Topic: recognition 

On 10 June, the University of Tartu announced its new teaching excellence ambassadors, who serve as role models for the entire university community. The title is given to recognise 14 academic staff members who develop their teaching based on evidence and support an open teaching culture that values learning.

How does international research cooperation begin? How do new research methods emerge, and how are connections forged that last a lifetime? Sometimes, it all starts with a scholarship. This year’s recipients of the University of Tartu Seventh Pillar Fund scholarship, history master’s student Marie Anna Blehner and pharmacy student Janeli Lember, will use the grant to go abroad to study and represent Estonia, and later bring the knowledge and experience back home.

Essays written in Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian earned Bridget Frances Moran-Nae, a University of Tartu Junior Research Fellow in Finno-Ugric Studies, the Three Rectors’ Scholarship. What makes the achievement particularly remarkable is that none of these three languages is her mother tongue.

At the ceremony marking the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, the Professor Peeter Tulviste memorial fund prizes, the Ernst Jaakson memorial fund scholarship, and the Lennart Meri awards for research and for master’s thesis were presented.

Ahead of the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, the University of Tartu announced the recipients of the contribution to society award, research award, language award and the teaching staff of the year awards for 2025.

The committee formed by the University of Tartu Student Union chose the recipients of the teaching staff of the year 2025 awards from among 100 nominees.

Ahead of this year’s Independence Day, President Alar Karis bestows Estonian state decorations on 203 people, 16 of whom are members of the university family.

On 23 January, the University of Tartu Foundation recognised the scholarship recipients of the autumn semester of 2025 and thanked the foundation’s donors in the White Hall of the University of Tartu Museum. Scholarships were awarded from 33 funds in a total amount exceeding €200,000.

At the conference “Teaching for learning 2026”, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs Aune Valk presented the teaching awards and the teaching quality award of 2025.

With the annual awards, the university aims to recognise its employees’ and students’ outstanding achievements in teaching, doing research and serving society.