Tallinn University continues its collaboration in the Digital Explorers II programme
Tallinn University鈥檚 School of Digital Technologies is once again participating in the Digital Explorers II programme, led by OSMOS in cooperation with EstDev and funded by the European Union. The initiative brings talented Kenyan ICT students to Estonia for a combined academic and professional programme: studies at Tallinn University and project-based internships with Estonian companies in the spring semester of 2026.
As the first phase of this year鈥檚 programme, our team travelled to Nairobi to take part in the Digital Explorers Hackathon. Over two days, students from Strathmore University, Kenyatta University, and the Technical University of Mombasa worked in eight teams to solve real-world challenges designed by Estonian organisations. The atmosphere was energetic and hands-on from the very beginning鈥攕tudents quickly got into problem-solving mode, showing impressive creativity, teamwork and focus.
From Tallinn University, Mustafa Can 脰zdemir and Pjotr Savitski delivered short keynotes and mentored teams throughout the hackathon. Representatives from ADM Interactive, Trinidad Wiseman, FleetGuru, //kood/J玫hvi, Latitude59, and the Institute of Baltic Studies were also present, introducing their challenges and working directly with students. This close interaction between learners, mentors and companies added a lot of value and gave students a realistic look into the types of problems they may work on during their internships.
At the end of the hackathon, teams pitched their solutions to a joint jury, after which companies selected the participants they wished to invite into the internship programme. In total, 20 students were chosen to continue their journey in the Digital Explorers programme and will join us in Tallinn next year.
During the visit, the entire delegation also met with several institutions to discuss ongoing and future cooperation opportunities. These meetings included visits to Strathmore University, Kenyatta University, the Kenya School of Government, and a meeting with the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy. The discussions were very constructive and aligned well with our School鈥檚 long-term work in Sub-Saharan Africa, where we aim to build meaningful partnerships in digital education and innovation.
We would like to thank OSMOS, ESTDEV, our Kenyan university hosts, the participating Estonian companies, and the students for their energy and engagement throughout the week. We look forward to continuing this collaboration and welcoming the new Digital Explorers cohort to Tallinn in the spring semester of 2026.
This programme is implemented with the financial assistance of the European Union, contracted by ICMPD through the Mobility Partnership Facility.