News

From the beginning of this academic year, free menstrual pad dispensers have been installed in the university study buildings to ensure that hygiene products are always available when needed. A total of 39 dispensers have been placed in the buildings.

University of Tartu students can stay active and exercise at the university sports hall at a reduced price. A semester pass costing just €50 provides a wide range of opportunities for physical activity throughout the semester.

On Monday, 31 August at 10:00, the 2026/2027 academic year was opened in front of the university's main building. The programme of the ceremony included a musical performance by Puuluup.

Nominations for the Estonian Science Communication Awards can be submitted to the Estonian Research Council (ETAG) until 15 September. The competition aims to recognise outstanding and active science communicators as well as innovative initiatives that promote science to wider audiences.

Registration is now open for the University of Tartu’s three-minute thesis competition for doctoral researchers, which will take place on 21 October at the University of Tartu Library. The deadline for registration is 12 October.

Staff and students of the University of Tartu can take part in Tartu Maraton events with a 30% discount. This gives university members an affordable opportunity to represent the University of Tartu at sporting events together with colleagues and fellow students.

On 17 September at 18, the Opera Studio of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre presents Alessandro Scarlatti’s opera L’honestà negli amori (“Honesty in Love Affairs”, 1680), reconstructed by Estonian composer Eduard Tubin, at the University of Tartu’s assembly hall. This is the first time the opera will be performed in Estonia.

UT staff and students are invited to nominate candidates who deserve to be awarded the university’s honorary decoration for their outstanding achievements. Nominations can be submitted until 20 September.

During this year’s spring and summer admissions period, the University of Tartu received 1,275 applications for doctoral studies, of which 978 were eligible for evaluation.

This year, 10,835 people applied for studies at the first and second levels of higher education at the University of Tartu, submitting a total of 15,020 applications. Compared to the previous year, the number of applications for first-level studies has remained the same, while applications for master’s studies have increased by 7%.

The University of Tartu claimed overall victory at this year’s Student Summer Games, ahead of Tallinn University of Technology in intense competition. University of Tartu athletes won first place in 20 of the 46 events and activities, securing the overall title.

On 19 June, the senate approved the objectives and principles for using artificial intelligence (AI), establishing a comprehensive framework for applying AI in teaching, research and support services at the university. The document defines the role of AI at the university, the objectives pursued through its use, and the principles that university members should observe when using AI.

Three master's theses were successfully defended in the Master's program in Actuarial and Financial Engineering. Congratulations to those who successfully defended their theses!

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.

This autumn, doctoral researchers of the University of Tartu will again have the opportunity to participate in the three-minute thesis competition. The competition will be held on 21 October in the conference hall of the University of Tartu Library.

0n June 5th at 16.15 Jaan Kristjan Kaasik will defend his thesis “Diameter two properties and almost square properties in Lipschitz-free spaces and spaces of Lipschitz functions”.

This spring, at the Student Union's intitative, information about the principles of equal treatment was shared at the university. Now, the Marketing and Communication Office would like to know whether and how these messages reached the university community and what impression they made.

The University of Tartu’s mascot, Tiksu, has already won over the hearts of the entire university community with its academic yet playful appearance and its presence at all major university events. Now, you can buy your own Tiksu stuffed toy from the university’s gift shop. The toys will arrive by mid-July.

University of Tartu graduation ceremonies take place from 12 to 20 June. Live streaming, recordings and photos of the ceremonies are available on UTTV.

The Tartu Academic Tennis Club (TATK) has confirmed that one of the tennis courts in Toomeoru now bears the name of Professor of Mathematics Gerhard Rägo.