University of Tartu is the only research institution in Estonia to be positively evaluated in all six fields of research
On 23 May 2025, Minister of Education and Research Kristina Kallas approved the results of the external evaluation of Estonian research and development. The University of Tartu was the only institution in Estonia to receive a positive evaluation in all six fields: natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, agriculture and veterinary sciences, social sciences, and humanities and the arts.
Regular evaluation has been carried out in Estonian research institutions once every seven years. During this process, an evaluation committee of external experts evaluates the compliance of local research and development activities with the international standards of the field. In total, 20 institutions in Estonia received a positive evaluation.
“I am pleased to note that the committee recognised the University of Tartu’s internationally high-level research, societal impact, and the sustainability of our research activities,” said Mari Moora, Vice Rector for Research at the University of Tartu. “We are currently in a very good position, but to maintain this, we must keep the quality of our research high and ensure the new generation of academic staff.”
Research institutions were evaluated based on three criteria: scientific and societal impact, and the sustainability of research activities.
Faculty of Science and Technology
For the University of Tartu Faculty of Science and Technology, research and development in natural sciences, engineering and technology, and agricultural and veterinary sciences were assessed. The evaluators noted an increase in the proportion of high-level research as a positive change compared to the 2017 evaluation. This is confirmed by the growth in the number of research articles among the world’s most cited publications, several European Research Council grants, and greater participation in international organisations (e.g., ESA, CERN).
According to Johann Langemets, Vice Dean for Research of the Faculty of Science and Technology, the evaluators recommended that the faculty strive even more to support the development of a knowledge-based society through business cooperation, obtaining useful patents, or participating in policy-making.
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
As a strength of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, the evaluators highlighted the progress made in interdisciplinary research. A good example is the Collegium for Transdisciplinary Studies in Archaeology, Genetics and Linguistics, which has developed into the centre of excellence. According to the faculty’s Vice Dean for Research, Riho Altnurme, in the humanities, researchers have consistently worked in centres of excellence, but the collegium and the resulting centre of excellence prove that interdisciplinarity pays off and needs even more support in the future.
The development opportunities for the faculty, according to Altnurme, include finding a balance between the international visibility and impact of research and the narrower interests of domestic taxpayers. Efforts must also continue to bring talented young people into research, with the development of doctoral studies being particularly important.
Faculty of Medicine
The committee highly evaluated both the impact of the University of Tartu’s medical and health sciences and the sustainability of its research and development activities. No significant deficiencies were found in any area.
The committee considered the research infrastructure to be modern and found that it supports the faculty's diverse research and development activities. Special recognition was given to developing innovative wound dressings in collaboration between the Institute of Pharmacy and the private sector, as well as the close cooperation with Tartu University Hospital, which allows the application of research results in clinical work. According to the faculty’s Vice Dean for Research Maris Laan, the committee recommended further strengthening this cooperation, including for influential clinical research, using the expertise of Estonian medical researchers from basic research to translational medicine.
The evaluators were impressed by the content and organisation of the doctoral studies in medical science. The possibility of integrating doctoral studies with clinical work in the doctoral programme was particularly highlighted. The societal contribution of medical researchers as advisors in shaping the country’s health policy was also recognised.
Faculty of Social Sciences
The Faculty of Social Sciences was recognised for the diversity of its research directions, interdisciplinary research, and the increase in research funding. Especially the Institute of Psychology stood out for its high-quality research, with a significant portion of its findings published in the top 10% of the most influential journals in the field.
According to Vice Dean for Research Mihkel Solvak, there is still room for improvement – for example, the number of articles and those published in the top 10% of most influential journals has decreased recently. To counter this trend, the committee identified the need to expand research groups and improve the well-being of doctoral researchers to maintain their interest in academic careers.
Impact of evaluation decisions
In addition to providing feedback to research institutions, external evaluation of research and development activities directly affects their funding. For example, a positive evaluation decision determines whether a research institution receives part of the state budget’s baseline funding for research. For private research and development institutions, the volume of business contracts is also important, carrying considerable weight in the distribution of baseline funding. The evaluation committee’s decision also influences which fields the university can offer doctoral studies in.
This was the last time research and development activities were evaluated in this manner. After the new Organisation of Research and Development and Innovation Act (TAIKS) comes into force, external evaluation will be conducted on a smaller scale as part of institutional accreditation.
Read the evaluation reports on the website of the Estonian Research Council.
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