TLU School of Governance, Law and Society

06/10/2026

⚖️ On 3-4 October, the Head of the Law programme at Tallinn University, Dr Karolina Aksamitowska was invited to present her research on "Crimes Against Humanity and Biometric Technologies" during a conference titled "Development of International Criminal Law: Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity" in Kraków.

The high-level conference was co-organised by Jagiellonian University, the Nuremberg Academy, and the Siracusa International Institute for Criminal Justice and Human Rights.

It focused on the Draft Articles on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity, which are expected to form the basis for a diplomatic conference scheduled for 2028 and 2029.

The conference in Kraków brought together leading experts in international criminal law who are actively involved in the drafting and negotiation of the future treaty.

Participants included academic experts from Germany, Canada, Poland, France, and Finland, as well as legal advisers from foreign ministries and judges from international courts and tribunals.

05/10/2026

📣 Applications open on 1 November!

Interested in understanding how societies work and how they can change?

🎓 Liberal Arts in Social Sciences at Tallinn University is an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s programme that brings together perspectives from sociology, political science, international relations, anthropology, psychology and more.

Watch the video and discover what studying Liberal Arts in Social Sciences at Tallinn University is all about. 👇

🔗 Learn more about the programme and admission requirements:
https://www.tlu.ee/en/yti/liberal-arts-social-sciences

Applications open 1 November 2026.

30/09/2026

🌍 Tallinn University and the University of Ghana are strengthening their cooperation.

During a visit to Tallinn University, representatives of both universities discussed how to develop their partnership into long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation. The discussions explored opportunities for joint courses, research and projects.

The delegation also met with representatives of Tallinn University’s School of Governance, Law and Society, which collaborates with the University of Ghana’s Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy.

👇 Read more about the cooperation between the two universities. The link to the blog is in the comments.

29/09/2026

“Why not discover my heritage and earn my degree at the same time?”

Born and raised in Ontario, Häli grew up surrounded by Estonian language and culture. Her wish to experience life in Estonia eventually brought her more than 6,000 kilometres from Canada to Tallinn University, where she studies Liberal Arts in Social Sciences.

In her interview, Häli talks about choosing a programme that allows her to explore her many interests, adapting to Estonia’s winters, finding an international community and discovering everyday life in Tallinn.

Her advice to new international students? Put yourself out there, explore beyond the tourist attractions, learn a few words of Estonian and enjoy every moment, because the time goes by faster than you expect.

👇 Read Häli’s full story. The link to the blog is in the comments.

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.