News

KuupKulgur, an Estonian lunar rover platform co-developed by Tartu Observatory and MTÜ KuupKulgur, reached a significant milestone in Estonia’s space robotics journey when it recently became the first Estonian-developed rover platform to operate at the unique lunar replica site, the ESA-DLR LUNA facility in Cologne, Germany.

From 16 to 19 June, the Annual Conference and General Assembly 2026 of Europe’s oldest university network, Coimbra Group, took place at the University of Granada, bringing together nearly 350 representatives of European universities.

The University of Tartu claimed overall victory at this year’s Student Summer Games, ahead of Tallinn University of Technology in intense competition. University of Tartu athletes won first place in 20 of the 46 events and activities, securing the overall title.

Academy members Jaak Vilo (bioinformatics) and Martin Zobel (ecology) have been elected Members of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).

At the European Student Card Initiative conference, the University of Tartu received recognition in the Erasmus Without Paper category and was appointed an ESCI Champion for the period 2025–2027.

The UT gift shop and the online shop of UT Press will be on summer break from 13 July to 2 August. During this period, orders can be placed, but there will be a three-week delay in processing them.

On 27 June, at 16:00, a monument to Professor Lauri Kettunen will be unveiled at Kassitoome, between Baer street and the valley. Kettunen participated in establishing the Estonian-language university and, in particular, the chair of Finno‑Ugric languages, serving as its first professor from 1920 to 1924.

Doctoral studies in Europe are becoming more international and accessible through new initiatives developed within the ENLIGHT university alliance.

The ENLIGHT European University Alliance has signed a joint PhD framework agreement across all ten partner universities, marking a major step towards more integrated doctoral collaboration in Europe.

International students from Latin American countries can now submit Estonian long-stay (D) visa applications through VFS Global Visa Centres.

On 19 June, the senate approved the objectives and principles for using artificial intelligence (AI), establishing a comprehensive framework for applying AI in teaching, research and support services at the university. The document defines the role of AI at the university, the objectives pursued through its use, and the principles that university members should observe when using AI.

From 1 April to 31 May, the IT Office organised a step challenge “Breaking patterns”, inviting colleagues to be more active each day. The unit’s initiative aimed to bring more movement, healthy variety, and friendly competition into the working day.

Twelve interdisciplinary doctoral positions will be created at the University of Tartu to explore potential applications of artificial intelligence, including, for example, addressing mental health issues, reducing food waste, assessing the overall impact of spatial planning, and facilitating sign language interpreting.

Researchers showed that large language models can identify, with high accuracy, why patients stop using antidiabetic medications or statins, based on doctors’ electronic clinical notes.

On 12 June, representatives of Canadian universities participating in the Canada–Baltics Education in Defence Partnership Mission visited the University of Tartu.

The University of Tartu offers more than 50 Estonian-taught curricula at both the first and second levels of study, and four English-taught master’s curricula, where studies take place in a block mode. Students of these curricula do not meet every week and must combine pursuing higher education with their other everyday duties.

The University of Tartu was informed today that the University of Tartu webshop at shop.ut.ee had been the target of a cyberattack between 14 and 16 June 2026. The attacker installed malware on the website by exploiting a security vulnerability in the webshop software.

The University of Tartu senate has established the professorship of resilient futures, which, in the 2026/2027 academic year, will be held by General Martin Herem. The new professorship aims to bring recognised thinkers and practitioners with a major social impact to the university to reflect on the future of Estonia, democracy and the free world.

The 25th International Gene Forum will take place on 25–26 August at the Estonian National Museum.