The Three Rectors' Scholarship

The amount of the scholarship is 2000 euros. The scholarship competition is open for full-time students (including short-term visiting students who, in the current academic year, are studying at the respective university in both the autumn and spring semesters) of any curricula at the University of Tartu, the University of Latvia and Vilnius University, who know one of the Baltic countries' languages at least at C1 level and the other two languages at least at A2 level.

In the autumn of 2017, the Three Rectors' Scholarship was established by the rectors of the University of Tartu, the University of Latvia and Vilnius University. The joint scholarship competition promotes the learning and teaching of the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian languages and cultures. The universities organise the scholarship competition in turn. In the academic year 2026/27, the scholarship will be awarded by the University of Tartu.

2026/2027 academic year

The competition assesses candidates in three rounds, paying particular attention to oral and written expression. The final round features three top students from each university selected by the scholarship committee.

1. Local written competition

Each participant must submit three written essays: one in Estonian, one in Latvian, and one in Lithuanian. A participant may choose two different topics or write both essays on the same topic. Essays must be submitted by 18 January 2027 by sending them to the University of Tartu Institute of Foreign Languages and Cultures at [email protected], with the subject line “Kolme rektori stipendium”.

The results of the first stage will be announced by 25 January 2027. Participants selected for the next stage will receive further details and conditions for that stage.

Requirements

Volume up to three A4 pages
Font Times New Roman, size 12, line spacing 1,5

Topics

EST: Kuidas hoida keelelist mitmekesisust maailmas, kus on aina enam ingliskeelset suhtlust?
LV: Kā saglabāt valodu daudzveidību pasaulē, kurā arvien vairāk sazinās angļu valodā?
LT: Kaip išlaikyti kalbų įvairovę pasaulyje, kuriame vis daugiau bendraujama anglų kalba?
EST: Nutisõltuvus ja vaimne tervis. Kuidas mõjutab pidev kättesaadavus ja sotsiaalmeedia tarbimine tänapäeva inimese heaolu ning keskendumisvõimet?

LV: Atkarība no viedierīcēm un garīgā veselība. Kā pastāvīga sasniedzamība un sociālo mediju lietošana ietekmē mūsdienu cilvēka labsajūtu un spēju koncentrēties?
LT: Priklausomybė nuo išmaniųjų įrenginių ir psichinė sveikata. Kaip nuolatinė prieiga prie socialinių tinklų ir jų vartojimas veikia šiuolaikinių žmonių savijautą ir gebėjimą susikaupti?

EST: Kas kirjandus ja tõlkimine suudavad lähendada Eesti, Läti ja Leedu inimesi; kas tõlketeosed aitavad mõista teist kultuuri või läheb tõlkes midagi olulist kaduma?
LV: Vai literatūra un tulkošana spēj tuvināt Igaunijas, Latvijas un Lietuvas cilvēkus? Vai tulkotie darbi palīdz izprast citu kultūru, vai arī tulkojumā zūd kaut kas būtisks?
LT: Ar literatūra ir vertimas gali suartinti Estijos, Latvijos ir Lietuvos žmones; ar išversti kūriniai padeda suprasti kitą kultūrą, ar vertime prarandama kažkas svarbaus?

Requirements

Volume up to one A4 page
Font Times New Roman, size 12, line spacing 1,5

Topics

EST: Minu unistuste päev Vilniuses, Riias või Tartus
LV: Mana ideālā diena Viļņā, Rīgā vai Tartu
LT: Mano svajonių diena Vilniuje, Rygoje arba Tartu

EST: Inimene, kellega tahaksin rääkida eesti, läti või leedu keeles
LV: Cilvēks, ar kuru es gribētu parunāt igauņu, latviešu vai lietuviešu valodā
LT: Asmuo, su kuriuo norėčiau pasikalbėti estų, latvių arba lietuvių kalba

EST: Öeldakse, et muusika on universaalne keel. Räägi mõnest Eesti/Läti/Leedu kaasaegsest lauljast või bändist, kes on tuntud ka naabrite juures.
LV: Mēdz teikt, ka mūzika ir universāla valoda. Pastāsti par kādu mūsdienu Igaunijas, Latvijas vai Lietuvas dziedātāju vai grupu, kas ir pazīstama arī kaimiņvalstīs.
LT: Sakoma, kad muzika yra universali kalba. Papasakok apie šiuolaikinį estų/latvių/lietuvių dainininką ar grupę, kurią žino ir kaimyninėse šalyse.

2. Local oral competition

The local oral round takes place at the student’s home university. During this round, participants must introduce themselves in all three languages, discuss the given topics with the committee members, and answer questions.

3. Final stage

This year, the final round will take place at Vilnius University. The final round will be held on 22 February 2027, and the award ceremony will take place on 23 February 2027.

Three top students from each university, selected by the committee, will participate in the final round. The travel and accommodation costs of students who reach the final round will be covered.

Winners of the competition

Here you can find information about the winners and topics from previous years.

2025/2026

Topics for C1 level and native speakers

LT: Lietuva, Latvija, Estija: kiek svarbi mūsų bendrystė geopolitiniuose iššūkiuose?
LV: Lietuva, Latvija, Igaunija: cik svarīga ir mūsu vienotība ģeopolitiskajos izaicinājumos?
EST: Kas ja kui oluline on, et Leedu, Läti ja Eesti reageeriksid geopoliitilistele väljakutsetele ühtselt?

LT: Pirmajai latviškai ir estiškai knygai 500 metų: kuo mūsų kultūroms svarbus šis pirmosios knygos atskaitos taškas?
LV: Pirmajai latviešu un igauņu grāmatai – 500 gadu: cik mūsu kultūrām ir svarīgs šis pirmās grāmatas atskaites punkts?
EST: 500 aastat esimese läti- ja eestikeelse raamatu ilmumisest – mis tähendus on sellel meie kultuurile?

LT: Mano universiteto vaidmuo stiprinant Baltijos šalių bendrystę
LV: Manas universitātes loma, stiprinot Baltijas valstu vienotību
EST: Minu ülikooli roll Balti riikide ühtsuse tugevdamisel

Topics for A2 level

LT: Lietuvių, latvių ir estų kalbų mokymasis – mano didysis gyvenimo nuotykis
LV: Lietuviešu, latviešu un igauņu valodas apguve – mans lielais piedzīvojums
EST: Leedu, läti ja eesti keele õppimine – minu elu suur seiklus

LT: Paskutinė mano lietuviškai / latviškai / estiškai perskaityta knyga
LV: Pēdējā grāmata, kuru es izlasīju lietuviski / latviski / igauniski
EST: Viimane leedu /läti /eesti raamat, mida ma lugesin

LT: Įdomiausia Lietuvos / Latvijos / Estijos asmenybė
LV: Interesantākā Lietuvas / Latvijas / Igaunijas personība
EST: Kõige huvitavam isiksus Leedus / Läti /Leedus

2024/2025

Arnita Agrita Umalas pälvis kolme rektori stipendiumi — Author: Toms Grīnbergs

The winner of the eighth Three Rectors’ Scholarship competition was Arnita Agrita Umalas, who was born and raised in Latvia but studies Estonian language and linguistics at the University of Tartu. In her master’s thesis, she focuses on the Livonian language. Read more here.

2023/2024

At the university’s ceremony marking the anniversary of the Republic of Estonia, Henri Pokk, a master’s student of the University of Tartu, was announced the winner of the three rectors’ scholarship competition, which was held for the seventh time. Read more here.

See the essay topics.

2022/2023

In the final round of the competition held at Vilnius University in Lithuania on March 10, the commission chose Elmar Gams, a fourth-year doctoral student at the Institute of History and Archeology of the University of Tartu, as the winner. He participated in the competition for the second time. Read more here.

2021/2022

Kolme rektori stipendium — Author: Tartu Ülikool

Gabrielė Aputytė, who participated in the competition for the second time, was chosen as the winner of the final round of the competition held at the University of Latvia on April 28 in Riga. She is an undergraduate student in Lithuanian philology and Latvian at Vilnius University. Read more here.

See the essay topics.

2020/2021

In the final round of the competition held on Zoom on 14 May, the committee selected the winner: Krišs Kapenieks, who has a doctoral degree in history from the University of Latvia and continues his studies in the master’s programme in Baltic philology and works as a research fellow at the Latvian War Museum. He has a strong personal and professional relationship with the Lithuanian and Estonian language. Continue reading here.

See the essay topics.

2019/2020

Saulė Kubiliūtė, a student of Political Science and International Relations at the Vilnius University, was awarded the winner of 3 Rector's Scholarship on March 11, 2020 at the Vilnius University Church. See the essay topics.

2018/2019

The second winner of the 3 Rectors’ Scholarship is Lauris Grins (master’s studies, Literature and Theatre Research, UT). The final round of the contest took place on the 4th of March in Riga, University of Latvia. See the essay topics.

2017/2018

The first 3 Rectors’ Scholarship contest took place in 2017/2018. The winner was Milda Dailidėnaitė who studied in the master’s program at that time (Estonian and Finno-Ugric Linguistics, UT). She got her bachelor’s degree at Vilnius University. See the essay topics.

More photos:

cooperation international studies