TLU School of Governance, Law and Society

03/08/2026

Our political science student Linda Lees, together with University of Tartu law student Robert Pappel, has published an impactful opinion piece on ERR News regarding Estonia’s Climate-Resilient Economy Act.

In the article, Linda and Robert emphasize the necessity of an ambitious climate law rooted in the principle of intergenerational justice to ensure today's political decisions do not disproportionately burden future generations.

💬 "The burden of these decisions falls largely on the next generation, not on those making them today."

We are proud to see Tallinn University students taking an active role in shaping crucial public policy debates alongside their peers! 👏

Read the full article here 📖👇

We need an ambitious climate law that enables Estonia to meet its international obligations. The current draft of the Climate‑Resilient Economy Act does not consider the rights of future generations and offers no certainty for young people, write Linda Lees and Robert Pappel.

23/07/2026

Join SustainERA at Arvamusfestival 2026!

How can societies respond to overlapping ecological, political, and social crises without returning to growth-driven logics?

Join the SustainERA research team at the Progressiivne Liikumine Stage for workshops and discussions on collective survival, environmental justice, and democratic futures:

👉 Fri 7 Aug | 14:00–16:00
Workshop: SustainERA Futures Visioning Workshop (EN)
Creating space for younger generations to imagine fairer, resilient futures beyond short-term crises. Hosted by Halliki Kreinin & Amy Shackelford.

👉 Sat 8 Aug | 10:30–12:00
Panel: Degrowth as a Collective Survival Strategy (EN)
Exploring degrowth as a practical, anti-colonial survival strategy rooted in mutual aid and community resistance. Moderated by Amy Shackelford with Grete Arro, Dušan Pajović, Ayan Shamchiyeva, and Jaanus Terasmaa.

👉 Sat 8 Aug | 12:30–14:00
Panel: Petromasculinity: How the oil industry makes alpha males dance to its tune (ET)
Examining how fossil-fuel identity politics link climate denial with inequality. Moderated by Halliki Kreinin with Natalie Mets, Frederik Klanberg, and Eero Janson.

SustainERA team members (Grete Arro, Mari-Liis Jakobson, Anu Realo, Jaanus Terasmaa, and Kertu Vuks) will also be participating in various other festival debates across both days!

📍 Learn more about Arvamusfestival: arvamusfestival.ee
(Site is in Estonian – feel free to use your browser's auto-translate function)

🔗 Follow the SustainERA project:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/projectsustainera/posts/?feedView=all
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/

Arvamusfestivali uue juhina alustab sügisest Harri Ausmaa Arvamusfestivali uueks juhiks saab Harri Ausmaa, kes võtab pärast sellesuvist festivali teatepulga üle seda viimased kaks aastat juhtinud Taaniel Raudsepalt.… Loe rohkem

18/07/2026

Does Estonia’s generous parental benefit system encourage "loopholes"? 🤔

Estonia’s parental benefit system is known as one of the most generous in the entire world, offering up to 18 months of paid leave. However, a fresh study reveals that the system's high flexibility has led to unexpected outcomes that contrast with its original goal.

Instead of allowing one parent to temporarily step back from employment to fully focus on childcare, many families are using the system's design to maximize their household income.

Read more from the article highlighting a recent study by Tallinn University's Leading Professor in Demography Allan Puur and junior researcher Sanan Abdullayev on how seemingly small policy details shape family behavior. 👇

Estonia's flexible parental‑leave rules often allow high‑earning fathers to collect benefits while continuing to work, a pattern researchers say can undermine the policy's original goal of letting one parent step back from employment to care for a newborn.

03/07/2026

🎓 "Law is as much about curiosity and initiative as it is about precision."

Meet our alumna Laura Reinberg, whose journey from studying law in the Netherlands to graduating from Tallinn University highlights the value of an international learning environment and a research-driven approach to legal education.

Today, Laura's interests span AI, environmental law, corporate regulation and M&A, exploring how legal frameworks can keep pace with rapidly evolving technologies.

Read Laura's story and discover how Tallinn University's Law programme helped shape her academic journey.

🔗 The link to the blog is in the comments.

02/07/2026

In the new episode, Iranian activist and Tallinn University Researcher Mal Keshmiri tells Terry McDonald that Trump is falling into the same trap that Obama did by "negotiating with our murderers"
Hear the full conversation on Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sGRoKYh8TVrLqPATl6hYA

08/06/2026

🎙️ New Tallinn University Podcast episode: Iran Part One - After the Blackout

Recorded as Iran’s internet came back online after 85 days of nationwide blackout, this episode features Maliheh Keshmiri, Iranian activist, poet, and Junior Research Fellow at Tallinn University’s School of Governance, Law and Society.

She shares insights from contacts inside Iran on repression, resistance, economic collapse, and the ongoing freedom movement.

Part two follows shortly.
Link in comments.

01/06/2026

It was an honour to welcome Prof dr Vasilka Sancin Judge of the European Court of Human Rights to Tallinn University for a seminar on Children Affected by Armed Conflict.

During the SOGOLAS Research Seminar, students gained valuable insights into the Court’s mandate and its work in safeguarding the rights of children affected by armed conflict through:

🔹Individual applications and inter-state cases
🔹Potential requests for advisory opinions

The seminar explored concrete examples of the Court’s engagement with the concept of vulnerability, as well as the negative and positive obligations of states to protect children’s rights, interpreted in light of other applicable rules and principles of international law, particularly international humanitarian law.

It was especially fascinating to hear about the landmark Grand Chamber judgment in Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia, third-party interventions before the Court, and the possibilities for dialogue between the Court and other international courts and bodies working to protect children affected by armed conflict.

Read more about the seminar and its key takeaways in our blog 👇

On 8 May 2026, we had the pleasure of attending a research seminar by Professor Dr. Vasilka Sancin, a Judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

26/05/2026

Congratulations to Tallinn University Law students, who won the 2026 Kirjutuslahing competition hosted by ELSA! 🎉

This is a wonderful achievement and a great example of our students’ strong legal writing, teamwork, and dedication.

Read more about their experience and success here:
https://www.tlu.ee/en/yti/mediahub/blogs/tallinn-university-law-students-won-2026-kirjutuslahing-competition-hosted-elsa

21/05/2026

Tallinn University Podcast guest episode: A.I. in Legal Education ⚖️

From the Tallinn University conference “Legal Education in Europe and Estonia in Light of the Digital Future”, we bring you a new guest episode featuring TLU Law student Sofia Üksiratsa in conversation with Professor Urs Kramer from the University of Passau.

Together, they discuss the opportunities, challenges and risks of artificial intelligence 🤖, and explore its potential role in the future of legal education. The episode also takes a closer look at the DeepWrite project led by Professor Kramer.

🎧 Listen to the episode on Spotify, link in the comments 👇

The Tallinn University Podcast · Episode