The University of Tartu and Tallinn University of Technology to Train Experts in Cyber Defence, Software Engingeering and Sustainable Energy

On June 3, Tallinn University of Technology and the University of Tartu executed three cooperation agreements to launch a series of joint international Master’s programmes.

“The programmes combine the best Estonian quality in the respective areas of higher education and represent a perfect example of the cooperation of our universities. They also provide inspiration for further joint projects,” said Birute Klaas, UT Vice Rector for Academic Affairs.

The cooperation involves training Masters in software engineering, cyber defence and sustainable energy (with specialisms in materials and processes). All three programmes are international and the language of instruction is English. The participating universities expect to start offering the programmes already this autumn. Master’s students will be taught at both universities and upon the completion of their studies they will receive a diploma issued jointly by UT and TUT. The programmes will be funded by the Estonian Ministry for Education and Research.

The Master’s programme in software engineering is intended to provide an education in information technology. The programme’s specialisation options include business software engineering and software engineering of embedded systems. In the words of Jüri Vain, Professor of Computer Science and the programme leader at TUT, “[d]espite the economic downturn, demand for highly qualified software specialists continues to increase. It is particularly strong in such key technological areas as telecommunications, business information systems, industrial electronics and mechatronical systems. This is clearly evidenced also by the high level of interest expressed in the programme – although the deadline for submitting application documents has not yet expired, the number of international applications received already amounts to over 300.”

The Master’s programme in cyber defence relies on Estonia’s own experts, who deal with real cyber defence issues at commercial banks, telecommunications companies, government institutions and in the armed forces. Specialists from NATO’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence will also be involved in the programme. Students who choose a humanities-oriented specialisation will focus in their studies on various organisational, psychological and legal aspects of the field, while students with a more technical interest will study various methods of defence and attack, network protocols, logs, cryptography and software security.
Students who have completed their studies will be familiar with the legal and technical foundations of cyber defence and the basics of cyber defence management.They will be able to solve cyber defence related problems and adequately assess the security of computer systems. The programme welcomes IT specialists as well as economic and organisational specialists with a technical interest in IT.

The Master’s programme entitled “Materials and processes in sustainable energy production”
focuses on sustainable generation and consumption of energy in ways that are sound from the perspective of both consumers and the environment. Students enrolling in the programme will receive professional training at the national energy company Eesti Energia. Students who choose to specialise in materials will study the workings of solar panels and fuel cells, and those who specialise in processes will study how to harness solar, wind and nuclear energy and how to combine them.

BACKGROUND
In February this year, the University of Tartu and Tallinn University of Technology executed a broad framework agreement to encourage close cooperation between leading Estonian universities in the areas of education and research. The framework agreement will help to facilitate cooperation in research and innovation and to harness the universities’ resources more effectively for the benefit of society. The framework agreement also stipulates the development of joint programmes.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Professor Birute Klaas, UT Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, birute [dot] klaas [ät] ut [dot] ee, phone +372 737 6201
Professor Jakob Kübarsepp, TUT Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, jakob [dot] kubarsepp [ät] ttu [dot] ee, phone +372 620 2006

Karin Volmer
Press Representative for the University of Tartu
Telephone: +372 737 5683
Mobile: +372 5202807
E-mail: avalik [ät] ut [dot] ee
/yldinfo/press