News

The British weekly magazine Times Higher Education (THE) has just published its latest New Europe ranking, in which the University of Tartu ranks the first. In this table, THE ranks the 53 best research universities of the 13 member states that accessed the European Union after 2004. The University of Tartu is followed in the ranking by two universities from Cyprus, the Charles (Karl) University in Prague; the fifth is Semmelweis University in Budapest.

Our Spa and Wellness Management student Vera Shcherba is currently completing a Management Trainee position at Eforea Spa in Hilton Labriz Resort and Spa in Seychelles.

With great sorrow, the University of Tartu announces the unexpected death of Rector Volli Kalm on Saturday, December 23. Volli Kalm was born on February 10, 1953 in Vändra. He graduated from the University of Tartu in 1976 with a degree in geology. In 1984, Kalm earned his PhD in geology from the Estonian Academy of Sciences after successfully defending his doctoral thesis "Formation, composition and usage of glaciofluvial deposits in Estonia." From 1988-1989, he attended postdoctoral studies in the geology department of the University of Alberta.

At the extraordinary senate session on 27 December, the senate of the University of Tartu unanimously appointed professor Tõnu Lehtsaar as the acting rector. In his speech to the senate, Lehtsaar said that his primary goal as the university’s acting rector is to maintain stability and find a new rector. “We will keep the university going. I asked members of the Rector’s Office at the meeting this morning if they were willing to continue in their office. I didn’t expect them to answer right away, but they confirmed that we will go forward together,” he said.

Professor Volli Kalm, Rector of the University of Tartu (10 February 1953 – 23 December 2017)

On December 5, the best students of the National Student Science Competition were awarded at the Ministry of Education and Research in Tartu. Kadri Orula, an alumni of the Wellness and Spa Service Design and Management master's program, received a special award from the Health and Labor Minister (500 euros) for an excelent master's thesis.

On November 28, the 98th anniversary of Estonia's National University will be celebrated in Pärnu. All students, alumni and employees of University of Tartu are welcome to participate.

On November 28, the 98th anniversary of Estonia's National University will be celebrated in Pärnu. All students, alumni and employees of University of Tartu are welcome to participate.

Meelis Luht, former management board member of Eesti Meedia Group, will start work as the Director of Administration of the University of Tartu on 21 August. Rector Volli Kalm said the new director of administration has been in charge of several different areas of activity in his career and is a top leader with international work experience. We can see his capability as well as his desire and ambition to actively contribute to the implementation of the university’s development goals.

From 9-10 October University of Tartu Rector Volli Kalm with Vice Rectors, Administrative Director, Head of Finance, Academic Secretary and deans of faculties visited UT Pärnu College and held the Rector's Office session here. The Rector's Office also met with UT Pärnu College's staff and visited Estonia Marine Institute.

After first entering the well-known Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) or the Shanghai ranking in 2016, the University of Tartu has risen to a position between 301 and 400 this year. The highest position in the ranking is held by Harvard University, followed by Stanford University and the University of Cambridge. The University of Tartu was first included in this reputable list in 2016, ranking between 401 and 500 last year. This year, UT has improved its ranking by one hundred positions.

The master’s thesis by Annika Liivamägi, a graduate of Service Design and Management in the University of Tartu Pärnu College, explains that customers who leave the online shop before completing their purchase are not necessarily a problem for the retailer but may involve a positive opportunity instead.

The University of Tartu has the largest number of graduates in Estonia—an estimated of 70 000 graduates. Aiming to bring the alumni community closer together, link them more to the university, develop mutual communication and professional cooperation, the University of Tartu launched a network for its alumni (www.utalumni.ee), novel in Estonia as well as Europe, the like of which is also used by the University of Oxford.

From 25.04.–03.05.2017 Heli Tooman (Associate Professor of Tourism Management) and Marit Piirman (project manager of Competence Centre for Tourism) used ERASMUS+ funding to visit University of Tartu partner university Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya in India, Haridwar. The week was full of interesting collaboration meetings, study visits and discussions. Heli Tooman held a lecture about Estonia, University of Tartu and wellness economy, Marit Piirman delivered a presentation about concept of service design, design thinking and service design tools.

We invite all students, alumni, former and current employees and the good people of Pärnu to be part of UT Pärnu Colleges 21st birthday!PROGRAM OUTSIDE (UT Pärnu College yard, Ringi 35) 14.00 Yard Sale "Out of the Closet". Event for the sale of used goods by private individuals. Vendor fee is 2eur, paid onsite in cash.

This spring the Estonian Refugee Council and the University of Tartu Centre for Ethics collected migration stories. In total, they received 45 personal migration stories, which will be used in preparing a new methodological tool for teachers and youth workers.

This week UT Pärnu College is hosting tourism students and lecturers from Campus Helsingborg (Lund University). The aim of the study trip is to analyze the current situation and development of tourism in Pärnu. The students take part of lectures in UT Pärnu College, visit Pärnu City Government, Pärnu County Tourism Foundtation and Pärnu Museum where they will listent a lecture about destination development by museum tutor Tiit Kask.

Yesterday, on 30 March 2017 the UT electoral council re-elected professor of applied geology Volli Kalm as the rector with 147 votes out of 210.

Join our online info sessions March 3 at 11.30. Please register below. You can also join the Facebook event.

We have only 48 hours to develop brand new services. And it’s going to be FUN. Almost too much fun! The Global Service Jam is a non-profit event which has been set up to promote the discipline of service design, and to allow interested people to exchange techniques, ideas and experience in a relaxed, energetic environment.