News

The University of Tartu Spring Run, held on 15 April, featured a more varied programme and brought more than 1,000 sports enthusiasts to the banks of the river Emajõgi.

Jaak Vilo, Vice President of the Estonian Academy of Sciences and Professor of Bioinformatics at the University of Tartu Institute of Computer Science, has been elected a member of Academia Europaea, the Academy of Europe.

The University of Tartu museums, with their rich collections, offer discovery and excitement for visitors of all ages. During the spring holidays, you are welcome to visit the university’s museum, art museum, botanical garden, natural history museum and the library. Read and find out which exciting exhibitions and events are taking place in Tartu during the holiday week.

Almost 46,800 learners took part in the University of Tartu’s continuing education programmes last year, which is 5% more than in the previous year. For several years now, participants have increasingly preferred longer, more comprehensive courses.

The fourth University of Tartu Spring Run takes place on 15 April at 19:00, and for the first time, there will also be a children’s run. In addition to University of Tartu members, city residents and sports enthusiasts from other universities are welcome to participate.

The recipient of the Young Scientist Award of the Culture Fund of the President of the Republic is Anni Allikalt, the Young IT Scientist Award was granted to Marharyta Domnich, and the Young Environmental Scientist Award went to Jeffrey Carbillet.

The call for applications for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellowships is open until 9 September 2026. In April and May, the Estonian Research Council (ETAG) will host info sessions to help prospective applicants prepare their applications.

From 24 April, Eveliis Padar will start work at the university as an equality officer to support university members in cases of unequal treatment and to help handle them in a fair and professional manner.

On 25–26 March, the cyber defence exercise “Locked Shields 2026 Partners’ Run” took place, where a joint team of the University of Tartu and the Estonian Defence League’s Cyber Defence Unit achieved first place for the second consecutive year.

The University of Tartu has launched a new continuing education course entitled “Foreign nationals in Estonian health system”. The course is based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global competency standards for refugee and migrant health and is the first of its kind in the world.

The former head, Kristiina Tõnnisson, has taken up the position of chair of the management board of the Estonian Research Council, and the institute is now led by former deputy head Maili Vilson.

This article features Hanna-Reet Ruul sharing practical budgeting tips for students in Estonia, from cheaper travel and housing to smart food shopping, thrift finds and student discounts.

Lukas Ramasauskas studied Excellence in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Tartu as part of the Erasmus Mundus MA programme. Now working in Switzerland in the human health and care sector, Lukas’ experience in Tartu has had a lasting impact on his professional and personal growth.

The university is launching a physical activity and wellbeing programme to support the mental and physical wellbeing of the university community and shape a learning and working environment that fosters physical activity.

The graduation ceremony of the Johan Skytte Institute for Political Studies will take place on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at 11:00 in the assembly hall of the university's main building (Ülikooli 18, Tartu)

Līga Maskova studied a master’s in Material Sciences and Technology at the University of Tartu. Outside the lab, Līga enjoyed Tartu’s underground music scene and played bassoon in the university orchestra.

Lukas Andrijauskas is a master’s student in Computer Science at the University of Tartu. When he’s not studying, he enjoys teaching mathematics and has taken part in Estonia’s unique “Home Café Days”.

From 27 to 28 March 2026, the University of Tartu hosted the ENLIGHT student conference, bringing together nearly 100 participants from the network’s ten partner universities. Through workshops, lectures and discussions, students explored how digitalisation and artificial intelligence are shaping European universities.

The aim of the centre is to provide information about how the European Union works, as well as to engage people in discussions about the future of Europe.