UNIVERSITY OF TARTU FOUNDATION PRESENTED ESTONIA'S BIGGEST, ERNST JAAKSON SCHOLARSHIP OF 200,000 KROON

Ms Voog, the recipient of the scholarship, is a young member of the UT Faculty of Medicine teaching staff whose speciality is orthopaedic stomatology. She intends to use the scholarship to continue her research at the Swedish Karolinska Institute. Her investigations focus on mandibular diseases. Ülle Voog defended her Ph.D thesis at the Karolinska Institute in 2003 and in 2006 presented her venia legendi entitled “TMJ Involvement by Systemic Inflammatory Disease” at UT Faculty of Medicine. She has supervised a number of graduation theses at the Faculty of Medicine and since last year also supervises a Ph.D thesis.

Ruth Kotsar, head of the Foundation, said that Ülle Voog was selected for the scholarship due to the importance of her research and the fact that the Karonlinska Institute is recognised as one of the foremost research establishments in the field of stomatognathic physiology. “Karolinska Institute has an excellent laboratory for research on the physiology of the oral cavity, making it possible to study and analyse the inflammation mediators and cytokines for which the University of Tartu currently has no facilities,” said Kotsar.

The Ernst Jaakson Memorial Fund was created at the University of Tartu Foundation seven years ago when the University received the bequest of the late Ernst Jaakson, a legendary Estonian diplomat. Amounting to 8.6 million kroons, it is the largest single gift donated by a private person for furthering education in Estonia. The Memorial Fund permits the Foundation to give out its biggest single scholarship, the purpose of which is to support young Estonian Ph.D students, scientists and scholars in their studies or research abroad.

As part of the ceremony, Mrs Aare Ruth Puhk-Mörner, daughter of Voldemar Puhk, a famous entrepreneur from the days of the first Republic of Estonia, also presented the portrait of his father to the Foundation. Mrs Puhk-Mörner who lives in Sweden has commissioned the restoration of the portrait of her father from the experts of KUMU (National Art Museum of Estonia) and has decided to present it to the University of Tartu Foundation as a gift. The family of Puhk-Mörners launched a scholarship fund of their own at the Foundation in 1998, which to date has allowed ten students to be provided with scholarships. It is a noteworthy fact that a half of the recipients of those scholarships are already employed by the University as teaching staff members.

Further information regarding Tartu University Foundation and the scholarships:
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Additional information: Ruth Kotsar, head of the University of Tartu Foundation, phone +372 521 6820; Ülle Voog, phone +372 504 8859

Anneli Maaring
Press Officer
University of Tartu
phone +372 737 5683; +372 515 0184
anneli.maaring@ut.ee
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