The graduation ceremony of the Institute of Social Studies at the University of Tartu will take place on 16 June at 16:00 in the University Assembly Hall. The ceremony will last approximately one and a half to two hours.
To help ensure that the graduation ceremony runs smoothly for everyone, we kindly ask you to read the information below regarding the organisation of the event, filming, and other practical matters.
We kindly invite all bachelor’s and master’s graduates to the ceremony. Please gather in the foyer on the first floor of the University’s main building 15 minutes before the ceremony begins and pair up with the other graduates from your programme. Graduates will enter the Assembly Hall in pairs, one after another.
The order of entry by programme is as follows:
- Journalism and Communication (Bachelor’s)
- Information Management
- Information Society and Social Well-being
- Journalism and Communication (Master’s)
- Disinformation and Societal Resilience
- Management and Digital Communication
- Community Development and Social Well-being
- Managing Changes in Society
- Analysis of Social and Information Processes
When entering the Assembly Hall, please take the available seats, starting from the front rows.
As the number of seats in the Assembly Hall and the balcony is limited, not all guests may get a seat. Therefore, we recommend that guests follow the ceremony via the UTTV livestream. The live broadcast of the ceremony can also be viewed in lecture halls 139 and 128 in the main building, on the large screen in front of the main building or at the university café (for a comfortable visit, it is recommended to book a table in advance).
Graduation ceremony information for graduates and guests
English translation
For the first time, graduates of the English-taught master’s programme Disinformation and Societal Resilience will receive their diplomas alongside students from the Estonian-language programmes. To ensure that our international students and guests can fully participate in the ceremony, we will use Tilde Event Assistant, an AI-based translation service. The English translation will be available on participants’ own devices via a dedicated link and can be read on screen or listened to through headphones provided on site. A QR code providing access to the live translation will also be printed in the ceremony programme.
This year, among those receiving their diplomas are two members of the Institute’s academic punk band, Karju Lauristin. The students’ activities have also received recognition beyond the University, and a short documentary about them is currently being prepared.
A documentary filmmaker will therefore capture selected moments of the graduation ceremony, focusing only on the two main subjects of the film, the speech delivered by the representative of the bachelor’s graduates, and a small number of other ceremony participants who have agreed in advance to be filmed. The camera will not focus on anyone else.
Please take a moment to read the information below so that you can enjoy the ceremony with the reassurance that your comfort and rights have been carefully considered.
Contact details of the documentary producer
Ajafilmid OÜ
Aili Maarja
[email protected]
+372 5697 4480
Purpose and legal basis
The purpose of the filming is the production of the documentary KARJU LAURISTIN – The World Ends the Day After Tomorrow, which is scheduled to premiere in 2027. The filmmaker has a legitimate interest in addressing topics of societal importance and in creating and distributing a documentary film.
The filmmaker has assessed that, to a limited extent, filming may affect the privacy of ceremony participants if some participants happen to appear in the documentary footage. However, the impact is considered minimal, as the documentary focuses primarily on the two main protagonists of the story and on individuals who have given their prior consent to be filmed.
The filmmaker complies with the requirements of the Estonian Personal Data Protection Act regarding filming in public places (Section 11 of the Personal Data Protection Act). Consent has been obtained from individuals appearing in portrait shots.
Access to the recordings
The following parties may have access to the recordings:
- employees and collaborators involved in the production of the film;
- editors and providers of sound and post-production services;
- technical service providers and data storage administrators;
- film distributors, broadcasting organisations and streaming platforms;
- legal advisers or competent authorities where necessary to comply with legal obligations;
- when the final version of the documentary is published, the film may be accessible to an unrestricted audience.
Rights of ceremony participants
Ceremony participants have the right to:
- receive information about how they are filmed during the making of the documentary and how footage concerning them is used;
- access information about footage concerning them and the processing of that footage;
- request the deletion of footage or other data concerning them, or request restrictions on its use, if they know or reasonably believe that
- they appear in the footage and do not wish to do so;
- object to the use of material concerning them;
- lodge a complaint with the Estonian Data Protection Inspectorate.
Each objection will be assessed individually, taking into account both the participant's rights and the legitimate interests related to the production of the documentary and freedom of expression.
If the film has already been published or distributed, it will no longer be possible to remove the material.
If a ceremony participant knows or reasonably believes that they appear in the documentary footage and:
- has questions or complaints related to this, they have the right to contact the film producer (producer Aili Maarja, +372 5697 4480, [email protected]);
- wishes to ensure that they do not appear in the documentary materials, they have the right to request this by contacting the film producer (producer Aili Maarja, +372 5697 4480, [email protected]) until the end of 2026. In such cases, the producer will identify and agree with the person making the request on an appropriate way to resolve the situation.
The recordings are processed in Estonia. The filmed material will be used only in the documentary itself and in communication materials related to the film (such as the trailer).
Raw footage will be retained for as long as necessary for the purposes of producing, distributing and archiving the documentary and protecting legitimate interests. The material may be retained long term or archived because of its cultural, historical or documentary value.
If you believe that your personal data is being processed unlawfully, you have the right to contact the Estonian Data Protection Inspectorate: www.aki.ee, [email protected], telephone +372 627 4135, advisory helpline +372 5620 2341.
- Parking options can be found on the City of Tartu website and the parking area map.
- Please leave coats, large bags and wet umbrellas in the cloakroom of the main building.
- Personal mobility devices, such as electric scooters or unicycles, are not permitted inside the main building.
- In hot weather, it is advisable to bring your own water bottle. You can refill the bottle in the lobby of the main building.
- As the graduation ceremony is a formal academic occasion, we would like to remind you of the recommended dress code. Participants are encouraged to wear formal attire. Clothing that is overly revealing is not considered appropriate for the occasion. We kindly ask participants to follow academic etiquette during the ceremony.
Persons using a wheelchair or other mobility aid can access the main building via the inner courtyard, which can be reached from behind the main building. The ramp is on the right when facing the central part of the main building. The car entrance is through the gate near the monument to Gustav II Adolf. To open the door, please call the information desk at 737 5102. The Assembly Hall can be accessed with the lift located in the lobby to the left of the main staircase. Wheelchair access is available both to the Assembly Hall and to the balcony of the Assembly Hall. Parking behind the main building is permitted only for vehicles with a disabled label.
Graduates can take personal photos:
- in front of the main building (for example, on the graduates’ bench beneath the University of Tartu sign);
in the Pirogov Square by the crab apple tree planted in honour of graduates;
in the Botanical Garden and the ruins of Tartu Cathedral (free admission to the cathedral towers for graduates and a discount ticket for their family members).
Graduates who want the university’s cap or ring can order them from the university’s gift shop at shop.ut.ee. Ring orders are sent to the jeweller on the last day of each month, and the rings are ready in two months. If you want the cap, it is best to order it as soon as possible to receive it before the graduation ceremony. You can conveniently collect the caps and rings from a parcel machine or in the main building. During ceremonies, the university gifts are available for purchase in front of the main building.
Best wishes to all graduates on this special milestone!
