Political Science - University of Tartu

06/08/2026

🇪🇺 The Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies is proud to be part of INTEGRA, a major Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project supporting Moldova's EU accession process through higher education.

Together with our partners, we will help develop Moldova's first nationally institutionalised flagship Master's programme in European Affairs - an important step in strengthening the country's institutional capacity for European integration. 🎓

At the Skytte Institute, we are contributing our expertise in European studies, curriculum development, digital education, and innovative teaching methods to help educate the next generation of professionals who will support Moldova's European future. 🧑‍🏫

📍 More about the project:

The University of Tartu is pleased to announce that the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project “EU-MOLDOVA Master's Programme in European Affairs” (INTEGRA) has been selected for funding, marking a significant step in supporting the Republic of Moldova’s European integration th...

09/07/2026

🇨🇾✨ Last week, our summer school in Cyprus concluded with inspiring discussions, new perspectives, and unforgettable field visits!

Thank you to Eiki Berg and Shpend Kursani for sharing their expertise, and to all our students for your curiosity, thoughtful conversations, and enthusiasm throughout the week. Until next time!

01/07/2026

🎙️ Proud to share this conversation featuring one of our institute's recent PhD graduates, Logan Carmichael, who reflects on the PhD journey and life along the way. Give it a listen!

Listen on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIW_nhYN7AE

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0R0I7w141IJ3HKZlD9Tlud?si=3ee1733473394184

26/06/2026

"Somewhere along the way, without quite planning it, we also collected something else – people."

In her graduation speech, our International Relations and Regional Studies MA graduate Daria Ahafonova beautifully captured what so many of our graduates feel: that their time at the Skytte Institute was about much more than earning a degree. It was about finding friendships, building a community, and creating connections that will last long after leaving Tartu.

And, as Daria put it, let's treat this not as a goodbye, but as "a promise to stay curious, to stay in touch, and to show up for each other – even when life pulls us in different directions."

✨ Read Daria's full speech on our website: https://skytte.ut.ee/en/news/daria-ahafonova-we-were-changed-here-not-only-place-also-each-other
📹 Rewatch the speech on UTTV (from 47:30): https://uttv.ee/naita?id=42500

Congratulations once again to all of our graduates – we are so, so proud of you and can't wait to see where your journeys take you next!

Graduation speech by Daria Ahafonova.

19/06/2026

💙 Our dear 2026 graduates!

16/06/2026

Yesterday, on June 15, Biao He successfully defended his doctoral dissertation “When e-government meets bureaucracy: incentive structures shaping accessible service delivery in Chinese municipalities” 🌐

Congratulations to Dr. He! Thank you to his supervisors Mihkel Solvak (University of Tartu) and Vincent Homburg (Erasmus University Rotterdam), as well to the opponent Kim Normann Andersen (Copenhagen Business School).

Find the doctoral dissertation here 👉 https://skytte.ut.ee/en/event/doctoral-defence-biao-he-when-e-government-meets-bureaucracy-incentive-structures-shaping

14/06/2026

✨ On Friday, we wrapped up three inspiring days of the 10th anniversary of the Tartu Conference on East European and Eurasian Studies.

This year’s conference brought together 220+ guests from across Europe, the United States, Canada, and beyond, with 57 panels creating space for insightful discussions and new connections.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to making this anniversary edition so memorable. 🤍

See you again next year!

🔗 Explore the conference and stay tuned for future updates: https://sisu.ut.ee/tartuconference/

10/06/2026

🌍 Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies is hosting the 10th Annual Conference on East European and Eurasian Studies in Tartu from 10–12 June, bringing together more than 200 scholars and experts from around the world.

This year’s theme, “𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐚”, focuses on the transformations shaping Eastern Europe and Eurasia at a time when wars, geopolitical rivalry, and economic uncertainty are challenging established models of cooperation and integration.

Over the course of three days, 57 panel sessions will explore topics ranging from the Soviet legacy and migration to disinformation, international law, and European Union foreign policy. Speakers will join the conference from across Europe, the United States, Canada, and beyond.

👉 Learn more about the conference: https://sisu.ut.ee/tartuconference/

05/06/2026

🎓 Meet the 26 newest graduates of the Master’s programme in 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬!

Congratulations to Daria Ahafonova, Charlie Rae Allen, Karolin Allikas, Dmytro Brytskyi, Jiayi Chen, Flavia Collier, Clément Sylvain Cyril Dillies, Ines Edur, Ramz Bassel Habib Fattaleh, Mai-Brit Jürman, Rodion Krupin, Samuel Kut'ka, Alo Kuusik, Maria-Elisabeth Mihhin, Sigfried Emmanuel Osornio Baños, Mari Rachel Paine, Andrei Pankratov, Ana Patsatsia, Jelizaveta Potapenkova, Triinu Roosna, Johannes Sarapuu, Emma Marie Régine Savouroux, Tanaset Siriwattanadirek, Emily Stella Johanna Zajac, Roman Zolotarjov, and Ren Yashiro! 💛

05/06/2026

It’s thesis defence week at the Skytte Institute, and on Wednesday we continued with two master’s programmes.

Meet the newest graduates of the 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐠𝐞 programme! 💐

Congratulations to Isabell Förster, Nerea García Pérez De San Román, Tornike Goglidze, Eliška Kloužková, Niamh Anoek Mc Dermott, Nikoloz Rogava, Sofia Samoilova, Davit Shavdatuashvili, and Ana Beatriz Sibata Haag França! 💙