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The plan is to compose a full modern Asian economic, political and social Master’s programme with lecturers from Tallinn University, Tallinn University of Technology and University of Tartu as well as experts from the private and public sector.

Currently there are many joint study programmes between two universities, but one joining three universities is a new benchmark. The study programme will be led by Tallinn University. In January, the representatives from the universities met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Education and Research, representatives of Enterprise Estonia and various entrepreneurs, as their interest toward experts in Asian matters is the greatest.

Maret Nukke from the Tallinn University centre of Middle-East and Asian cultures told the ERR Science portal Novaator the initial cooperation has already taken place for nearly five years – during which the three universities have shade a Master level module “Asian societies, economies and politics”. Currently this module is in its last year.

Nukke says the researchers from the three universities have developed a good collaboration. A stern proof of that is AUKE or the Asian Research Centre, which has risen from this cooperation.

The new study programme would further encourage cooperation between experts on Asia. The Master’s programme is taking place at three universities simultaneously. This means that either students or lecturers will start travelling between universities. The teaching will not be only lecture-based – Estonian and Asian companies and universities will be used as a basis for internship programmes.

The fields of specialization within the programme are widespread. Economics and politics are labels, which contain many subjects from religion, local media and communication, modern business culture up to law and negotiation skills. In addition, the students have the possibility to cooperate with experts in governance, anthropology and identity research.

It has not yet been decided whether the study programme will be held in Estonian or English. An argument for Estonian is the fact that Asian language studies are currently based on the Estonian language and transforming that to an English-based study would be costly. In addition, the goal of the programme is to train specialists for the benefit of Estonia, which makes it even more reasonable to implement it in Estonian. An argument for English is that it would allow us to enrol foreign students.

The full programme is expected to launch in 2016.

Translated from the original article at the