TheUniversity of Tartu (Estonian:Tartu Ülikool) is a publicresearch university inTartu,Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia,[5] as well as the largest and oldest university in the country.[2]
15,206 students study at the university, of whom over 1,500 are foreigners (10%).[3] Most of the curriculum is instructed in Estonian. There are also 30 programmes taught in English: three at the undergraduate level and 27 at the master's level, including theErasmus Mundus programme in Excellence in Analytical Chemistry.[6]
The foundation act of the new university in Dorpat (Tartu) was signed on 30 June 1632 byKingGustavus Adolphus of Sweden who was leading a military campaign in Germany at the time, a few months before his death in theBattle of Lützen (16 November 1632). The first chancellor of the university (called alternativelyAcademia Dorpatensis after its location, orAcademia Gustaviana after the founding king) was BaronJohan Skytte (1577–1645), the governor-general of the Swedish provinces of Livonia,Ingria, andKarelia.[9][10]
The first students matriculated between 20 and 21 April 1632. The opening ceremony of Academia Gustaviana took place on 15 October in the same year. The academy in Tartu functioned with philosophy, law, theology, and medical faculties enjoying the privileges of the University of Uppsala. After the outbreak of theRusso–Swedish war of 1656–1658, the university was moved from Tartu toTallinn. It was closed down in 1665, only to be re-opened in Tartu again in 1690.
In the 17th century, the future outstanding Swedish scholarsUrban Hiärne,Olof Verelius,Arvid Moller [sv], and others studied at the university. Among the academic staff wereFriedrich Menius [sv], professor of history (the history ofLivonia, the first scientific approach to Estonian folklore) andGeorg Mancelius, professor oftheology (author of the firstLatvian-German dictionary in 1638).[11]
With the re-opening of the university in 1690 (renamedAcademia Gustavo-Carolina) Tartu became a university town again. Academic staff of the new university includedSven Dimberg [sv], professor of mathematics (the first in the world to deliver lectures based onNewton's theory),Olof Hermelin [sv], professor of rhetoric and poetry,Lars Micrander [sv], professor of medicine (founder ofbalneology, and discoverer of natural mineral water springs) andMichael Dau, professor of philosophy as well as of rhetoric and poetry. Just under a decade after being reconstituted, as a result of the coalition against Sweden (Russia,Denmark-Norway, and Saxony-Poland-Lithuania) and theGreat Famine of 1695–1697, the university moved from Tartu to Pernau (Pärnu) and renamedAcademia Pernaviensis. Eventually, Academia Gustavo-Carolina, which had opened in Pärnu on 28 August 1699, was closed as a result of the surrender of the city to the invading army of theTsardom of Muscovy on 12 August 1710 during theGreat Northern War. Albeit according to the terms of capitulation, the Russian tsarPeter I agreed to maintain the university in Pärnu,[12] the university was closed for the following 92 years. It was able to reopen only in 1802, when its new charter was confirmed by EmperorAlexander I of Russia.[13]
The university was relaunched by the leaders of localBaltic German nobility and officially opened in April 1802.[14] The charter ofUniversität Dorpat, the first German-speaking university in the entireRussian Empire was confirmed by the reform-minded TsarAlexander I of Russia.[13]
The language of instruction at the university was German[15] from 1802 to 1893. During that time, Dorpat had a dual nature in that it belonged both to the set of German(-language) and Russian universities. Financially and administratively, the latter was more important; intellectually and regarding the professoriate and students, the former was more important (over half the professors came fromGermany, at least another third were localBaltic Germans). Among the 30 German-language universities, of which 23 were inside theGerman Empire, Dorpat was the 11th in size. In teaching, the university educated the local Baltic German aristocrats and professional classes, as well as staff, especially for the administration and health system of the entire Russian Empire. In scholarship, it was an international university; the time between 1860 and 1880 was its "golden age".
The freedom to be a half-German university ceased with the rise of nationalist tendencies in Russia, which held homogenization more important than retaining a bilingual university. Between 1882 and 1898,russification in language, appointments, etc., was imposed, with some exceptions (such as the Divinity School, which the state feared would be used by theOrthodox clergy to teach dangerousProtestant views and was thus allowed to continue in German until 1916). By 1898, when both the town and the university were renamedYuryev, virtually all distinguished scholars from Germany had left. The University of Yuryev existed until 1918, when during part of the fall term, it was reopened, underGerman occupation, as Dorpat. Russian academic staff and students took refuge inVoronezh in Russia, giving rise to the foundation ofVoronezh State University, which traces its own history back to the foundation of the University of Tartu and still holds several physical properties of the latter.[16][17]
After Estonia became an independent country in 1918, the University of Tartu has been anEstonian-language institution since 1919. The university was named Ostland-Universität in Dorpat during theGerman occupation of Estonia in 1941–1944 and Tartu State University (Estonian:Tartu Riiklik Ülikool) in 1940–1941 and 1944–1989, during theSoviet occupation. During Soviet rule, although Estonian remained the principal language of instruction, some courses were taught in Russian, with several Russian curricula. Estoniaregained independence in 1991, and the full recovery of academic autonomy of the university can be dated to 1992 with the introduction of financial and academic strategic planning.[18] Presently, no courses are taught in Russian.[19]
The first Estonian satelliteESTCube-1 was developed mainly by the students from the University of Tartu.
The last decade has been marked by organizational and structural changes, as well as adaptations to various university models (American, Scandinavian, German) against the background of the Soviet and Baltic German past. Most recently, the university has been and is still being marked by the adaptation of theBologna declaration in Estonia generally and Tartu specifically, leading to major changes in curricula and studies, as well as by strong organizational centralization attempts. Recent plans also include the abolition of the Chair system (an Americanization) and of the faculties, which is supposed to lead to four large divisions (humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and medicine) under briefly serving deans and rector-appointed financial administrators.
Drone video of University of Tartu main building in December 2021
The university's four museums, botanical gardens, and sports facilities are, by and large, open to the general public. The university possesses 56 buildings, 11 of which are outside of Tartu; 31 of its buildings decorate the city as architectural monuments. In May 2023, the University of Tartu relaunched itsvirtual tour that has 360-degree photos of over 160 locations in the university campus.
At the same time, numerous university buildings and student dormitories have been recently constructed or renovated, such as theVon Bock House. Many of the new buildings are built atMaarjamõisa (about 2 km southwest of the historical university centre), such as the Technology Institute, the Biomedical Center, the Chemistry building, and the new Physics building.
Lectinology, the science oflectins, was founded at the University of Tartu in 1888 with the publication ofPeter Hermann Stillmark's thesis about the isolation ofricin.
UT is the flagship of Estonian science, ranking in the top 1% of the world's most-cited universities and research institutions in these fields (as of March 2025):
UT accounts for 56% of Estonia's national research output. Also, more than half of the PhD theses in Estonia are defended at UT and over 2,000 high-level research articles (those covered by citation indices like "SCI Expanded", "SSCI", or "A&HCI") are published annually. About 50 UT scientists are among the top 1% of the most-cited scientists in the world.
UT has excelled among the Baltic universities in winning European Research Council grants. The prestigious ERC grant has been awarded to Professor of Molecular Systems Biology Mart Loog, Professor of Nanomedicine Tambet Teesalu, and Professor of International Law Lauri Mälksoo.
University of Tartu has contracts with 154 business partners in the amount of 10.2 million euros. UT is one of the largest development partners for the private and public sector in the Baltics. The university also works closely with international businesses such as Swedbank, The Linde Group, Pfizer, ABB Corporate Research, SUPER APPLI Inc, Eesti Energia Group, Telia AS, and many more.
UT has spun off more than 60 start-ups, including software companies Reach-U and Positium providing location-based solutions, biotechnology company Icosagen etc. The success story of the last 15 years is the technology for the ME-3 strain ofLactobacillus fermentum bacterium, allowing its use in the food industry. Student satellite ESTCube-1, developed collectively by UT staff and students, and successfully deployed into orbit in 2013, made Estonia the 41st space nation in the world. Scientists from UT and the Estonian University of Life Sciences have developed a new peat-based material that enables building inexpensive energy-efficient 3D-printed houses. The innovative robotic mannequin technology known as Rakuten Fits Me, a virtual dressing room, was originally developed in cooperation with researchers of UT Institute of Technology.
UT encourages its students and scholars to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and apply their knowledge to the economy. The university has set a goal to integrate entrepreneurship courses into every curriculum.
The UT's academic structure consists of the institutes and colleges of four faculties (valdkond) and the university's institutions not affiliated to any faculty. The support structure of the university consists of 15 units."[21]
While mainly located in Tartu, the university also operates inNarva,Pärnu,Tallinn, andViljandi. Narva and Pärnu Colleges are part of the Faculty of Social Sciences,Viljandi Culture Academy belongs to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The School of Law Tallinn office, University of Tartu Tallinn representation and the Estonian Marine Institute are located in the Estonian capital.
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Faculty of Social Sciences
Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Science and Technology
School of Theology and Religious Studies
School of Law
Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine
Nearly a quarter of the whole Estonian university student population studies at the University of Tartu.[22] While most of the curricula are taught in Estonian, a number of degree programmes have English as a medium of instruction.
About 35% of UT's study courses are offered partly or fully online – as web-based courses in Moodle, video lectures, webinars, e-portfolios, and massive open online courses.
Some 61 bachelor's and 86 master's programmes are available, including 30 programmes in English.[3]
Around 120 doctoral degrees are defended annually,[54] which make up more than half of the total number in Estonia. The University of Tartu has 1,130 doctoral students, around 30% of them international. The University of Tartu offers eight doctoral programmes, which are coordinated by faculty-based centres for doctoral studies. Each programme contains multiple specialities offered by the faculty. Doctoral studies are provided by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Faculty of Science and Technology.[54] From the 2022/2023 academic year, doctoral student places will mainly be offered as state-funded junior research fellow positions.[55]
As the largest provider of continuing education in Estonia, the University of Tartu offers around 1,200 courses per year to more than 39,000 participants.[56]
TheQS World University Rankings ranked the University of Tartu 358th in the world in 2024, and the top-ranked university in the Baltics.[61] The university is also ranked 3rd in the Emerging Europe and Central Asia region.[62] TheTimes Higher Education World University Rankings placed it in the 251–300 range among world universities.[63] It is the only university in the Baltic countries to place among the top 200 universities in Europe.[64] UT belongs to top 1% of world's most cited universities in 15 research areas.[65]University of Tartu also won first place inCentral and Eastern Europe by a number ofventure capital money raised by theunicorn startups founded by its alumni.[66]
According to the university, as of 2016, Tartu alumni account for 100% of Estonian judges; 99% of Estonian doctors, dentists, and pharmacists; 95% of Estonian judicial prosecutors; 87% of members of the Estonian Bar Association; 60% of theministers in the Estonian government; and 40% of the members of theRiigikogu (Estonian Parliament).[67]
The University of Tartu has around 1,800 international students from 90 countries. The vast majority come from Ukraine, Russia, and Finland.In theErasmus programme for student exchange, the University of Tartu cooperates with more than 800 universities.
The university has also received good reviews from foreign students and an International Student Satisfaction Award based on student feedback.[68]
The University of Tartu participates in the LERU-CE7 (LERU and a group of Central-European universities), the European University Association EUA,Coimbra Group, The Guild of European Research Intensive Universities, and theUtrecht Network. It has signed bilateral co-operation agreements with about 70 universities.[69]
A statue of the formal founder of the university, King Gustav II Adolf of Sweden (also known as Gustavus Adolphus) was raised in 1928 on campus and remained until 1950 when it was removed by the Soviet occupation authorities. Another statue was raised in 1992 and was reopened by KingCarl XVI Gustaf of Sweden andQueen Silvia. The new statue was made by Elisabeth Tebelius-Myren.[70]
^University of Tartu (25 November 2021)."Networks".
^Johan Skytte biography by David Lindén:Johan Skytte – stormaktstidens läromästare, Atlantis, 2017.
^Johan Skytte biography by Jenny Ingemarsdotter:Ramism, Rhetoric & Reform: An Intellectual Biography of Johan Skytte (1577–1645), Uppsala, 2011.ISBN978-91-554-8071-4
^"Lettus, das ist Wortbuch sampt angehengtem täglichem Gebrauch der Lettischen Sprache". Rīga, 1638. (Pilnais nosaukums [complete name]: "Lettus, Das ist Wortbuch Sampt angehengtem täglichem Gebrauch der Lettischen Sprache; Allen und jeden Ausheimischen die in Curland/Semgallen und Lettischen Liefflande bleiben und sich redlich nehren wollen zu Nutze verfertigt Durch GEORGIVM MANCELIVM Anno M. DC. XXXVIII").
^Aaviksoo, Jaak (2000)."Estonia: the University of Tartu".Ten Years After and Looking Ahead: A Review of the Transformations of Higher Education in Central and Eastern Europe:74–75.
Reet Mägi;Wolfgang Drechsler, eds. (2004).Kaiserliche Universität Dorpat 200, 370 Academia Gustaviana: Tartu Ülikooli juubel. Tartu: Tartu Ülikooli Kirjastus.ISBN9985-56-950-4.
Siilivask, Karl, ed. (1985).History of Tartu University, 1632–1982. Tallinn: Perioodika.
Die Universitäten Dorpat/Tartu, Riga und Wilna/Vilnius 1579–1979. Beiträge zu ihrer Geschichte und ihrer Wirkung im Grenzbereich zwischen West und Ost. Herausgegeben von Gert von Pistohlkors, Toivo U. Raun, Paul Kaegbein. Köln; Wien 1987 (Quellen und Studien zur baltischen Geschichte; 9). [Zweites Internationales Marburger Symposium zu Problemen der baltischen Sozial- und Kulturgeschichte]. [Lectures in German and English]ISBN3-412-00886-9
Palamets, Hillar; Tullio Ilomets, eds. (1982).Alma mater Tartuensis: Tartu Riiklik Ulikool: 1632–1982 (in Estonian). Tallinn: Eesti Raamat.
von Engelhardt, Roderich (1933).Die deutsche Universität Dorpat in ihrer geistesgeschichtlichen Bedeutung (in German). Reval (Tallinn): F. Kluge.
Semel, Hugo, ed. (1918).Die Universität Dorpat (1802–1918): Skizzen zu ihrer Geschichte von Lehrern und ehmaligen Schülern (in German). Dorpat (Tartu): H. Laakmann.
