News

On 12 November, English studies alumna Merit Valdsalu gave a talk to the students of the University of Tartu College of Foreign Languages and Cultures. She spoke of her study experience, about her career in IT and what kind of skills was she able to enhance during her studies at the university that she now uses on a daily basis.

The university aims to keep studies open as long as possible, which is why stronger safety measures are imposed.

Safe distancing should be maintained between people during classes, in public rooms and all, including those who are vaccinated, must wear masks in the university buildings. Only protective masks, not scarves or visors, may be used to cover the nose and mouth.

In order to keep the working and learning environment as normal as possible in the new academic year, the general rule of conduct applies that staff and students who work and study in the university buildings have been vaccinated against the coronavirus or wear masks.

At the beginning of the academic year, the University of Tartu and Tartu University Hospital are jointly organising vaccination days near the university’s study buildings to further improve the chances of starting face-to-face studies and meeting in the lecture halls.

University members who have not been vaccinated yet can get the vaccine against Covid-19 without prior booking in the following places:

at the university’s main building in room 140 (the first room on the right from the main entrance)

On 17–18 September, the University of Tartu College of Foreign Languages and Cultures hosts a conference where scholars from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, the UK and the USA will elucidate what can be learned from philosophy and literature about how our societies have imagined responses to pandemics, in order to shed light on the COVID-19 crisis.

Institute of Philosophy and Semiotics:

Philosophy (MA)
30 August 2021 at 13.30, address Jakobi 2-337,
contact: Alexander Davies alexander.stewart.davies@ut.ee

Semiotics (MA)
30 August 2021 at 14.15, address Jakobi 2-306,
contact: Elli Marie Tragel elli.marie.tragel@ut.ee

To help promote vaccination in Tartu and Tartu County, on Saturday, the vaccination bus of Tartu University Hospital moves from Raatuse 22 to the city centre, next to Tartu Kaubamaja. On the bus, it is possible to get vaccinated from 10 to 16.

This week the vaccination team from the University of Tartu Hospital will share information about coronavirus vaccinations on Car Free Avenue.

The vaccination team will be present on July 27 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., on July 28 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on July 30 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

The team can answer questions. It is possible to print out a digital vaccination certificate on site for those who have been vaccinated but do not have the opportunity to print one themselves.

We'd like to start teaching and studies in the autumn as normally as possible and meet face to face in class, and therefore it is important that as many of our new and returning students and university staff as possible are vaccinated. The nearest vaccination locations can be found on the website vaktsineeri.ee.

The graduation ceremonies of the University of Tartu are held from 15 to 30 June in person. In Tartu, the ceremonies take place on the square in front of the Old Anatomical Theatre. The graduation of Viljandi Culture Academy will take place as individual ceremonies that were well-received last year. In Narva, Pärnu and Tallinn, graduation ceremonies are held indoors.

In the 2021/2022 academic year, the position of the professor of liberal arts of the University of Tartu will be held by poet, essayist and translator Hasso Krull. The position will be handed over to him by Olga and Priit Pärn on 9 June in the round auditorium at Jakobi 2, followed by a discussion about whether the joke is a fading phenomenon in today’s Estonian society.

The university’s orienteering month – May – is about to end, but as the initiative has attracted much interest, the orienteering course will remain open until 6 June. The university invites all employees, students, alumni and their families as well everyone else to orienteering in the city of Tartu. Come to discover places where the university family has done exercise and sports since the early 19th century!

Nästa steg 2, Svenska som andraspråk 2 - nivå B2-C1 (Next step 2, Swedish as a second language 2 - level B2-C1) by Yvonne Hedman and Ewa Holm is available since May 17th.

For the fourth year already, the three rectors’ scholarship is awarded to a student who is the best at the languages of the three Baltic states, i.e. Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian. 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.

Despite the government’s decision to allow face-to-face studies also in higher education starting from 17 May, the university continues work as previously planned. Decisions about the organisation of studies continue to be made by the head of institute in cooperation with the vice dean for academic affairs.

The only change is that the requirement not to exceed 25% room capacity has been lifted. The allowed percentage of room capacity is to be decided by the head of institute.

The Office of Academic Affairs in cooperation with the Student Union have chosen the new course registration start time. Based on the results of the survey conducted, registration will start at 21:00.

While the 19th century was dominated by the British Empire and the 20th century by the United States of America, the 21st century is the Asian century. Asian politics, economies and cultures become more dominant. At the same time, there is no such thing as a common Asian politics, economies or cultures – the area is heterogeneous with various states, nations, cultures and languages. The webinar series “Contemporary Asia” aims to look into Asian countries with a focus on certain topics to understand them better.