Kõik uudised

Dear students and members of the teaching staff, On 15 April, several media channels wrote about the court case between a UT alumnus and a member of the teaching staff over an insulting comment in the confidential course feedback questionnaire. Understandably, this has shaken the trust in the feedback system and pointed to problems we want to avoid in the future. On the other hand, it is clear that the university cannot develop without substantial feedback.

All courses in which online teaching can be organised will continue in this format until the end of the semester. If coronavirus recedes, we hope we can resume classroom teaching for small groups, similarly to schools, in the second half of May. This concerns practical classes and, if necessary, exams – i.e. activities that are difficult or impossible to perform over the computer.

In a Teams Live Event on 31 March at 14, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Aune Valk spoke about teaching and studies during the emergency situation and answered the questions posted by UT staff members and students.

From 2 April to 4 May, all doctoral students of the UT are invited to share their opinion on their studies to help the university plan changes in doctoral studies. The University of Tartu is planning major changes in doctoral studies in the coming years. The vision for the development of doctoral studies has been prepared. The requirements for doctoral theses are being updated. Besides, the university has supplemented the doctoral students’ income by the performance stipend.

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Although the University of Tartu Library is closed due to the emergency situation, users can again request books via the e-catalogue ESTER starting today, 25 March. The requested books can be picked up from smart lockers in the lobby of the library.

On Friday, 20 March, at 14:00 there will be a video broadcast on the university website, where the rector and members of the Rector’s Office of the University of Tartu give an overview of the reorganisation of work at the university during the emergency situation, and answer questions sent by university members. In the broadcast, Rector Toomas Asser, Academic Secretary Tõnis Karki and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Aune Valk will speak about the new organisation of work.

From Monday, 16 March, all UT buildings are closed for visitors and students. The buildings are not alarmed and staff members can enter using their university ID card. Visitors and students are not allowed in the buildings. If visitors need to get in, an employee must personally meet them. Receptionists and information secretaries in the buildings will continue work as usual, cloakrooms are closed.

Aune Valk, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs of the University of Tartu, confirms that life at the university goes on despite the emergency situation and high-quality teaching and research activities continue. The university is ready to provide individual solutions to difficulties students may face.

At a meeting held in the main building of the University of Tartu on 28 February, Senior Research Fellow in Botany Aveliina Helm outlined to President Kersti Kaljulaid nature-based solutions for curbing biodiversity loss and the climate crisis and presented the prototype of the Rohemeeter or ‘Greenmeter’ app, which is due for completion shortly and which will help everyone assess the state of Estonia’s biodiversity.

On 21 February, at the ceremony marking the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, the University of Tartu announced the recipients of two scholarships. The Ernst Jaakson memorial scholarship was awarded to Ronald Väli and the Peeter Tulviste memorial scholarship to Andra Siibak. This year’s Ernst Jaakson memorial scholarship of 18,000 euros was awarded to Ronald Väli, Research Fellow of Physical Chemistry.

Today, on 19 February, the traineeship and job fair of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities is held in the Philosophicum, and the Maarjavälja career day for students of medicine and science and technology takes place in the Physicum.

Foreigners who have obtained a master's degree in Estonia and stay in Estonia are beneficial to the Estonian state and business in any case. The question may be whether our society is ready for them to stay here, writes Aune Valk, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, University of Tartu. It is definitely useful for Estonia and Estonia’s business sector if foreigners who have obtained a master’s degree in Estonia stay here to work. The question could be, whether our society is ready for this, Aune Valk writes.

On 26 February, the University of Tartu (UT) holds an Open Doors Day during which final-year secondary school students and other future applicants can take part in various activities. The University of Tartu library hosts a study fair on the UT curricula at which experienced specialists give admission and career advice. Together with representatives of student organisations, participants can find out how to be more than a student and what else they can do for personal development during their studies at the university.

The University of Tartu requests the honour of your presence at the inaugural lecture by Mark Fišel, UT Professor in Natural Language Processing. The lecture entitled “FREE LUNCH” will be held on 22 January 2020 at 16:15 in the University Assembly Hall.

As a part of Horizon 2020 ERA Chair project MATTER, there will be a Venia Legendi on 23th of January at 14.15 held by ERA Chair holder candidate Dr. Yelong Wei who is Senior Fellow in European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Lecture will be held at Institute of Technology, Nooruse 1-121.

The Estonian fuel cell manufacturer Elcogen was named the winner of the Award for Innovation at Europe’s biggest and most prestigious business competition European Business Awards on 4 December.

A doctoral thesis defended at the Institute of Chemistry of the University of Tartu has investigated the permeability of drug substances in the gastrointestinal tract using both experimental and cheminformatics methods. The results of the research improve our understanding of how the basic and acidic conditions of the gastrointestinal tract affect the permeability of drug substances.

Last Friday, 4 October, the founding members of the Alliance4Life gathered at Vilnius University to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. Alliance4Life connects 10 leading life science institutions from nine countries in Central and Eastern Europe that have joined the European Union since 2004.

The University of Tartu and Graanul Biotech, which belongs to the Graanul Invest Group, will join forces to create a unique platform for training leading specialists who correspond to companies’ wishes and profiles and for cooperation on product development. According to the cooperation agreement, a doctoral student from the University of Tartu will study the properties of wood-derived lignin in his doctoral thesis and cooperate with Graanul Biotech in order to develop the final commercial product.