Five years of Tallinn University
This spring five years will have passed since the day that the Parliamentenlisted Tallinn University into the Universities Act. On 18 March, TallinnUniversity celebrates its birthday with a ceremony in which four newhonorary doctors will be promoted, professors who have been elected duringthe year are presented, the more active researchers and students of 2009are awarded, and the university members and supporters who have givenremarkable input towards the development of the university are thanked.Also, Tõnis Lukas, the Minister of Education and Research and Alan Karis,the rector of Tartu University and chairman of the Rector’s Council willgreet the university at the ceremony.
Several years of preparations preceded the establishment of Tallinn
University. On 18 March 2005, the much sought after plan of establishing a
Tallinn University reached its first tangible milestone: Tallinn University
came into being, uniting the Tallinn Pedagogical University, the Institute
of History and the Estonian Institute of Humanities.Today Tallinn
University consists of 18 institutes and 4 colleges where study and
research are conducted in six fields of study (education, humanitarian
subjects, arts, natural sciences, social sciences and health). 8500
students and 1100 employees belong to the university family. Additionally
more than 12 000 people participate yearly in continuing education courses
and open level studies.Tallinn University Rector Rein Raud, “During our
creation we were the third largest university in Estonia only by the number
of students, but now we are third also by the total number of research
publications which includes the overall number of all publication, as well
as in international peer-reviewed publications. In the humanities and
social sciences we have become one of the two leading centres in Estonia
next to Tartu University, but we also have a reason to be pleased with the
fact that in the fields of theoretical physics and ecology we have the most
cited researchers.But together with the growth in research, an equally
great leap has taken place in studies – we can say without doubt that we
have become the most student-friendly university in Estonia – on the one
hand because our students have a considerably greater role in decision
making at all levels than is customary in other universities, and on the
other because our educational ideology is highly liberal in considering the
interests and needs of all members of the university as individuals.One of
the ambitious objectives of Tallinn University is to become the most
international public university in Estonia. We are vigorously moving
towards this goal: the number of foreign students is increasing every year,
but we are already the first in Estonia according to the number of foreign
lecturers and research workers visiting the university. Naturally, the
internationalisation of the university is not only manifested in student
exchanges and the involvement of foreign lecturers. The university as a
whole has to be open to international flow of ideas and be capable of
forwarding these to the society as a whole. We have tried to achieve that
through different undertakings such as the international summer school
Tallinn Summer School, which has brought hundreds of students and such top
presenters as Peter Burke, Maurice Bloch, Agnes Heller, Edward Soja to
Estonia. Most our top lectures have been made open to public also through
our new virtual university; the video lectures and conversations are
accessible to everyone for free. One can also find performances of other
well-known persons there, because the university has hosted such
individuals as Immanuel Wallerstein and Anthony Giddens, either alone or in
cooperation with partners and we were especially delighted by the visit of
Umberto Eco that was organised together with our Tartu colleagues.”The
ceremonial celebration of the university’s 5th anniversary takes place on
Thursday, 18 March, starting at 12 o’clock in the university assembly
hall (Narva mnt 25, III floor). The following people will speak at the
ceremony: the rector of the university Professor Rein Raud, the Minister of
Education and Research Tõnis Lukas, the rector of Tartu University and
chairman of the Rector´s Council Alar Karis and the head of the Tallinn
University Student Union Mailis Ostra.Professors Jacques Cortès, Pentti
Malaska, Hans-Peter Blossfeld and György Andras Schöpflin will be
promoted as Tallinn University honorary doctors at the ceremony. Also
Krista Kerge, Aili Vahtrapuu, Otto Jastrow, Aurika Meimre, Katrin Niglas,
David Lamas, Margus Pensa and Aino Ugaste who have been elected as
professors during the year will be presented.Also, the employees and
students who have stood out in state competitions in 2009 are to be thanked
at the ceremony; awards shall be handed over to authors of notable research
publications and creative projects, to the most active scientist and
institute, and laureates of literary prizes. Rector Rein Raud will also
hand out 28 Tallinn University medals.Maiki Voore Tallinn University Press
Officer telephone: 6409142, 53326588 e-mail: maiki.voore@tlu.ee
University. On 18 March 2005, the much sought after plan of establishing a
Tallinn University reached its first tangible milestone: Tallinn University
came into being, uniting the Tallinn Pedagogical University, the Institute
of History and the Estonian Institute of Humanities.Today Tallinn
University consists of 18 institutes and 4 colleges where study and
research are conducted in six fields of study (education, humanitarian
subjects, arts, natural sciences, social sciences and health). 8500
students and 1100 employees belong to the university family. Additionally
more than 12 000 people participate yearly in continuing education courses
and open level studies.Tallinn University Rector Rein Raud, “During our
creation we were the third largest university in Estonia only by the number
of students, but now we are third also by the total number of research
publications which includes the overall number of all publication, as well
as in international peer-reviewed publications. In the humanities and
social sciences we have become one of the two leading centres in Estonia
next to Tartu University, but we also have a reason to be pleased with the
fact that in the fields of theoretical physics and ecology we have the most
cited researchers.But together with the growth in research, an equally
great leap has taken place in studies – we can say without doubt that we
have become the most student-friendly university in Estonia – on the one
hand because our students have a considerably greater role in decision
making at all levels than is customary in other universities, and on the
other because our educational ideology is highly liberal in considering the
interests and needs of all members of the university as individuals.One of
the ambitious objectives of Tallinn University is to become the most
international public university in Estonia. We are vigorously moving
towards this goal: the number of foreign students is increasing every year,
but we are already the first in Estonia according to the number of foreign
lecturers and research workers visiting the university. Naturally, the
internationalisation of the university is not only manifested in student
exchanges and the involvement of foreign lecturers. The university as a
whole has to be open to international flow of ideas and be capable of
forwarding these to the society as a whole. We have tried to achieve that
through different undertakings such as the international summer school
Tallinn Summer School, which has brought hundreds of students and such top
presenters as Peter Burke, Maurice Bloch, Agnes Heller, Edward Soja to
Estonia. Most our top lectures have been made open to public also through
our new virtual university; the video lectures and conversations are
accessible to everyone for free. One can also find performances of other
well-known persons there, because the university has hosted such
individuals as Immanuel Wallerstein and Anthony Giddens, either alone or in
cooperation with partners and we were especially delighted by the visit of
Umberto Eco that was organised together with our Tartu colleagues.”The
ceremonial celebration of the university’s 5th anniversary takes place on
Thursday, 18 March, starting at 12 o’clock in the university assembly
hall (Narva mnt 25, III floor). The following people will speak at the
ceremony: the rector of the university Professor Rein Raud, the Minister of
Education and Research Tõnis Lukas, the rector of Tartu University and
chairman of the Rector´s Council Alar Karis and the head of the Tallinn
University Student Union Mailis Ostra.Professors Jacques Cortès, Pentti
Malaska, Hans-Peter Blossfeld and György Andras Schöpflin will be
promoted as Tallinn University honorary doctors at the ceremony. Also
Krista Kerge, Aili Vahtrapuu, Otto Jastrow, Aurika Meimre, Katrin Niglas,
David Lamas, Margus Pensa and Aino Ugaste who have been elected as
professors during the year will be presented.Also, the employees and
students who have stood out in state competitions in 2009 are to be thanked
at the ceremony; awards shall be handed over to authors of notable research
publications and creative projects, to the most active scientist and
institute, and laureates of literary prizes. Rector Rein Raud will also
hand out 28 Tallinn University medals.Maiki Voore Tallinn University Press
Officer telephone: 6409142, 53326588 e-mail: maiki.voore@tlu.ee