Skytte news

We wish our university community and friends a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

The main results of the project “Connecting Estonia and Moldova for European Readiness and Innovative Education” were presented on 9 December at a concluding event hosted by Moldova State University.

Policy workshop “Information Manipulations and Cognitive Warfare: New Insecurities for Estonia and Europe,” held in Tallinn on December 8, 2025.

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.

Adult learners are welcome to participate in micro-degree programmes starting in the spring semester to acquire an additional specialisation or competence in a narrow field. Applications can be submitted until 25 January.

The newly funded Erasmus+ project “Strengthening Civic Competences and EU Democratic Life (EuroConnect)” aims to help students and young citizens strengthen their civic competences.

On 27 November, the University of Tartu announced its teaching excellence ambassadors, who set an example for the entire university community. The title is given to recognise 20 academic staff members who develop their teaching based on evidence and support an open teaching culture that values learning.

On 21 November, the University of Tartu senate decided to make nominations for the national research awards of the Republic of Estonia.

On 31 October, the senate of the University of Tartu decided to award the University of Tartu Grand Medal to former rector, Professor emeritus Jaak Aaviksoo, Professor Marlon Gerardo Dumas Menjivar, Professor Kalle Kirsimäe, and Professor Ivo Leito. The recipients of the University of Tartu Star of Appreciation, Medal, Badge of Distinction and the decoration “100 Semesters at the University of Tartu” have also been selected.

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.

Thirty years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, Bosnia and Herzegovina remains a laboratory of post-conflict governance – peaceful on the surface yet still grappling with deep divisions.

On 17 October 2025, Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu, hosted an academic workshop titled “The Long Echoes of the War: New Russophone Narratives Beyond Russia.”

Between September 29 and October 2, the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu proudly hosted a high-level Digital Leaders training program, welcoming a delegation of Latvian senior public sector professionals. The training was the result of a concerted effort of the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, Vidzemes University of Applied Sciences (Latvia), and the University of Jyväskylä (Finland).

The MOOC “Growing Apart: What Is Polarisation and What Can We Do About It?” offers a comprehensive understanding of polarisation as a complex social phenomenon.

The Baltic Assembly awarded its Prize in Science to Professor in Political Theory Eva Piirimäe for her monograph “Herder and Enlightenment Politics”.

The Skytte Institute in collaboration with Moldova State University, has developed the first-ever Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offered by a Moldovan university.

On Monday, 6 October 2025, Assoc. Prof. Helge Blakkisrud from the University of Oslo will deliver a public lecture to introduce a book “Political Legitimacy and Traditional Values in Putin’s Russia”.

Ten students and two lecturers from Moldova State University (MSU) visited Skytte institute as part of the Blended Intensive Programme.

Johan Skytte poliitikauuringute instituudi 3. korruse koridoris on üleval stendid näituselt Naised Tartu ülikoolis 1919. aastani.