University of Tartu to Celebrate 93rd Anniversary of National University
On Saturday, December 1, the University of Tartu celebrates the 93rd anniversary of Estonia’s national university. The highlights of the celebrations include a traditional ceremonial meeting in the university’s assembly hall, a torchlit procession of students and the traditional university ball. At the anniversary ceremonial meeting, the university will grant 101 PhD degrees, three honorary doctorates and one posthumous honorary fellowship, and will present its 2012 award for significant contribution to Estonian national identity.
The celebrations of the 93rd anniversary of the national university commence on November 30, when the exhibition ‘Harald Keres 100’, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of the academician Harald Keres, will be opened at the university library at 3.30 p.m. The exhibition will showcase numerous photos documenting the life of the academician and his research writings.
The opening address of the anniversary ceremonial meeting on Saturday, December 1, at noon in the university’s assembly hall will be delivered by Professor Volli Kalm, Rector of the University of Tartu. In his address, Professor Kalm will congratulate all members of the university family and the university’s partners on the occasion of the university’s anniversary: ‘The birth of Estonian-language university education 93 years ago was inspired by the same values which are also important to university members this day. As long as we are prepared, in our everyday work, to dedicate ourselves to the pursuit of learning, dignity, quality of teaching and development of academic research in our native tongue, we have no need to fear the extinction of the Estonian language, or of Estonians as a people or a nation.’
The anniversary lecture also concerns a topic of high relevance for the identity of the national university. The lecture ‘Boundary of Estonian Language Area’ will be delivered by the academician Karl Pajusalu, UT Professor of Estonian Dialectology and History of the Estonian Language. Salutatory addresses will also be pronounced at the meeting by Urmas Kruuse, mayor of the city of Tartu, and Sander Pajusalu, sixth-year student of UT Faculty of Medicine.
The anniversary of the national university is also the day when the 101 PhD students who have successfully defended their theses during the preceding year will be presented with their diplomas. This year, the recipients of UT honorary doctorates include Mikael Knip, Professor of Pediatrics of the University of Helsinki, Outi Merisalo, Professor of Romance Philology of the University of Jyväskylä, and the renowned social psychologist Geert Hofstede, professor emeritus of Maastricht University. In recognition of his significant material contribution to the university, Gunnar Vasar will be posthumously granted honorary fellowship of the University of Tartu.
The anniversary meeting will include presentation of the 2012 UT award for significant contribution to Estonian national identity. The award is granted to individuals who in their creative pursuits have shown outstanding achievements in promoting the national cultural identity of Estonia.
At 5 p.m., the anniversary day will continue with a torchlit procession convening in front of the Vanemuine 46 academic building. The traditional anniversary ball will be held at 7 p.m. in the Vanemuine concert hall.
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the University of Tartu Foundation will present to recipients its annual stipends and recognition grants at the White Hall of the UT History Museum on Monday, December 3.
Additional information: Kady Sõstar, public relations specialist, telephone +372 737 5685, kady [dot] sostar [ät] ut [dot] ee.