Meist meedias

On Thursday the University of Tartu opened a newly renovated academic and research building for the staff of the Department of Botany and the Department of Zoology of the Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences and the students of life sciences.

The Digital Cleanup Week takes place at the university this week and all members of the university are invited to declutter their personal or their unit’s digital life to move in small but effective steps towards a greener university.

The Rector’s Office of the University of Tartu has decided that the university continues face-to-face teaching in spring semester 2021/22. To be able to meet in classrooms and avoid major viral outbreaks, it is still important to get vaccinated, stay home when ill and postpone large events.

The university aims to keep studies open as long as possible, which is why stronger safety measures are imposed. Safe distancing should be maintained between people during classes, in public rooms and all, including those who are vaccinated, must wear masks in the university buildings. Only protective masks, not scarves or visors, may be used to cover the nose and mouth.

In order to keep the working and learning environment as normal as possible in the new academic year, the general rule of conduct applies that staff and students who work and study in the university buildings have been vaccinated against the coronavirus or wear masks.

At the beginning of the academic year, the University of Tartu and Tartu University Hospital are jointly organising vaccination days near the university’s study buildings to further improve the chances of starting face-to-face studies and meeting in the lecture halls. University members who have not been vaccinated yet can get the vaccine against Covid-19 without prior booking in the following places: at the university’s main building in room 140 (the first room on the right from the main entrance)

The struggle for existence has led to an extraordinary diversity of traits (features like height, seed size, leaf nutrient contents, or root diameter) among plants. A recent analysis of a global compilation of trait data reveals fundamental results for plant ecology: the aboveground traits of a plant do not reveal much about its fine-root traits, and the diversity of plant traits is consistently lower below- than aboveground.

To help promote vaccination in Tartu and Tartu County, on Saturday, the vaccination bus of Tartu University Hospital moves from Raatuse 22 to the city centre, next to Tartu Kaubamaja. On the bus, it is possible to get vaccinated from 10 to 16.

This week the vaccination team from the University of Tartu Hospital will share information about coronavirus vaccinations on Car Free Avenue. The vaccination team will be present on July 27 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., on July 28 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and on July 30 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The team can answer questions. It is possible to print out a digital vaccination certificate on site for those who have been vaccinated but do not have the opportunity to print one themselves.

An international research consortium including the University of Tartu supports the implementation of ecosystem-based fisheries management in Europe, a management approach that focuses on protecting fish, fishing communities, and the ecosystem they live in, all while taking into account a changing climate.

We'd like to start teaching and studies in the autumn as normally as possible and meet face to face in class, and therefore it is important that as many of our new and returning students and university staff as possible are vaccinated. The nearest vaccination locations can be found on the website vaktsineeri.ee.

According to the respondents, the University of Tartu diploma is highly valued in the labour market, and high-level research is done and excellent education is offered at the university.

The recipients of this year’s 6,000-euro young talent awards of the L’Oreal Baltic For Women in Science Programme are University of Tartu researcher Kaija Põhako-Esko and doctoral student Mari-Ann Lind. With the help of the fellowship they try to help people with innovative soft robotics solutions and improve the living conditions of animals through microbial research.

The graduation ceremonies of the University of Tartu are held from 15 to 30 June in person. In Tartu, the ceremonies take place on the square in front of the Old Anatomical Theatre. The graduation of Viljandi Culture Academy will take place as individual ceremonies that were well-received last year. In Narva, Pärnu and Tallinn, graduation ceremonies are held indoors.

People have been living with microbes for millions of years. But it is only in recent years that we have begun to discover the secrets of microbial biodiversity, as these species invisible to the naked eye can be successfully identified in nature only by latest molecular methods.

The university’s orienteering month – May – is about to end, but as the initiative has attracted much interest, the orienteering course will remain open until 6 June. The university invites all employees, students, alumni and their families as well everyone else to orienteering in the city of Tartu. Come to discover places where the university family has done exercise and sports since the early 19th century!

Despite the government’s decision to allow face-to-face studies also in higher education starting from 17 May, the university continues work as previously planned. Decisions about the organisation of studies continue to be made by the head of institute in cooperation with the vice dean for academic affairs. The only change is that the requirement not to exceed 25% room capacity has been lifted. The allowed percentage of room capacity is to be decided by the head of institute.

Warmer weather has finally made the cowslips bloom in Estonia, which is not just lovely to see but also of great interest to researchers. This spring, the citizen-science campaign “Estonia is looking for cowslips” launched in 2019 has spread throughout Europe. Led by researchers of the University of Tartu, the cowslip team now includes partners from 30 countries. Everyone is welcome to participate in the observations.

The Office of Academic Affairs in cooperation with the Student Union have chosen the new course registration start time. Based on the results of the survey conducted, registration will start at 21:00.

Throughout May, the university invites all employees, students, alumni and their families to orienteering in the city of Tartu. The spring orienteering course, compiled by the university museum, focuses on places related to sports and recreation. Did you know that according to architect Krause’s initial floor plans there was supposed to be a fencing hall on the ground floor of the main building? If not, come orienteering and find out other exciting sports-related facts about the university.