The College of Foreign Languages and Cultures will become an institute

According to the resolution of the University of Tartu senate, the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures will become an institute as of 1 January 2023.

The College of Foreign Languages and Cultures of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities started its activities in 2015 after the merger of the institutes of Germanic, Romance and Slavonic philology and the Language Centre, all units of the former Faculty of Philosophy.

“At the time the college was established, its intended main activities were teaching languages at the bachelor’s and master’s level and organising university-wide language courses. Over the years, however, the content and objectives of the college’s activities have constantly expanded,” Director of the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures Terje Loogus explained.

She pointed out that primarily through the European Union’s ASTRA programme and as a result of successful grant proposals, research has significantly developed, and the number of professors has increased. Also, the organisation and development of doctoral studies have continued successfully. “We have been operating under the name of a college, although we have already performed an institute’s task for a long time,” said Loogus.

Loogus said that essentially nothing would change for staff and students. “Research and teaching will continue as before, and one of the new institute’s statutory responsibilities will be, besides providing degree studies, the organisation and delivery of university-wide language courses.”