Topic: for society

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Estonia has been a leader in providing refuge to the Ukrainian people. At the start of the war, Estonia accepted the most Ukrainians per capita of any country in the world, and it remains among the top three, behind Czechia and Poland. There are now approximately 60,000 Ukrainians in Estonia, representing about 4.4% of the population. Three-quarters of these Ukrainians have arrived since 2022. These individuals must negotiate how to maintain their cultural identity while integrating and building new lives abroad.

A new analysis from the CEESEN-BENDER project examines the relationship between energy renovations in multi-apartment buildings and housing conditions and energy poverty across five Central and Eastern European pilot areas. Energy renovations are often discussed in technical or economic terms, but their everyday impact on residents - and their implications for housing policy - are just as important.

A new MOOC co-developed by Skytte institute’s staff members and their partners is now available to learners worldwide on the FutureLearn platform. The course, titled “Growing Apart: What is polarisation and what can we do about it?”, explores the dynamics of political and social polarisation and offers practical tools for understanding and addressing it. The management of the FutureLearn course is led by partners from the University of Groningen, who, together with the University of Tartu, are part of the European University Alliance consortium, ENLIGHT.

On 27 October from 13–18, the University of Tartu development conference “A university for us, Estonia and the world” took place in the university assembly hall and online. Keynote speakers were Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Kersti Kaljulaid and Kristina Kallas.

On October 24, as part of Academia Gustaviana 393, a public discussion took place on the topic “(Mis)measuring Human Prosperity: Reconciling Economic Growth with Environmental Well-being.”

Announcement of public talk on shift of China’s strategic concerns including geoeconomics, geopolitics, green energy, and the Arctic.

On 27 October from 13–18, the University of Tartu development conference “A university for us, Estonia and the world” took place at the assembly hall of the university's main building and online to initiate a discussion on topics important for society and the university. The discussion were be based on the new University of Tartu strategic plan approved in June.

On May 12, 2025, the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu hosted “Stakeholder Dialogues” event focused on advancing community engagement in higher education. The gathering, part of the Erasmus+ project Alliance for Community Engagement in European Higher Education (ACE), brought together a diverse group of stakeholders—including representatives from local government, civil society organizations, and university staff—to share insights and experiences.

Report on Taiwan’s political, social, economic, and security landscape as of March 2025. Also its recent history and how the past continues to shape its present and future trajectories.

On 22 October, doctoral researchers of the University of Tartu have an opportunity to introduce their research results to the public in the format of a three-minute short lecture.