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Tallinn University (TLU; et, Tallinna Ülikool, ''TLÜ'') is a public research university in
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
. Located in the centre of
Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju ' ...
, the capital city of Estonia, Tallinn University is one of the three largest institutions of higher education in the country. Both QS World University and Times Higher Education rankings place it among the top 1000 universities in the world.


History

Tallinn University's predecessor, Tallinn Teachers' Seminar, was founded in 1919. Tallinn University in its present form was established on 18 March 2005 as the result of a merger of several universities and research institutions in Tallinn: Academic Library of Estonia (1946), Baltic Film and Media School (1992/97), Estonian Institute of Humanities (1988), Institute of History (1946) and Tallinn Pedagogical University (1919/52/92). In 2015, Tallinn University underwent a structural reform, whereby its 20+ structural units (the legacy of the numerous mergers leading to its establishment) were reorganized into six schools in order to optimize funding and eliminate overlap between units in research and teaching.


Academics

As of 2019, about 7,000 degree students were enrolled at Tallinn University (with over 13,000 more taking part in continuing education programmes). This makes Tallinn University the third largest provider of higher education in Estonia. Among degree students, 11% were international. There are 968 employees at the university, of which 502 are academic staff. 13% of the faculty are international. Education and research at Tallinn University focus on five core interdisciplinary fields: educational innovation, digital and media culture, cultural competences, healthy and sustainable lifestyle and society and open governance. Each of the fields is represented by a school of the university: School of Educational Sciences, Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School; School of Humanities, School of Natural Sciences and Health, and School of Governance, Law and Society. The School of Digital Technologies is the sixth school, contributing to all of the fields. Tallinn University's Baltic Film, Media, Arts and Communication School is the only institution in Northern Europe teaching film, television and audiovisual production in English, and one of the largest film schools in the region. Its student body represents over 40 countries worldwide. Tallinn University actively participates in international research projects.
Quacquarelli Symonds Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a British company specialising in the analysis of higher education institutions around the world. The company was founded in 1990 by Nunzio Quacquarelli. History On 5 October 2017, QS Quacquarelli Symonds acquired Hob ...
classifies its research output as "Very High", while in the 2021 edition of the Times Higher Education World Rankings, its research coefficient is the fourth highest in the
Baltic States The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
. Tallinn University was ranked among the top 1000 universities in the world (in the 801-1000 bracket) in the 2019, 2020 and 2021 editions of QS World University Rankings, as well as the Times Higher Education World University Ranking for 2020 and 2021. In 2020, Tallinn University placed 71st in the EECA (Emerging Europe and Central Asia) rankings published by Quacquarelli Symonds, up from 87th in the 2016 edition. In QS World University Rankings by Subject, Tallinn University placed in the 201-250 bracket in Sociology, making it the best university in the Baltic States in the discipline. In THE Subject Ranking 2021 Tallinn University placed in the 301-400 bracket in Education, 401-500 bracket in Social Sciences and 401-500 bracket in Arts & Humanities


Campus

Tallinn University's main campus buildings have Latin names. Terra (Latin: earth) is the main and oldest building on Tallinn University's campus. It was built for the Tallinn English College in 1938. The building is under heritage protection. It was designed by architects Alar Kotli and Erika Nõva. Nova (Latin: new) houses the Baltic Film and Media School. Features include individual and group workrooms, lecture halls, a film studio, a television studio, sound studios, a cinema, a computer class, and editing rooms. The building was completed in 2012, and was designed by architects Karli Luik, Maarja Kask, and Ralf Lõoke. Mare (Latin: sea) was designed to optimise the amount of light penetrating into the building. The building was completed in 2006; the architects were Mattias Agabus, Eero Endjärv, Raul Järg, Priit Pent, and Illimar Truverk. Astra (Latin: star) is the university's newest building. This building houses laboratories. The building was designed by Ignar Fjuk and completed in 2012. Silva (Latin: forest) was completed in 1982 and is a typical example of Soviet architecture. It was designed by the architect Ester Liiberg. Vita (Latin: life) was built in 2020 and presently houses the BFM, School of Natural Sciences and Health, and the university's sports teams. The building was designed by Maarja Kask, Ralf Lõokene, Kaisa Simon, and Pelle-Sten Viiburg.


Internationalisation

Internationalisation is positioned as one of Tallinn University's goals, affecting its development strategies and priorities. The university offers a range of English-language academic programmes at all levels of study, as well as short courses aimed at international students. As of 2021, Tallinn University ranked third in the Baltic states by the percentage of international students, behind
Tallinn University of Technology Established in 1918, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech; et, Tallinna Tehnikaülikool) is the only technical university in Estonia. TalTech, in the capital city of Tallinn, is a university for engineering, business, public administratio ...
and slightly ahead of the
University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; et, Tartu Ülikool; la, Universitas Tartuensis) is a university in the city of Tartu in Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is the only classical university in the country, and also its biggest ...
. With international faculty comprising 13% of the total faculty, it was also ranked among the top 15 institutions in the Emerging Europe and Central Asia by the percentage of international faculty. Tallinn University currently maintains over 40 inter-university agreements with universities in Europe, U.S., Japan, China, Russia, and several other countries as well over 400 Erasmus exchange agreements with universities from all over the European Union. The university also organises Summer and Winter Schools, which host about 300 participants from 50 countries every year.


Structure


Schools

* Baltic Film, Media and Arts School * School of Digital Technologies * School of Educational Sciences * School of Governance, Law and Society * School of Humanities * School of Natural Sciences and Health


Colleges

* Haapsalu College


Academic Unit Centres

* BFM Production Centre * Centre for Educational Technology * Centre for Innovation in Education * Centre for Landscape and Culture * Centre of Excellence in Health Promotion and Rehabilitation * Estonian Institute for Population Studies * Institute for International Social Studies * Institute of Ecology * Institute of History, Archaeology and Art History


Centres of Excellence

* TU Centre of Excellence in Behavioural and Neural Sciences * TU Centre of Excellence in Educational Innovation * TU Centre of Excellence in Intercultural Studies * TU Centre of Excellence in Interdisciplinary Lifecourse Studies * TU Centre of Excellence in Media Innovation and Digital Culture


Sports and culture

Tallinn University has a range of cultural and sport activities. The university has a symphony orchestra, men's choir, women's choir, and the folk dance group Soveldaja.


Other

* Tallinn University of Technology Library


Notable faculty

* Paul E. Beaudoin, American composer and music theorist *
Peeter Järvelaid Peeter Järvelaid (born 28 November 1957) is an Estonian legal scholar and historian. Järvelaid is a professor in the University of Tallinn. He has developed semiotic and personality-centered research direction, writing hundreds of articles most ...
, legal scholar and former advisor to the Estonian Ministry of Justice * Richard Lomax, educational psychologist (currently professor of education at
Ohio State University The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best publ ...
) *
Mihhail Lotman Mihhail Lotman (born September 2, 1952 in Leningrad) is an Estonian literature researcher and politician, son of Juri Lotman and Zara Mints. Mihhail Lotman's research fields include general semiotics and semiotics of culture as well as text th ...
, semiotician and politician *
Andres Luure Andres Luure (born 22 May 1959, in Tallinn) is an Estonian philosopher and translator, and a researcher at Tallinn University. Luure graduated from the Moscow State University in 1983, majoring in mathematics. In 1998, he successfully defended ...
, philosopher and translator * Katrin Niglas(et) * Hannes Palang(et) *
Michel Poulain Michel Poulain (7 June 1947, Châtelet, Belgium) was originally skilled in astrophysics at University of Liège (ULiège). He received a PhD in demography at University of Louvain (UCLouvain). As a demographer, he has specialized in international ...
, demographer, known for the concept of Blue Zone *
Tõnis Rätsep Tõnis Rätsep (born 30 June 1947) is an Estonian actor, musician, educator, poet, and playwright. Early life and education Tõnis Rätsep was born in Viljandi, one of two children to a father who was a dairyman and a mother who worked in a dair ...
, lecturer, actor, musician and academic *
Rein Raud Rein Raud (born 21 December 1961) is an Estonian scholar and author. Early life He was born in 1961 in the family of Eno Raud and Aino Pervik, both children's authors. He is the eldest of three children. His younger brother Mihkel Raud is a ...
, professor of Cultural Theory and Japanese studies, writer and translator *
Pia Tikka Pia Tikka (born 10 May 1961 in Kankaanpää) is a Finland, Finnish film director and screenwriter. Her directing works are ''Daughters of Yemanja'' (1995) and ''Sand Bride'' (1998). Tikka was one of the screenwriters of ''The Last Border'' (1993) ...
, filmmaker and academic


References


External links

* {{authority control Universities and colleges in Estonia Educational institutions established in 1919 Educational institutions established in 2005 Education in Tallinn 1919 establishments in Estonia 2005 establishments in Estonia Universities and colleges formed by merger in Estonia