2025/2026 candidates

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Aleksander Koppel

"Having been a representative for a year now, I have not been daunted by any challenge that has awaited me. I have an adequate understanding of how work at the university is carried out. Combined with a general goodwill, I am fully prepared to solve any request for help or problem, if it falls within the competence of the TÜÜE."

"Although the root problems - funding of higher education and equal treatment - should remain as priorities, we cannot forget that the purpose of TÜÜE is not only to solve problems. It is also important to create a cohesive student body, for which a lot of work still needs to be done."

"Students' financial well-being. "

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Elsa Triin Raidla

"I have been a student representative for four years now, as both a representative for my institute and my faculty, and I feel very passionate about it. To me, standing up for student rights is extremely important and I feel that we need to make our voice heard even more. It is crucial, in my opinion, that not only the institutes under one faculty work together, but that collaboration between faculties is enthusiastic and strong. Of course, it is also important to work together with professors, teachers and administrative employees. This saying sure is a cliche, but together we can do so much more. After all, we all want the University of Tartu to be strong, safe and inspiring. I feel that during my time in UTSU, I have managed to play a role in a number of changes. Even though the university is a place for science as well, students are those who make it a UNIVERSITY."

"One of the most important topics for me is equal treatment. As I mentioned previously, for UT to be a good university, everyone has to feel safe. It is the only way this institution can be sustainable. In addition to equal treatment, a topic dear to my heart is the quality of teaching. I have been able to play a role in improving quality of teaching in my institute and in my faculty and seen, that if students make their opinions heard in a way that they cannot be ignored, things improve not only for students, but for teachers as well. We need to take a serious look at ECTS and if they match the work given, and whether the curriculums are versatile and aimed at achieving results."

"UTSU has been very active this year when it comes to standing up for free higher education and we need not only continue, but to be even louder. The second topic that has to be among UTSU’s priorities is equal treatment. We, as representatives, need to start fighting more in that field. Even though it is a topic that has a place in all of our minds, UTSU needs to become a spokes”person”. UTSU’s purpose is to stand for the interests of students, I will never tire of repeating that sentence. Of course, quality of teaching is also something to work on – mainly, we need to work together with teachers and professors."

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Heidi Hein

"I believe that what makes me a good student representative is that I have a strong sense of justice and am solution-oriented. Organizing events is cool, but the main role of a student representative is to stand up for the needs and rights of students. I believe that I have done this well so far as a student representative of the Department of Estonian and General Linguistics in the 2024/2025 academic year, and also during my previous studies when standing up for the needs of my fellow students."

"In my opinion, it is important to develop curricula so that it brings maximum benefit to everyone (including improving the effectiveness of feedback forms), and at the same time, attention should definitely be paid to equal treatment at the institute, faculty, and university level."

"Having worked as an assessment assistant in some subjects, among other things, I have noticed that the guidelines for thesis in many disciplines need development and/or clarification, so this could be something to strive for."

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Andres Laiapea

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen lõpetanud Tartu Ülikoolis bakalaureuseõppe ajaloo erialal (suund: Eesti ajalugu), kõrvaleriala riigiteadus (võrdlev poliitika), ning magistriõppe põhikooli mitme aine õpetaja õppekaval (ajalugu, ühiskonnaõpetus, inimeseõpetus). Praegu õpin usuteaduskonnas religioonipedagoogikat (usundiõpetuse õpetajaks). Olen seega puutunud õpingute kaudu lähedalt kokku nelja erineva instituudiga. Mul on olemas võrdlusmoment, millele saan üliõpilasesindajana toetuda."

"Kolme lapse isana olen äärmiselt huvitatud sellest, et kvaliteetne õppemaksuta kõrgharidus, mille puhul on üliõpilasele jäetud võimalikult palju valikuvõimalusi, oleks kättesaadav ka tulevikus. See on peamine siht, mida kavatsen pidada silmas üliõpilasesinduse liikmena, kui mind selleks valitakse. Tahan, et ka minu lastel oleks võimalik omandada kunagi enda huvidele vastav haridus, koormamata ennast selleks suurte õppelaenudega."

"Minu arvates on läbivalt kõige olulisemad teemad õppekvaliteet ja kõrghariduse rahastamine. Paljud muud asjad võib liigitada nende kahe omavahel seotud suure teema alateemadeks."

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Talis Timmi

"I am conscientious and hardworking, which makes me a reliable person to work with. I am a good listener and therefore I would be able to understand and address students' concerns. I have previous experience in teamwork and management."

"As a representative, I want to focus on addressing the concerns of my fellow students. In particular, I’m interested in matters related to the curriculum and the quality of it. At the same time, I believe that there is no need to change just for the sake of changing; different arguments and viewpoints should be taken into account."

"In the UTSU, it is important to focus on education funding, student well-being (including access to dormitory places), and the quality of education."

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Triin Kuusk

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Minu nimi on Triin Kuusk ja õpin kolmandat aastat ajaloo ja arheoloogia instituudis kunstiajaloo erialal. Minu esimene aasta instituudi üliõpilasesindajana oli põnev, kuna sain anda oma panuse instituudi arengut puudutavates küsimustes ning õppisin veelgi paremini mõistma ülikooli ülesehitust. Kandideerin üliõpilasesindusse ka järgmiseks õppeaastaks, sest mind huvitab üliõpilaste heaolu parandamine ja õpingute toetamine, ürituste korraldamine ja uute inimestega tutvumine ning ülikooli ja oma instituudi arengu eest seismine. Viimased kaks aastat olen olnud oma õppekaval ka esmakursuslaste tuutoriks. Olen rõõmsameelne, uudishimulik ning alati teistega arvestav, mispärast usun, et saan üliõpilasesindaja ülesannetega hästi hakkama."

"Suheldes tuutorina erinevate esmakursuslastega, sain aru, et üliõpilastel võib tekkida raskusi oma valitud eriala õppekavas orienteerumisel, tunniplaani koostamisel ja õpingutee planeerimisel laiemalt. Usun, et paljudele tuleb tuttav ette, kui keerukas on esmakursuslasena mõista näiteks ainepunktide süsteemi või välissemestrile mineku ametlikku asjaajamist. Üliõpilasesindajana soovin panustada senisest enam õppekorraldusliku info ja nõu jagamisse, et jõuda erinevate ülikooli kanalite kaudu iga tuge vajava üliõpilaseni.

Praegusel ajal valmistab üliõpilastele kõige enam muret majanduslik toimetulek õpingute ajal. Enamik üliõpilasi peab sellepärast õpingute kõrvalt käima ka tööl, milletõttu võib kannatada õppimine ja ülikooli lõpetamine. Üliõpilasesindajana suunan tudengeid leidma infot erinevate toetuste ja stipendiumite taotlemise kohta."

"Soovin, et TÜÜE seisaks ka järgmisel õppeaastal tugevalt ja kindlameelselt selle eest, et eestikeelne kõrgharidus oleks ka edaspidi tasuta."

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Helis Luks

"Hello! I'm Helis and I am deeply interested in education and politics. My previous work has included leading youth organisations, writing projects, public speaking and youth representation. I currently serve on the Ole Rohkem team, the youth council of Saaremaa municipality and the board of trustees of my former school. I have implemented initiatives related to political science, helped to set up simulation games for the municipal council, etc., and have been an active community member. This work has earned me the Greatest Courage Award in the Hea Eeskuju competition and the title of Young Person of the Year in my hometown.

I am running for student representative because I want to lend a hand to activities that protect and promote the benefits and needs of students. I believe that my previous experience will help me achieve this goal."

"As I see it, education is a key pillar of Estonian identity, and access to it must not in any way dwindle or be reduced in the future. I stand up for the idea that financial gaps in higher education should not be filled by large student loans or students' wallets. I also stand up for the importance of youth and student organisations and hobby education, which has received the biggest cut in the national budget this year. With my contribution, I would like to stand up for 'young people are our future' not to remain just a pre-election slogan, but to ensure that its importance is always on the table, both at local and national level."

"In my view, UTSU should pay particular attention to the funding of higher education, the ethics and use of AI in teaching and, of course, the quality of teaching and the general well-being of students and staff. Both the issue of funding for higher education and the issue of AI are already on everyone's agenda, and therefore require particular attention and consideration. This is as much from student representatives as from students and academics. We are the ones who will be the first to feel the consequences when decisions are taken at university or national level."

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Ruben Tikerperi

"What makes me a good student representative is that I am a very social person, like to organize events, and am otherwise a great guy. I have previously held leadership positions where I have had to speak publicly and be responsible for the event."

"The most important thing for me would be to defend free higher education. Otherwise, I am ready to deal with smaller problems and, if you wish, drink some cold beers and listen to your concerns."

"I think that next year, TÜÜE should focus on defending the aforementioned free higher education and whether text bots should be banned or applied within limits at the university."

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Joel Orav

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Tere, ma olen Joel Orav ja ma olen filosoof kui ka teise aasta filosoofia ja matemaatika tudeng. Ausalt öeldes ei ole mul mingit kogemust üliõpilasesinduses, siiski ma arvan, et on üsna otstarbekas mind valida, kuna ma olen üsna palju uurinud võrdse kohtlemise kohta, nagu näiteks ma olen Võrdse Kohtlemise Seadus: Käsiraamat esimese 2010 väljaande ja 2022 kolmanda väljaande läbilugenud ja leian, et palju oleks Tartu Ülikoolil veel õppida või nii.
Kusjuures ma tulin õhtukoolist siia ja eelnevalt õppisin kutsekoolis ehitusviimistlust ning töötasin fassaaditöödel 11 aastat — välimus võib olla petlik. Mis puutub võrdsesse kohtlemisse:ma mõistsin, et minu varasem maksiim: “Inimesed ei ole võrdsed, ei saa olla, ei taha olla – seega ei pea olema,” ei ole vastuolus võrdse kohtlemise põhimõtetega, vaid toob välja eksiarvamuse, justkui võrdsus tähendaks sarnasust. uigi mind jahmatava paneval moel, mis pani mind mõistma, et ma olen täiesti ignorantne selles vallas, deklareerib Võrdse Kohtlemise Seaduse 2010 Käsiraamat, lehekülg 14, üsna selgelt:

Eestis kiputakse ikka veel segamini ajama mõistepaare erinevus-sarnasus ja võrdsus ebavõrdsus. Erinevus on normaalse ühiskonna olemus. Kõik inimesed erinevad üksteisest oma väljanägemise, huvide ja tegevuste, valikute ja võimete poolest. Võrdsuse mõiste ei viita kõigi ühesuguseks tegemisele või ainult materiaalsete ressursside võrdsele ümberjagamisele. Võrdsus eeldabki õigust olla erinev. Kõige üldisemalt tähistatakse võrdsuse mõistega suhet kahe või enama inimese või inimgruppide vahel mõnes eluvaldkonnas või -situatsioonis. Inimestevahelise võrdsuse eesmärgiks on ühesuguste õiguste, kohustuste, vastutuste ja võimaluste olemasolu. Kõigil peavad olema võrdsed võimalused hea hariduse omandamiseks või oma erialal töötamiseks sõltuvalt tema enda jõupingutustest, vabana ajaloolis-kultuuriliselt kujunenud piirangutest, mis neid jõupingutusi kas takistavad või millegi saavutamise soovi vähendavad. Iga inimese üheks põhiõiguseks on õigus mitte olla diskrimineeritud temale omistatud tunnuste – rassi, rahvuse, soo jms tõttu. Kõigil on õigus võrdsele kohtlemisele, võrdsusele seaduse ees, kaitsele diskrimineerimise vastu ning osalemisele ühiskonnas.

Tegelikult tähendab võrdsus õigust olla erinev. Ja see erinevus vajab kaitset. Kogu elu on mind püütud allutada. Algas see juba koolist, kus mind defineeriti läbi puudujääkide: düsleksik, üksikema laps, halvad hinded, eksentrik. Taheti mind “parandada”, paigutada sobivasse vormi. See oli süsteemi reaktsioon erinevusele. Võrdse kohtlemise põhimõtted eeldavad, et inimene on väärtuslik mitte seetõttu, et ta allub kollektiivsele normile, vaid seetõttu, et ta on eriline. See seisukoht on otseselt vastandlik Giovanni Gentile’i fašistlikule filosoofiale, mille kohaselt indiviidil pole tähendust väljaspool riigi tahte peegeldamist. Kaasaegne süsteem võib küll väita, et ta on liberaalne, kuid peidab endas tihti sama totalitaarset struktuuri — lihtsalt uues keeles, uues vormis."

"Süsteemi ei toimi üksnes institutsionaalselt, vaid ka intellektuaalselt. Nende seas, kes ennast uute ideede eestvedajateks nimetavad, puudub sageli sügavam epistemoloogiline võimekus. Enamasti suudavad nad analüüsida, kuid mitte sünteesida — see tähendab, et nad on head dekonstrueerijad, kuid ei suuda konstrueerida uut mõtteraami, mille abil võiks süsteemi tõeliselt nihestada. Ja see, mis ei sünteesi, ei vii kuhugi. Analüüs, mis ei lõpe tähendusliku ümbermõtestamisega, on pelgalt retooriline praktika — õhuline akadeemiline muskel, mis ei vii ühiskonda edasi, vaid säteerib olemasoleva mõistmise tähistustasandil.
Siit tulenebki uus mõiste: neokonformistid — need, kes esmapilgul vastanduvad süsteemile, kuid tegelikult uuendavad selle sisu ilma selle vormi muutmata. Nad on lihtsalt järgmise ajastu konformistid, kelle revolutsioon seisneb selles, et neil on uued sõnad samade asjade kohta. Aga tähendused jäävad muutmata, sest nad ei ole huvitatud semantilistest revolutsioonidest, vaid performatiivsest kuulumisest. Neil on tugev identiteediteadlikkus, aga nõrk metatasandi refleksioon. Nad suudavad arvata, et nad on sügavad, sest nad oskavad jagada õigeid viiteid, kuid nad ei näe, et nad on osa süsteemist, mida nad usuvad dekonstrueerivat.

Ent isegi sellest on veel vähem. Kaasaegne ühiskond on kasvatanud terve põlvkonna küberkonformiste — noori, kes on täielikult kureeritud kübersotsiaalsete algoritmide kaudu. Alates 2015. aastast, kui YouTube tõi kasutajateni “Home” lehe ja surus tahaplaanile “Subscribed”-süsteemi, hakkas tähenduse loomine toimuma algoritmilisel alusel.Alates sellest elame me täiesti erinevas maailmas ja enamus noortest tudengitest on sotsiaalmeediat tarbinud üksnes läbi algoritmi. Samaaegselt kasvas TikToki mõju, mille voog põhineb mitte valikul, vaid järjestikuste valikute profiiliimiteerimisel. Sellest hetkest alates muutus noorte maailmapilt semantiliselt suletuks – mitte ainult ei valita tähendusi, vaid neid ei toodeta enam üldse iseseisvalt.

Ja see ei puuduta ainult meediat. See puudutab mõtlemist ennast. Inimene ei vali enam, mida ta mõtleb — ta mõtleb seda, mida süsteem talle mõtlemiseks ette toidab, ja ta nimetab seda vabaduseks. Ta elab testide ja reaktsioonide ruumis, kus iga klikikujuline liigutus muutub semantilise valideerimise osaks. Siin ei ole enam individuaalset tähendusloomet, vaid jälgitav ja modelleeritav tähenduse liikumine, mille eesmärk ei ole mõistmine, vaid turundus. Tema isik muutub tema andmete projektsiooniks, mitte vastupidi.
Kuvandid, mida me näeme – reklaamid, isiksused, sildid, isegi poliitilised liikumised – ei ole enam lihtsalt representatsioonid, vaid igavesti kestvad testid. “Truth that is no longer the reflexive truth of the mirror, nor the perspectival truth of the panoptic system and of the gaze, but the manipulative truth of the test…” — nagu Baudrillard oma tuntuimas teoses “Simulacra and Simulation” oli öelnud ja “TV is the truth of the Louds, it is TV that renders true.” Seda peab mõistma: meid ei testita enam teadmise nimel, vaid kuuluvuse ja käitumise nimel. Ja test, mis ei lõpeta hindamist, ei ole enam test — see on paradigma. Me ei ela enam teadmise struktuuris, vaid filtreeritud reaktsioonide skaalas."

Nii sünnib uus semantiline surutis, kus isegi vastupanu on arvestatud valikute hulka, ja iga erinevus on juba klassifitseeritud. Ja iga liigne nihkumine — olgu see intellektuaalne, esteetiline või moraalne — ei põhjusta debatti, vaid tõrjumist. Sest see, kes ei ole modelleeritav, ei ole mitte lihtsalt probleem — ta on häire. Ta ei sobitu analüüsimudeli eeldustesse, ja seetõttu tema tähendus peab kaduma, et mudel ei läheks katki.
Sellises maailmas muutub mälukaotus kollektiivseks refleksiivseks normiks. Mitte keegi ei mäleta, kuidas mõelda tähenduse enda pärast. Mitte keegi ei taha tõesti meenutada neid, kes ei allunud. Nad ei kao ainult formaalselt – nad kaotatakse mõtteliselt. Ja see ongi süsteemi tõeline triumf: unustada mitte ainult valesti käitunud indiviidid, vaid võimalus üldse eksisteerida valesti.
Kui uurida, kus sotsiaalmeedia algoritmid sündisid, siis siin kerkib esile IQ-testide ajalugu kui selle epistemoloogilise järelevalve eelkäija: Sir Francis Galton ei tahtnud ainult mõista, mis on intelligentsus – ta tahtis seda mõõta. Normaaljaotus, g-faktor, Deviation IQ – kõik need mehhanismid aitasid luua standardiseeritud tähendusstruktuuri, kus indiviidi väärtus määrati tema võrreldavuse järgi. Mitte tema tähenduse, vaid tema sobivuse järgi. Ja iroonilisel kombel on just need struktuurid, mis kunagi loodi teadmiste huvist, saanud nüüd semantilise kapitalismi nurgakiviks: kui sa ei mahu jaotusesse, siis sind ei eksisteeri.
IQ-testide tähtsus ei seisne ainult selles, et nad olid statistiliste meetodite, nagu korrelatsioon, regressioon, normaaljaotus ja faktoranalüüs, pioneerid. Veelgi olulisem on nende epistemoloogiline eeldus, et inimese mõistus – tema võime mõelda, eristada, prognoosida ja lahendada – on kvantitatiivselt mõõdetav ning seeläbi prognoositav. See oli uus paradigmatase: mitte ainult see, et inimesi saab mõõta, vaid et mõõdetud tulemused ennustavad tulevikku. IQ ei jäänud lihtsalt akadeemilise huvi objektiks, vaid sellest sai praktikasse rakendatav selektsioonivahend.
Seda kinnitab tõsiasi, et peaaegu kõik Ameerika Ühendriikides kasutatavad kõrghariduse testid – SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), LSAT (Law School Admission Test), GRE (Graduate Record Examination), MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), MAT (Miller Analogies Test) – on tänaseni tugevalt g-loaded. See tähendab, et need korreleeruvad tugevalt üldintelligentsuse faktoriga, isegi kui nende peamine eesmärk pole otseselt intelligentsuse hindamine. On tehtud mitmeid katseid vähendada nende testide sõltuvust g-faktorist, muuta neid rohkem spetsiifilisteks või kontekstipõhiseks, kuid need katsed on järjekindlalt läbi kukkunud. Selgub, et mida iganes sa ka ei mõõdaks – loogikat, verbaalset arutlust, analoogiaoskust, ruumilist mõtlemist – g-faktor imbub igale poole, nagu strukturaalne gravitatsioonitõmme mõttetegevuse sees.
See ongi see tuum: g-faktor on universaalne telg, mille ümber organiseeruvad tähenduse, suutlikkuse ja süsteemse sobivuse kategooriad. Kui inimese tulemus on väga kõrge või väga madal, muutub see tähenduseks, mitte ainult numbriks. Sellest saab narratiiv, määratlus, sotsiaalne identiteet.Ühtlasi, miks ma tean sellise teema kohta on see, et ma tegin gümnaasiumi uurimistöö just intellektuaalse andekuse kohta ja sellega võimalikult kaasnevad suhtlustõkked, millel oli 49 viidet sh ka Lewis Termani sada aastat vanad uuringud. Kahjuks hindamiskomisjon ei saanud midagi aru ja hakkasid kohe hate’ima ja sain kolme ehk… E? Ma sain isegi vähem punkte kui vene rahvusest naine, kes tegi lõputöö parketipaigalduseks ja esitas üsna kehva eestikeelse tasemega esitluse. Muideks see ei olen vene rahvusest inimesi pilkav, lihtsalt naljakas lugu.
Ning täpselt sellesama loogika on kaasaegsed sotsiaalmeedia algoritmid nüüdseks täielikult üle võtnud. Ka nemad ei huvitu enam pelgalt sellest, mida sa klikid, loed või jagad, vaid sellest, kuidas sa orienteerud maailmas: kui kiiresti sa reageerid, kui täpselt sa fokuseerid, kui pikalt sa peatud, millist infot sa —

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Gloria Margret Rose

"My previous experience as an Arts and Humanities Faculty student representative supports the new mandate as I now have a clearer understanding of how the UTSU and the University work. As a student representative, I believe it is crucial that both current and future humanities students feel valued and not undervalued. I also feel that students are unaware of the opportunities available to them during their studies – whether it is in applying for scholarships, exchange semesters or conferences abroad, or professional internships."

"As a student representative, one of the key issues is the accessibility and quality of higher education. I want to make sure that no young person's educational journey is left unfinished or interrupted due to financial difficulties. Another important issue for me is to enhance access to information within the university. This would help solve many of the common problems that students face when planning their future. If a student doesn't know where to find information about support services, exchange programs or internships, it becomes difficult for them to navigate their academic path in a purposeful and informed manner."

"In the coming academic year, the UTSU, in cooperation with the University, will have to pay more attention than before to equal treatment, so that this value is more widely transferred to the future society. The University's role in the formation of students is not limited to the development of professional knowledge, but also includes supporting personal development and the creation of human values. Internally, the focus could be more on the Institute's representatives, to make their role more meaningful and influential, and to create more opportunities for cooperation with the faculty representatives."

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Anete-Marleen Siimon

The candidate provided some of their answers in English

"My previous experience as the recording secretary of my high school’s student union has given me a strong eye for detail and the ability to distinguish the most important information from the unnecessary. It has also taught me to listen and value different opinions, while knowing when to speak up. I won’t step outside without my daily dose of yappucino. I’m driven by a strong sense of responsibility, which means I have no problem taking on tasks that come with greater responsibility. For me, the most important thing is to stand up for the rights and well-being of students, which is why I’m not afraid to voice unpopular opinions when necessary. Above all, I value good company and a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable enough to share their thoughts. In teamwork, I’m solution- and compromise-oriented. These personal qualities ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and, whenever possible, the maximum benefit is achieved for all parties involved."

"Minu jaoks on kõige olulisemateks teemadeks erinevad toetused, stipendiumid, Tasuta kõrgharidus, õpilaste vaimne tervis ning võrdne kohtlemine, sest need on valdkonnad, mis ka minu õppetööd ja edukust kõige enam mõjutavad. Nagu eelnevalt mainitud, on minu jaoks oluline ka seltskonnaelu ja selle edendamine, sest kogukond ja head sõbrad on need, kes muudavad ülikoolielu kergemaks."

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"Funding and sustainability of higher education, equal treatment, and the mental health and well-being of students and faculty."

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Elisabeth Pae

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Mul on varasemalt kogemusi mitmes erinevas organisatsioonis tegutsemisel ning see on andnud mulle hea baasi esindajatööks. Olen olnud aastaaega instituudi üliõpilasesindaja, mis on loonud ülevaate sellest, mis teemad vajavad tähelepanu ja kuhu peab liikuma. Olen positiivne ja koostööle orienteeritud, mis aitab mul olla esindajana tõhus ja usaldusväärne."

"Minu jaoks on väga oluline, et kõik tudengid, õppejõud ja ülikooli töötajad tunneksid end akadeemilises keskkonnas võrdselt kohelduna. Tõik on see, et ebavõrdse ja ebaväärika kohtlemise lahendamine on ülikoolis auklik ja vajab arendamist. Minu eesmärk esindaja - tudengitele peab olema lihtne ligipääs vajalikule teabele. Tudeng peab tundma, et ülikoolil on kindlad viisid probleemide lahendamiseks."

"Kahtlemata. Kõrghariduse. Rahastus. — Järgmisel õppeaastal peab tingimata jätkuma kõrghariduse rahastusele keskendumine ja selle mõju pidevale teadvustamisele. Tudengiesindajana leian, et teema vajab konstantset tööd, sest rahastus mõjutab otseselt nii õppekvaliteeti, tudengite motiveeritust ning kõige peamiselt - tudengite toimetulekut."

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Pille Kurnitski

"Last year I successfully stood up for the opinions of my fellow students, organized events and contributed to the work of the University of Tartu Student Union. In addition, I am also on the program council of my specialty and can successfully express the opinions of students. I have set myself certain priorities and I stand up for them firmly and courageously, because if we don't do it, who will? Considering all this, I think I am well suited to be a student representative next year as well."

"As a student representative, the most important issues for me are those that directly affect the daily lives and academic success of students. The key issues for me are student well-being and mental health, because academic pressure can be very burdensome. I also consider academic representation and the protection of student rights to be important in order to ensure a fair and supportive environment. Improving the quality of education is also important, because I want students to receive the best possible education. It is important to ensure effective communication between the university and students, so that information flows quickly and smoothly."

"In the next academic year, the University of Tartu Student Union should focus on improving the learning environment, emphasizing the importance of the environment and listening to the students’ voices. The aim is to create an environment where students feel comfortable and important, which in turn promotes better learning and well-being. The Student Council should actively collect student feedback and cooperate with the university administration to ensure good conditions in the academic buildings. It is important that students’ opinions are taken into account when designing the learning environment to ensure a favorable and supportive environment for everyone."

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Hugo Rait Mei

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen õigusteaduskonna bakalaureuseastme 1. kursuse tudeng, kel on pikk avaliku esinemise taust ning palju kogemusi kommunikatsioonivaldkonnas, lisaks ka suurürituste ja kampaaniate planeerimises. Usun, et minu teadmistest oleks suurt kasu nii valdkonna üliõpilaskogus kui ka üliõpilaskonna volikogus. Seepärast kandideeringi sotsiaalteaduste valdkonna üliõpilasesindajaks."

"Kui viimastel aastatel on ikka ja jälle kandidaadid lubanud seista kõrghariduse rahastamise suurendamise eest, siis järgmiste üliõpilasesindajate ees seisab hulka raskem ülesanne: võidelda kõrghariduse tasuliseks muutumise vastu. Teadaolevalt hautakse Toompeal plaani muuta järgmise kahe aasta jooksul ülikoolis õppimine tasuliseks. Seda ei tohi juhtuda! Tartu Ülikooli üliõpilasesindusel on selles küsimuses kohustus sõna võtta. Me peame saatma sõnumi, et Eesti ei tohi muutuda Ameerikaks, kus ebaõiglased õppemaksude ja -laenude süsteemid pärsivad noorte võimalusi kõrgharidust saada. Vanemate sotsiaalmajanduslik seisund ei tohi määrata laste karjäärivõimalusi. Tõotan üliõpilasesinduses võidelda iga noore õiguse eest tasuta kvaliteetsele kõrgharidusele!"

"Kuigi üliõpilastel on lahendamist vajavaid probleeme palju, on kõige tähtsam prioriteet säilitada tasuta kõrgharidus. Kui me selles peaksime läbi kukkuma, ei oma muu enam tähtsust. Kui nõustud, siis vali Meid!"

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Marina Daškina

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Usun, et minust teeb hea üliõpilasesindaja kombinatsioon empaatiavõimest, kohusetundlikkusest ja oskusest kuulata ning kaasa rääkida. Olen inimene, kellele läheb tõeliselt korda, kuidas tunnevad end teised ning kuidas saaksin panustada sellesse, et üliõpilaste häält kuuldaks ja arvestataks otsuste tegemisel.Minu soov on seista selle eest, et kõigil tudengitel oleks võimalus õppida toetavas keskkonnas, kus nende arvamus loeb. Usun, et minu isikuomadused ja varasemad kogemused loovad hea aluse selle rolli vastutustundlikuks täitmiseks."

"Vaimse tervise ja heaolu teema on olnud läbivalt tähtis. Meediapädevuse nädala raames käsitletud digitaalse heaolu ja infohügieeni küsimused haakuvad selgelt sellega, kuidas tudengid kogevad õppimist tänapäevases infoülekülluses. Üliõpilasesindus saab siinkohal olla toetav jõud, tõstatades vaimse tervise, digihügieeni ja ülekoormuse teemasid."

"Tartu Ülikooli Üliõpilasesindus peaks järgmisel õppeaastal pöörama senisest rohkem tähelepanu vaimse heaolu toetamisele. Kuigi see teema on juba varasemalt päevakorras olnud, näen jätkuvalt, et tudengite vaimne koormus on kõrge ning tugi pole alati kergesti kättesaadav või piisavalt nähtav. Üliõpilased seisavad silmitsi mitmete ootustega – akadeemiline surve, töö- ja eraelu tasakaal, rahalised raskused ning tulevikuga seotud ebakindlus. Selleks et Tartu Ülikooli tudengid tunneksid end hoituna ja motiveerituna, tuleb tugevdada ennetustööd, tõsta teadlikkust vaimse tervise teemadel ning pakkuda rohkem nähtavat ja ligipääsetavat tuge, näiteks tugigruppe, koolitusi, nõustamist või mentorprogramme."

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Marzhan Ryskhanova

"This is the second year in a row that I have been a volunteer at the Narva College Student Council. While in the volunteer club, I participated in all the organization of the event, and also helped students with their problems. My hard work and kindness helps me combine my basic studies and volunteering. Having worked with the student council and participated in a wide variety of events and seminars, I can confidently say that I have experience in this."

"My main priorities as a student representative are the well-being of students, their favourable stay at the university and the creation of computer conditions for both students and teachers."

"In my opinion, more focus should be placed on student development. To organize conferences and seminars not only where they study, but also in different departments of the university. Secondly, I think it's worth trying to add more activities for an interesting student life for young people."

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Rait Mattias Salvan

"As a student representative, I am motivated to contribute to making the students of the University of Tartu even more prominent advocates of a free society, and to make this visible to the outside world. I am well informed about general issues concerning higher education, have found many like-minded people, and as a student representative I want to actively seek them out. While I associate a strong abstract thinking ability with law studies, I consider my strengths lie in addressing a wide range of issues together, because the "arguments" that shape the future do not exist separately in vacuum."

"The issues that are important to me overlap to a large extent with those on which I would like to see UTSU more active, since it would be posssible for myself to contribute as a student representative. Personally, as a student representative, I am planning on finging other people who share my view that the quality of higher education in its broadest sense depends first and foremost on suggestions and feedback from students themselves. Thus the quality of education and high standards set by students themselves go hand in hand. Not just the fact that suggestions are made is important, but also that it is relevant in its substance, i.e. that the parties agree with each wother within the overall core values and strategy. It would be arbitrary to suggest that student input in addressing these issues is somehow poor, but there are examples of weird misunderstangings between faculty/institute and students."

"The issues that are important to me as a student representative also overlap with the issues on which I expect more attention from the UTSU. I think that, e.g. on higher education funding, UTSU can be even more active. Free higher education has been a great contribution to ensuring access to higher education, but unfortunately the current model seems likely to disappear despite the oppositon. The statements of UTSU should not be merely a reaction to possible next policy steps on this issue, but a proactive debate involving students should also extend to the issues of specific funding models and the rethinking of higher education. UTSU, therefore, has the opportunity to initiate a debate on this issue first among students themselves, which would in turn provide a strong backing for the expression of views to the public."

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Jekaterina Makarova

"I am a person of ideas, action, and new opportunities. I’m ambitious, creative, and not afraid of challenges—especially when it comes to improving university life. As a first-year student living in the dormitory, I constantly interact with people from different backgrounds, which means my ideas are shaped by real experiences and aimed at benefiting the student community. For the past year, I have been actively involved in the volunteer program of our student council, so I know how it breathes, what it dreams of, and what it needs. I don’t just want to be a part of the Narva College family—I want to help make it stronger. I’m confident that my diverse experience, enthusiasm, and creative approach will serve as valuable tools for future initiatives."

"Creating a comfortable environment for communication between international students within the college. Increasing the number of evening game events held in different languages to help students develop their skills. Listening closely to students wishes and suggestions."

"For me, it’s all about communication between international groups. Organizing events and games in different languages to make students feel more comfortable. For example, hosting evenings dedicated to cultural presentations, traditional customs, food, and workshops."

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Katriin Saa

"I am active, bold, and sincere – a true people person who loves being in the middle of events. My high school yearbook quote was "Everywhere, all the time," and I must admit, it still describes my life quite well.

This academic year, I worked as a tutor – supporting first-year students in adjusting to university life and organizing memorable events for both my fellow students and the community of the Lossi 36 building. Additionally, I am a member of the Journalism and Communication program council, where I can contribute to the development of my field.

My studies in Journalism and Communication have given me the courage to ask difficult questions and stand up for the weaker – qualities that are also highly important in student representation. When I do something, I do it with passion and commitment – that’s why I believe I would be a good fit for the student council."

"As a student representative, it is important to me that all students see the university as a good place to be and create memories for life. I would stand for ensuring that every student feels comfortable at the university and that access to mental health support is available when needed.

I also believe that the student council of the social sciences field could be more visible to students. From my own experience and feedback from my peers, I have realized that there is significant potential in this area that has yet to be fully utilized. I want to bring this potential to life so that other students better understand the work of the student council and are aware of the opportunities it offers."

"I believe that UTSU should focus more on the quality of education in the upcoming year. The University of Tartu is one of the leading higher education institutions in Estonia, and the education offered here must live up to that reputation. I want all of our graduates to feel that they have a clear competitive advantage in the job market. I understand that many opportunities are constrained by funding, but I believe that even with the current resources, there are areas that can be developed and improved. To find good solutions, it is important to be creative and look for new opportunities!"

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Ariadna Pavlenko

"I study journalism and communication, which has provided me with strong skills in clearly and effectively conveying information. My openness, empathy, and proactive attitude in addressing issues would make me a good student representative. Previous experience with volunteer work and project management has taught me to listen to diverse opinions and act accordingly."

"My top priorities are supporting students' mental health, improving the quality of education, and increasing student involvement in university decision-making processes. As a journalism and communication student, I also aim to improve communication between students and university administration. Additionally, it is important to me that all first-year students feel welcome and not alone at university.

Representing the Institute of Social Sciences, I aim to highlight awareness of social issues and increase student involvement in decision-making processes. Additionally, I want to emphasize the need to improve the institute's internal and external communication, support students' mental health, and offer interactive opportunities for prospective students to explore various specializations."

"Next academic year, UTSU should focus more on enhancing the student feedback system, ensuring that student opinions meaningfully contribute to improving education quality and university management. Additionally, attention should be given to the quality and transparency of communication. It would also be beneficial to provide more engaging interactive activities for prospective students, helping them quickly understand which specializations suit them best."

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Roman Zolotarjov

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olles panustanud Skytte instituudi töösse erinevates rollides - nii üliõpilase enda kui ka õppeassistendina - ja näinud ülikoolielu erinevate nurkade alt leian, et ehk natuke paremini tunnen ma kaasõpilaste muresid ja soove. Olgu tegemist õppetöö korraldamise, töö ja õppimise kombineerimise vajaduse või lihtsalt selge ja adekvaatse “köögipoolse” informatsiooni puudumisega. Oskus kuulata ja kaasa lüüa, mõelda progressiivselt ja kastist välja, kuid ennekõike tugev sisemine veendumus et üliõpilaste hääl peab olema kuulatud ning et kõrghariduse planeerimine ja hariduspoliitika üldiselt peab lähtuma tudengite vajadustest ja mitte Excel tabeli kalkulatsioonidest teeb minust hea üliõpilasesindaja."

"Ennekõike tasub otsustada kõrghariduse rahastamise küsimuse üle. Kõrgharidus peab olema Eesti noortele kättesaadav ehk tasuta. Punkt. Ei poliitilist petturlust ega tühje sõnu sellest, kuidas poliitikud ja ametnikud muretsevad Eesti ja tema noorte pärast, kärpides samas hariduskulusid. Teiseks, stipendiumid. Riiklikud kärped kõrghariduse valdkonnas on viinud selleni, et riik on lakanud tulemusstipendiumite maksmast, pannes paljusid üliõpilasi keerulisse olukorda, kus nad peavad samaaegselt nii õppima kui ka tööl käima. Sel taustal on veelgi häbiväärsemalt näevad välja poliitikute jutud “tasuta” kõrgharidusest. Kolmandaks, õppeprogrammide suurem seos tööturu vajadustega läbi avaliku ja erasektorite tihedama koostöö ühelt poolt ning Ülikooli ja riigiasutuste koostöö teiselt poolt. Üliõpilastel peab olema võimalus käia tööl oma riigis oma valdkonnas."

"TÜÜE peab minu meelest aktiivsemalt sõna võtma üliõpilaste jaoks olulistel teemadel, isegi kui see tundub kohati asjatu. Kõrghariduse rahastamine ja tasuta kõrgharidus on üks selliseid teemasid. Ei tasu mõelda, et poliitikud lähtuvad tudengite vajadustest, kui nad suletud uste taha otsustavad Eesti kõrghariduse rahastamismudelite üle. Nad seda ei tee. Neid huvitab ennekõike võimalus olla tagasi valitud, mille toovad vanemate inimeste - ja mitte noorte - hääled. Aga sellest ei tulene meie õiguste eest seismise väiksem olulisus. Vaid pannes tudengeid tagasi esikohale hariduspoliitika planeerimisel ja elluviimisel saame luua riiki, kus iga üliõpilane tunneks ennast väärtustatu ja olulisena. Ja selles küsimuses peab TÜÜE’l olema esiroll."

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Marika Adson

"Thanks to my role as the president of the Estonian Psychology Students' Association, I have quite a good overview of my field of study – both its strengths and areas for development. Being a student representative feels like a meaningful next step – a chance to broaden my perspective on higher education as a whole and to engage more deeply with how to systematically and effectively represent the interests of students in social sciences.

My previous experience with strategic planning, team cooperation, and negotiating – whether with representatives of different organizations or with faculty – would definitely support me in this role. These experiences have taught me to think big, act purposefully, and value collaboration as a key to creating change."

"Right now seems like an exciting and important time to be present and have a say in all issues affecting students. On one hand, it’s impossible to talk about higher education today without addressing funding and sustainability. On the other hand, I want to ensure that equal treatment wouldn't be just a slogan. Students’ rights and resources must not only exist, but also be communicated clearly, effectively, and widely."

"In my opinion, the focus should be on transparency and communication. The role and work of student representatives should be more visible – not only to fulfill a meaningful function, but also to inspire others to get involved. I also see potential in closer cooperation with professional student organizations, to ensure that representation is more tightly connected to the students active in the field."

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Carmen Koha

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen terve elu olnud hea kuulaja ja mõistja. Mul on suur õiguse ja õigluse tunnetus. Lisaks sellele olen ka analüüsiv ja märkav inimene, kes oskab märgata ka neid, kes pole nii häälekad ja nende muresid. Tunnen, et need omadused aitaksid kaasa mul nii enda õppeasutuses kui ka valdkonna põhiselt tudengite esindamisel."

"Eriliselt südamelähedaseks teemaks on mulle Tartu Ülikooli erinevate valdkondade ühendamine. Tudengite silmaringi avardamine läbi valdkondade ühendamiseks mõeldud ürituste. Minu arvates läbi valdkondade ühendamise saame kujundada meeldivamat ja mõistvamat tulevikuühiskonda meie kõigi jaoks."

"Erilist tähelepanu peab pöörama õppekvaliteedile ja selle vastavuse jälgimine ja õppeine kodutööde tagasisidestamise reglementatsiooni parendamine, et õpilased saaksid vastava ja konkreetse tagasiside töödeks, et saada aru oma vigadest ja leida arenduspunkte."

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Ronja Ansmann

"My name is Ronja Ansmann. I am a full-time political science student and a part-time economics student. I led the Political Science Society for a year, organized various events, and wrote project proposals. Now it’s time for new challenges, and that’s why I’m running for student representative. I am ready to work towards making the student learning experience even better."

"As a student representative, I believe it’s essential that UTSU increases its support for various student societies and organizations more than ever before. These groups form a vital part of student life, creating meaningful connections and unforgettable memories - many students would say that their most cherished moments from university happened at a student society event.

Unfortunately, not every academic field has its own student society. This is a gap the student union could actively help to bridge. Instead of primarily focusing on financially rewarding existing societies, TÜÜE could consider offering seed funding to help new ones get started.

At the same time, it’s crucial to recognize and celebrate the contributions of the existing societies more openly. Most of the people involved are essentially volunteers, driven not by incentives but by a strong sense of community and motivation from their fellow students. Their efforts deserve greater acknowledgment and support from the university."

"UTSU should focus more on the sustainability of higher education funding and ensure that studying remains accessible to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic background. It’s equally important to promote an academic environment where all students feel equally valued and safe."

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Oliver Mõttus

"I have previously been a member of MVÜK and KMIÜK and am active in EAÜS. While there, one of my biggest accomplishments was advocating for better organization of the OSCE exam, which resulted in the creation of a comprehensive memo for students. I am very enthusiastic and hardworking, and I want to make medical studies better for everyone. Anyone can always turn to me with any concern, and I will always give my maximum effort (very quickly). Having seen the current situation, I believe that student representatives could do much more to improve the lives of all students, and I would like to do my part.."

"1. The organization of the practical exam should be clear and student-friendly
2. Medical students should also have easily accessible and general scholarships
3. Students should not be expected to have foreign language skills to understand their patients
4. Student feedback on courses and faculty should be genuinely listened to and used to make decisions
5. Medical education at the university should be made more practical"

"The most important thing is that the university not only listens to our input but also acts accordingly. UTSU needs to gain the authority so that the students' opinions truly mean something. In my opinion most of our problems stem from this harmful power imbalance."

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Elerin Toiger

"I am friendly and helpful, and I enjoy making someone's day better. I also like solving problems and coming up with the best possible solutions. I`m not afraid to take on a lot of responsibility when necessary, and I enjoy a life full of new challenges."

"For me, the most important thing is to work on equal treatment and in this way help every student to feel good at university. Because I believe that the foundation of good academic results and a pleasant student life is just that everyone feels comfortable at university and equal to others."

"In the next academic year, UTSU should pay more attention to both equal treatment and maintaining free higher education. Because it is very important to do everything we can to ensure that higher education remains free in Estonia, for all those who want it."

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Estin Rand

"My recent experience in the faculty student council has given me a better understanding of the tasks of the University of Tartu Student Union (TÜÜE) and the background of important decisions by university, making me a strong candidate for a student representative. At first, the amount of new information was quite overwhelming, and the real momentum comes in the second half of the academic year. That is why I am highly motivated to continue contributing to the faculty student council next academic year as well.

I consider myself an active, friendly, and responsible student, and I would be very happy and honored to continue working to fight for the students' rights and express their opinions. My previous experience has helped me recognize my strengths and how to use them for the benefits of students.

I have also been part of the team of officials of the Estonian Medical Students' Association (EAÜS) and I am currently an active member in the standing committee of medical students' practical exchange. Additionally, I take every opportunity whenever possible to challenge myself, develop my skills or contribute to society in general."

"Equal treatment is certainly an important topic for me, and unfortunately, our university has not been doing the best in this regard lately. If I had a mandate for the next academic year, I would contribute more actively to the activities of the equal treatment working group. Another major concern is the funding of higher education, as the state's financial resources are becoming more and more limited, and recently even merit-based scholarships for outstanding students were abolished.

Within the faculty I would like to bring different fields of study closer together. I often sense that medical students "overshadow" students from other curricula simply because they are the majority. However, I find it really important that other students also feel represented and that their voices are heard. Additionally, I would do my best to ensure that, in the event of any issues, students' opinions are taken into account as much as possible."

"I believe that the current key topics, such as the funding of higher education and equal treatment, are crucial to continue addressing, as the existing solutions have been far from ideal. If these issues are left unresolved, future decisions will likely be even worse and don't take students' well-being much into account. Additionally, study quality should also be a focus, especially since the previously mentioned topics directly influence it."

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Erik Johannes Hurt

"Since I have been a member of UTSU for one year, I am more or less familiar with it."

"Equal treatment, quality of teaching, higher education funding."

"Equal treatment and quality of teaching"

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Elis Riin Tars-Hurt

"I have previously served as the chair of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, which has given me insight into the system, and I would like to contribute even more to improve students' learning conditions. In addition, I am an active member of the Estonian Medical Students' Association and I also work. These experiences help me understand different perspectives and advocate for the rights of all students."

"Collaboration between different institutes and more joint events (like the ventilation evening). In addition, I am currently part of the equal treatment working group and contribute to topics related to the reform of the medical curriculum. I definitely want to continue working on these topics and help create a student-friendly OSCE exam, as well as keep the students informed."

"Funding of higher education, opportunities for research, and making improvements based on student feedback."

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Karolin Juhkam

"I believe what makes me a good student representative is a combination of experience, empathy, and a genuine desire to advocate for student well-being. I’ve been actively involved in the student council for one academic year, which has given me a solid understanding of both the work itself and the needs of our students.
I’m solution-oriented and able to relate to a wide range of issues, even if I haven’t personally experienced them. As a team player, I collaborate well with others but also feel confident sharing my own ideas and taking initiative when needed. For me, it’s important that students’ voices are truly heard, and I’m ready to stand up for changes that meaningfully improve our quality of life."

"As a student representative, the issues that matter most to me are the quality of education and equal treatment across the board. I believe every student deserves a meaningful, well-structured, and supportive learning experience—regardless of their field of study. It’s also important to me that the relationship between students and lecturers is based on mutual respect. Within the Faculty of Medicine, I care deeply about ensuring that all study programs are treated equally, and that no field is looked down upon or given fewer opportunities. I want to help create an environment where all students feel valued and respected for the paths they’ve chosen."

"I believe that next year, UTSU should place even greater focus on the funding of higher education. Education must not become a privilege only available to the wealthy—it should remain accessible to everyone, regardless of their background. At the same time, equal treatment within the university and beyond is just as important. This includes valuing all fields of study, combating discrimination, and ensuring accessibility—whether it’s in terms of mental health support, physical learning environments, or academic resources. These issues go hand in hand: only a fairly funded, values-based education system can be truly inclusive and equitable."

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Narges Mohammadrahimi

"I am passionate and committed to creating a supportive and collaborative environment for all students. I am approachable, a good listener, and I genuinely care about representing my peers’ voices and concerns. I would love to help build stronger communication between students and faculty, and work together to make our program the best it can be."

"My top priorities as a student representative are:
Open Communication – Ensuring students feel heard and that their feedback is regularly shared with faculty.
Supportive Environment – Promoting mental health, work-life balance, and a positive research culture.
Academic and Career Development – Advocating for more opportunities like workshops, networking events, and mentorship programs.
Inclusivity and Community – Helping build a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone feels valued and connected."

"UTSU should focus more on supporting mental health and helping students prevent burnout, particularly during intense periods like thesis writing. Providing clearer guidelines for final theses and publications would alleviate stress and confusion. Furthermore, ethically integrating AI tools into research and academic writing could enhance productivity and learning."

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Anet Ilustrumm

"My experience makes me a good student representative – I have been serving in this role for the past two years, which has given me a strong understanding of the university's structure and the knowledge of whom to approach for different issues and where to find support. I am determined and dedicated, firmly standing up for students' interests and needs while working to ensure that their voices are heard in decision-making processes."

"As a student representative, my top priority is ensuring that students' wishes and needs are genuinely heard in the development of curricula and courses. When running for the student council, one could make many promises, but ultimately, the most important thing is that students have the opportunity to express their opinions and influence how studying at the University of Tartu can be improved for them. I also want to raise students' awareness that their voices and suggestions are not just a formality – they truly matter and are taken into account in the university's decision-making processes."

"TÜÜE should focus most on the topic of equal treatment in the coming year, as a supportive and fair environment is essential for both students and university staff. Only when everyone feels valued and treated equally can the university be the best possible place for studying and working."

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Ronald Judin

"I have had the honour of serving fellow students as a student representative for two years now. I am also active in the Tartu city council education committee and two non-profits. I've written opinion pieces and instructed labs in the university. My previous experience with leadership and public speaking has created good preconditions for expressing students' opinion clearly and assertively. I'm also sociable and always there for people: information passes through me, questions receive answers and problems receive solutions. My connections allow me to do a little on the local government level to improve something about the university. I work best when given input, so you can be sure that if you should need something from the student union, I will only be happy to help."

"I'm running for student representative for the third time. Last year, my main goals were making more room for students in Delta, preserving and increasing the proportion of teaching in Estonian, and expanding the smoke-free area to cover the whole Delta courtyard. The first of these has so far been achieved by our representative team: empty classrooms open for study easier than before and never get full. Holding the language frontline is a continuous job, which is why it must be tirelessly continued to ensure the Estonian language's vitality and prestige even in computer science and increase the study quality for Estonian students, because studying in the mothertongue is inevitably more efficient. I will also continue work towards expanding the smoke-free area until it gets done so everyone arriving in Delta could feel safe, knowing their health is cared for.

To the faculty level of science and technology, I want to bring and elevate similar topics, focusing on language and infrastructure. In this way (and additionally), I want to improve communication between the student union and the institute of computer science because we've been working rather by ourselves lately, but closer cooperation would help the institute as well as the faculty to reach their goals and would allow for the inclusion of many more students in these efforts."

"There are multiple such topics: as always, the language question and higher education funding, but some time has passed and a new topic we have to tackle is the use of text bots. Experience shows that not only students, but also the professors are at risk of becoming addicted to them, but if a course starts outright endorsing text bots by design, the effects on study quality will be catastrophic. It's important to stress temperance on both sides."

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Iko Marten Kiisler

"Starting from autumn, I will be a third-year Mathematics student. Ever since middle school, I have been caught up in the hustle and bustle of school life and have helped organize events. Because of that, I am used to being busy. I am the kind of person who is always ready to listen to others' problems, and I love helping people."

"My top priority as a representative is the quality of education. The main purpose of a university is to provide education, and because of that, it is very important that the University of Tartu offers the best possible education. To achieve this, it is necessary that students’ voices are heard so that courses can be improved.
I would also like to strengthen the sense of unity among students in Institutes and Faculties."

"In my opinion, the most important topics that UTSU should focus on this year are the quality of education and the funding of higher education. A high failure rate in a course is not a sign that students are lazy or not working hard enough, but rather a sign that there may be issues with the course’s structure or organization.

We have a lot to fight for when it comes to the funding of higher education. We must stand for keeping higher education free and work to ensure that students do not lose more opportunities to receive scholarships."

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Eliisabet Judin

I am Eliisabet Judin and I would like the opportunity to represent the students of the Institute of Technology. My goal is not only to speak, but also to listen. I believe that real change starts when we all work together. I am ready to work hard to ensure that our students are heard and that our institute is the best place to learn for everyone. I represented the students of the institute last year and as a result I am now aware of the internal affairs of the institute and also the attitude towards students and curricula. I feel that so much can be changed and with this knowledge I would be able to create better strategies to improve the situation if I were given the privilege to do so. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you, and I promise you that I will do so with humility and determination."

"Over the year, I have come to understand why too few still graduate from the computer engineering curriculum in nominal time. The reason for this is that the curriculum has been made artificially difficult. I understand that some kind of filters are needed, but if these filters cause significantly more students to drop out than the average in the faculty, then they need to be reduced so that all curricula are of similar complexity. My goal is therefore to raise the voice of students as high as possible so that these necessary changes can take place and students' legitimate expectations of graduating in nominal time are realized. That is why I am running for the position of representative of the faculty in addition to the institute."

"In the next academic year, UTSU absolutely must pay even more attention to the financing of higher education. Higher education must remain free. It is difficult to focus on both studies and work at the same time and do both well. Leaving studies incomplete or not starting them at all due to lack of money is tragic and requires maximum resistance to avoid such situations in the future."

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Suchith Sadanand

"I am suchith and excited to introduce myself as a candidate as student representative. Communicative and extrovert who loves to talk ,I'm a polyglot and I believe these skills are required to foster student needs ,understand the requirements of students and addressing it ,be it managing events or connecting with students .I ensure student concerns are listened and put forth on the table and resolve it"

"1.Commication between student union and administration
2.Create a platform where student can voice their concerns
3.Mental health and introduce extra curricular activities to overcome education stress and burn out"

"Student voices regarding their mental health is my top priority,I feel we need to introduce lot of sport activities and seminars and also guide students how to apply for study abroad programs or conference"

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Martin Haamer

"I am a second-year PhD student in the Department of Geography, but my journey in geography began already in 2017 during my bachelor’s studies. Over the past year, I have represented ÖMI students on the institute’s council, and starting next year, I would like to represent students on the faculty council. I have been closely connected to the Faculty of Science and Technology for a long time and have interacted with students from several institutes. In addition, since 2018, I have been a member of the geography program council, which has given me in-depth experience with curriculum development and a broader understanding of how programs are structured in our faculty. I also represent doctoral students at
the university centre of doctoral studies meetings. In my daily work, I focus on researching human mobility using big data, with the goal of promoting walking, cycling, and the use of public transportation in cities."

"As a doctoral student, I wish to focus primarily on topics that concern the work and well-being of PhD students. Too often, the concerns of doctoral students go unnoticed, and I believe that representing them at the institute and faculty level is important. I am also interested in contributing to curriculum development within the Faculty of Science and Technology."

"More attention should be given to the representation of doctoral students — currently, our perspectives are underrepresented in various decision-making bodies. I also aim to improve the support structures for doctoral students so that every PhD student knows who to turn to when facing different concerns."

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Astrid Jõerand

"I'm Astrid Jõerand, a third-year student of Geology and Environmental Technology. This academic year, I’m also the president of the Geoteaduste Üliõpilaste Selts. What makes me a good student representative is that I’m proactive, engaged, and courageous when it comes to standing up for others! At every level of my studies, I’ve been part of student representative bodies — even serving as president — which has given me valuable experience in expressing myself and representing fellow students.."

"I care deeply about issues of equal treatment. I also value giving feedback on courses and listening to students' opinions and suggestions to ensure that the feedback reaches the right people and is taken into account. In addition, since the achievement stipend was closed this year, student representatives should be even more attentive to prevent further developments in that direction from happening so quickly."

"This year’s theme of equal treatment really resonated with me, and I believe it's a long-term issue that can never receive too much attention. At the University of Tartu, there should be a dedicated person responsible for dealing with such matters. Another crucial issue that deserves particular attention is the funding of higher education, which affects all students. The decreasing funding for higher education is forcing the university to consider introducing tuition fees for some study programmes or even entrance fees, which is a very concerning development for both prospective and current students"

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Markus Kõiv

"What makes me a good student representative:
1. I care about the quality of education at the University of Tartu and actively participate in providing feedback (I would be well-suited for the role of curriculum quality specialist in FSC).
2. I have previous experience in organizing events (I would be a good fit for the TÜÜE vaim position in ISC).
3. Through lab work, I have become familiar with the inner workings of the institute and would be a good fit for ISC."

"Higher education funding and equal treatment issues! I feel that the removal of the performance-based scholarship signals the direction we're heading in, and I want all future changes in this area to be coordinated more closely with students."

"For equal treatment! UT needs to communicate more strongly that this is a priority for them. Compared to foreign universities, UT doesn’t yet have a good enough system in place. I want to be one of the people who keeps reminding the university of this."

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Kaisa Aab

"With two years of experience in Solaride, a student organization dedicated to popularizing engineering, I have actively worked to inspire young minds about the wonders of technology and science. Additionally, my three years in the Tartu University lab have given me hands-on expertise in materials science, complemented by industrial experience. Goal-oriented and passionate, I aim to make natural sciences more accessible and exciting for students while advocating for the highest-quality academic programs at our university."

"For me, the most important mission is to broaden students' horizons by showcasing the vast opportunities within their fields—whether in research, industry, or innovation. I believe that theoretical knowledge must be paired with strong practical skills to prepare students for real-world challenges. I will advocate for more workshops, collaborations with companies, and research opportunities to ensure students gain not just academic depth but also the confidence to apply their skills. Together, we can build a program where learning extends beyond the classroom, empowering students to thrive in their future careers."

"I would like to focus on improving academic quality, thesis supervision guidelines, and feedback mechanisms for courses. High-quality education starts with well-structured courses and clear thesis guidelines that support students in their research. I will advocate for more detailed and accessible thesis manuals, ensuring every student receives proper guidance. Additionally, I believe regular and constructive feedback on courses is essential—both from students to lecturers and vice versa—to continuously refine teaching methods and learning outcomes. By strengthening these areas, we can enhance the overall academic experience, making it more transparent, supportive, and effective for all students."

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Anna Elisabeth Benno

"I'd be a good student representative, because I'm already a representative for our institute and therefore have prior experience in the field. This year I've taken up responsibilities in addition to the regular expectation, for example I spoke at the experience day for lecturers in the humanities department. In addition to UTSU I'm also in the historical society and corporation Amicitia."

"My priorities are the programme and making completing it more comfortable for students. I'm also planning on entering the masters programme, so I could represent the interests of masters students."

"I find quality of teaching and higher education funding to be important. If possible, I'd like to look into the possibilities of creating a stipend for the institute."

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Talis Timmi

"I am conscientious and hardworking, which makes me a reliable person to work with. I am a good listener and therefore I would be able to understand and address students' concerns. I have previous experience in teamwork and management."

"As a representative, I want to focus on addressing the concerns of my fellow students. In particular, I’m interested in matters related to the curriculum and the quality of it. At the same time, I believe that there is no need to change just for the sake of changing; different arguments and viewpoints should be taken into account."

"In the UTSU, it is important to focus on education funding, student well-being (including access to dormitory places), and the quality of education."

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Triin Kuusk

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Minu nimi on Triin Kuusk ja õpin kolmandat aastat ajaloo ja arheoloogia instituudis kunstiajaloo erialal. Minu esimene aasta instituudi üliõpilasesindajana oli põnev, kuna sain anda oma panuse instituudi arengut puudutavates küsimustes ning õppisin veelgi paremini mõistma ülikooli ülesehitust. Kandideerin üliõpilasesindusse ka järgmiseks õppeaastaks, sest mind huvitab üliõpilaste heaolu parandamine ja õpingute toetamine, ürituste korraldamine ja uute inimestega tutvumine ning ülikooli ja oma instituudi arengu eest seismine. Viimased kaks aastat olen olnud oma õppekaval ka esmakursuslaste tuutoriks. Olen rõõmsameelne, uudishimulik ning alati teistega arvestav, mispärast usun, et saan üliõpilasesindaja ülesannetega hästi hakkama."

"Suheldes tuutorina erinevate esmakursuslastega, sain aru, et üliõpilastel võib tekkida raskusi oma valitud eriala õppekavas orienteerumisel, tunniplaani koostamisel ja õpingutee planeerimisel laiemalt. Usun, et paljudele tuleb tuttav ette, kui keerukas on esmakursuslasena mõista näiteks ainepunktide süsteemi või välissemestrile mineku ametlikku asjaajamist. Üliõpilasesindajana soovin panustada senisest enam õppekorraldusliku info ja nõu jagamisse, et jõuda erinevate ülikooli kanalite kaudu iga tuge vajava üliõpilaseni.

Praegusel ajal valmistab üliõpilastele kõige enam muret majanduslik toimetulek õpingute ajal. Enamik üliõpilasi peab sellepärast õpingute kõrvalt käima ka tööl, milletõttu võib kannatada õppimine ja ülikooli lõpetamine. Üliõpilasesindajana suunan tudengeid leidma infot erinevate toetuste ja stipendiumite taotlemise kohta."

"Soovin, et TÜÜE seisaks ka järgmisel õppeaastal tugevalt ja kindlameelselt selle eest, et eestikeelne kõrgharidus oleks ka edaspidi tasuta."

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Elisabeth Sild

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Minu keskne moto võiks kõlada nii: kus viga näed laita, seal tule ja aita! Tegutsemistahe ja ettevõtlikkus iseloomustavad mind nii igapäevaelus kui üliõpilasesindajana. Teadagi ei jõua ainuüksi pealehakkamisega kuigi kaugele - sihini viivad mind täpsus, täiusepüüdlikkus ja konkreetsus, usaldus tiimikaaslaste ja endast targemate vastu, külm närv ning jäägitu pühendumus. Olen hea suhtleja ning inimeste inimene, keda kannustab soov oma armsat ülikooli paremaks muuta. Tean, et olen pädev üliõpilasesinduse töös osalema ja minu teadmiste-kogemuste pagas ning maailmavaade saavad TÜÜE tiimi kenasti täiustama. Seda teksti kirjutan Erasmuse vahetussemestrilt Belgias, kus õpin ja näen iga päev palju uut - minu soov on siitki ühtteist koduinstituuti vahendada.

Õpilasesinduses tegutsesin pea kogu koolitee jooksul: põhikoolist abituuriumini. Saada nüüd lüliks tudengi ja ülikooli vahel oleks mulle suur au."

"Tudengi heaolu on minu prioriteet number üks ja ma leian, et ülikoolis peab olema hea käia! Meeldiv ja motiveeriv keskkond on üliõpilase igapäevaelus väga oluline ning mängib eriti kurnaval sessiajal määravat rolli. Mulle meeldib meie armas Jakobi õppehoone ning soovin seda näha veel hubasema ja elavamana. Üliõpilasesindajana pingutan selle nimel, et instituudis oleks mõnusam õhkkond. Selle juurde käib ka sujuv suhtlus ja tihe koostöö, millesse igal juhul panustan - seda nii instituudi siseselt kui ka väljaspool."

"Üks olulisemaid küsimusi iga tudengi jaoks on kõrghariduse rahastamine. Tasuta kõrgharidus on täna meie ühiskonnas suureks proovikiviks. TÜÜE-l on siinkohal oluline panus, et tasuta kõrgharidus jääks jätkuvalt igaühele kättesaadavaks.

Ülikoolid on läbi ajaloo olnud korduvalt põhjapanevate muutuste keskmes - täna seisame silmitsi uue digirevolutsiooniga. Lähtudes kasvõi president Karise hiljutisest üleskutsest, on oluline pöörata jätkuvat tähelepanu tehisintellekti kasutamisele haridussüsteemis ning viisidele, kuidas piiramise asemel seda targalt ära kasutada saaks. Uuendusmeelsus ning nutikus on siinkohal edasiviivad võtmesõnad."

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Helis Luks

"Hello! I'm Helis and I am deeply interested in education and politics. My previous work has included leading youth organisations, writing projects, public speaking and youth representation. I currently serve on the Ole Rohkem team, the youth council of Saaremaa municipality and the board of trustees of my former school. I have implemented initiatives related to political science, helped to set up simulation games for the municipal council, etc., and have been an active community member. This work has earned me the Greatest Courage Award in the Hea Eeskuju competition and the title of Young Person of the Year in my hometown. I am running for student representative because I want to lend a hand to activities that protect and promote the benefits and needs of students. I believe that my previous experience will help me achieve this goal."

"As I see it, education is a key pillar of Estonian identity, and access to it must not in any way dwindle or be reduced in the future. I stand up for the idea that financial gaps in higher education should not be filled by large student loans or students' wallets. I also stand up for the importance of youth and student organisations and hobby education, which has received the biggest cut in the national budget this year. With my contribution, I would like to stand up for 'young people are our future' not to remain just a pre-election slogan, but to ensure that its importance is always on the table, both at local and national level."

"In my view, UTSU should pay particular attention to the funding of higher education, the ethics and use of AI in teaching and, of course, the quality of teaching and the general well-being of students and staff. Both the issue of funding for higher education and the issue of AI are already on everyone's agenda, and therefore require particular attention and consideration. This is as much from student representatives as from students and academics. We are the ones who will be the first to feel the consequences when decisions are taken at university or national level."

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Lene Tiinas

"I've already been a student representative for one year and I'd gladly continue in this role, since I'm an active and sociable person and I've been able to help organise different events and make my voice more heard. I'm familiar with both the students and workers at my institute, so they can (almost) always turn to me if they have a question or worry."

"It's important to me that students feel good at the university. Soon our institutes' little lounge will be taken away from the students and I'd like to help with finding a new place for us. I'd also help with organising events that there are quite a few of in our institute, and I'd overall be around for discussing all sorts of worries and ideas with the people of my institute."

"UTSU has been actively involved in different important topics, but what I also find important is how student-friendly our Jakobi 2 building is. There should be more places for students to sit and spend their free time so that they wouldn't have to leave the building or choose between a few chairs during a break or free lesson."

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Teele Särekanno

"I have been a student for almost two years now and want to take a more active role in university life. I am ready to take action and stand for student well-being. Although I believe student life is already good, there is always room for improvement."

"It is important to me that the students of the Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics retain their lounge room. Additionally, I would like to help with planning and organizing events."

"I believe that the most relevant topics for students right now are the use of text-based AI in studies and thesis guidelines."

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Heidi Hein

"I believe that what makes me a good student representative is that I have a strong sense of justice and am solution-oriented. Organizing events is cool, but the main role of a student representative is to stand up for the needs and rights of students. I believe that I have done this well so far as a student representative of the Department of Estonian and General Linguistics in the 2024/2025 academic year, and also during my previous studies when standing up for the needs of my fellow students."

"In my opinion, it is important to develop curricula so that it brings maximum benefit to everyone (including improving the effectiveness of feedback forms), and at the same time, attention should definitely be paid to equal treatment at the institute, faculty, and university level."

"Having worked as an assessment assistant in some subjects, among other things, I have noticed that the guidelines for thesis in many disciplines need development and/or clarification, so this could be something to strive for."

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Aleksander Koppel

"Having been a representative for a year now, I have not been daunted by any challenge that has awaited me. I have an adequate understanding of how work at the university is carried out. Combined with a general goodwill, I am fully prepared to solve any request for help or problem, if it falls within the competence of the TÜÜE."

"Although the root problems - funding of higher education and equal treatment - should remain as priorities, we cannot forget that the purpose of TÜÜE is not only to solve problems. It is also important to create a cohesive student body, for which a lot of work still needs to be done."

"Students' financial well-being."

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Tuule Tenson

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Ma usun, et hea üliõpilasesindaja peab olema avatud, aktiivne ja empaatiavõimeline. Mulle meeldib esindada tudengite huve."

"Minu peamine prioriteet üliõpilasesindajana on akadeemilise keskkonna parandamine ja kogukonnatunde tugevdamine."

"Õppe kvaliteedile."

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Liis Soon

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Aktiivne tudeng, meeldib uusi tutvusi luua, meeldib üritusi korraldada"

"Kõrghariduse rahastus, võrdne kohtlemine"

"Kõrghariduse rahastus"

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Hedi Loore Puusepp

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Ma armastan üliõpilasi esindada, sellepärast, et üliõpilaste heaolu on minu kõige kõrgem prioriteet. Heaolu ülikoolis soodustab ka head elu väljaspool."

"Õppekvaliteet ja võrdsus ülikoolis."

"Õppekvaliteet."

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Agnes Tuule Nöps

"I am reliable ja enthusiastic concerning things thst need to get done. I always do my best to understand others' problems in order to help them to the best of my abilities."

"An abundance of markers in every auditorium as well as the safety of students.."

"The achievement stipend."

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Martha Mia Veelmaa

"What is a problem if not an opportunity to make something better!
I believe in the importance of collaboration and want every student to feel that their voice is truly represented.
I have previously been part of student representative bodies, and I believe that my international experience has given me the confidence and skills to also stand up for the interests of international students.."

"The topics discussed at the World Cafe truly resonated with me, and that’s a big part of why I want to run as a candidate. I want to stand for a student life that is more diverse, inclusive, and humane. The issues closest to my heart are building a sense of community and organizing events, supporting international students, improving accessibility, and promoting a greener university."

"The University of Tartu’s international reach is growing every year, but unfortunately, this is not always accompanied by sufficient support for integrating international students into the university and the local community. Supporting social integration would require a more systematic approach, as well as the involvement of Estonian students. I believe this is critical to ensure the institution’s capacity for development."

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Joel Orav

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Tere, ma olen Joel Orav ja ma olen filosoof kui ka teise aasta filosoofia ja matemaatika tudeng. Ausalt öeldes ei ole mul mingit kogemust üliõpilasesinduses, siiski ma arvan, et on üsna otstarbekas mind valida, kuna ma olen üsna palju uurinud võrdse kohtlemise kohta, nagu näiteks ma olen Võrdse Kohtlemise Seadus: Käsiraamat esimese 2010 väljaande ja 2022 kolmanda väljaande läbilugenud ja leian, et palju oleks Tartu Ülikoolil veel õppida või nii.
Kusjuures ma tulin õhtukoolist siia ja eelnevalt õppisin kutsekoolis ehitusviimistlust ning töötasin fassaaditöödel 11 aastat — välimus võib olla petlik. Mis puutub võrdsesse kohtlemisse:ma mõistsin, et minu varasem maksiim: “Inimesed ei ole võrdsed, ei saa olla, ei taha olla – seega ei pea olema,” ei ole vastuolus võrdse kohtlemise põhimõtetega, vaid toob välja eksiarvamuse, justkui võrdsus tähendaks sarnasust. uigi mind jahmatava paneval moel, mis pani mind mõistma, et ma olen täiesti ignorantne selles vallas, deklareerib Võrdse Kohtlemise Seaduse 2010 Käsiraamat, lehekülg 14, üsna selgelt:

Eestis kiputakse ikka veel segamini ajama mõistepaare erinevus-sarnasus ja võrdsus ebavõrdsus. Erinevus on normaalse ühiskonna olemus. Kõik inimesed erinevad üksteisest oma väljanägemise, huvide ja tegevuste, valikute ja võimete poolest. Võrdsuse mõiste ei viita kõigi ühesuguseks tegemisele või ainult materiaalsete ressursside võrdsele ümberjagamisele. Võrdsus eeldabki õigust olla erinev. Kõige üldisemalt tähistatakse võrdsuse mõistega suhet kahe või enama inimese või inimgruppide vahel mõnes eluvaldkonnas või -situatsioonis. Inimestevahelise võrdsuse eesmärgiks on ühesuguste õiguste, kohustuste, vastutuste ja võimaluste olemasolu. Kõigil peavad olema võrdsed võimalused hea hariduse omandamiseks või oma erialal töötamiseks sõltuvalt tema enda jõupingutustest, vabana ajaloolis-kultuuriliselt kujunenud piirangutest, mis neid jõupingutusi kas takistavad või millegi saavutamise soovi vähendavad. Iga inimese üheks põhiõiguseks on õigus mitte olla diskrimineeritud temale omistatud tunnuste – rassi, rahvuse, soo jms tõttu. Kõigil on õigus võrdsele kohtlemisele, võrdsusele seaduse ees, kaitsele diskrimineerimise vastu ning osalemisele ühiskonnas.

Tegelikult tähendab võrdsus õigust olla erinev. Ja see erinevus vajab kaitset. Kogu elu on mind püütud allutada. Algas see juba koolist, kus mind defineeriti läbi puudujääkide: düsleksik, üksikema laps, halvad hinded, eksentrik. Taheti mind “parandada”, paigutada sobivasse vormi. See oli süsteemi reaktsioon erinevusele. Võrdse kohtlemise põhimõtted eeldavad, et inimene on väärtuslik mitte seetõttu, et ta allub kollektiivsele normile, vaid seetõttu, et ta on eriline. See seisukoht on otseselt vastandlik Giovanni Gentile’i fašistlikule filosoofiale, mille kohaselt indiviidil pole tähendust väljaspool riigi tahte peegeldamist. Kaasaegne süsteem võib küll väita, et ta on liberaalne, kuid peidab endas tihti sama totalitaarset struktuuri — lihtsalt uues keeles, uues vormis."

"Süsteemi ei toimi üksnes institutsionaalselt, vaid ka intellektuaalselt. Nende seas, kes ennast uute ideede eestvedajateks nimetavad, puudub sageli sügavam epistemoloogiline võimekus. Enamasti suudavad nad analüüsida, kuid mitte sünteesida — see tähendab, et nad on head dekonstrueerijad, kuid ei suuda konstrueerida uut mõtteraami, mille abil võiks süsteemi tõeliselt nihestada. Ja see, mis ei sünteesi, ei vii kuhugi. Analüüs, mis ei lõpe tähendusliku ümbermõtestamisega, on pelgalt retooriline praktika — õhuline akadeemiline muskel, mis ei vii ühiskonda edasi, vaid säteerib olemasoleva mõistmise tähistustasandil.
Siit tulenebki uus mõiste: neokonformistid — need, kes esmapilgul vastanduvad süsteemile, kuid tegelikult uuendavad selle sisu ilma selle vormi muutmata. Nad on lihtsalt järgmise ajastu konformistid, kelle revolutsioon seisneb selles, et neil on uued sõnad samade asjade kohta. Aga tähendused jäävad muutmata, sest nad ei ole huvitatud semantilistest revolutsioonidest, vaid performatiivsest kuulumisest. Neil on tugev identiteediteadlikkus, aga nõrk metatasandi refleksioon. Nad suudavad arvata, et nad on sügavad, sest nad oskavad jagada õigeid viiteid, kuid nad ei näe, et nad on osa süsteemist, mida nad usuvad dekonstrueerivat.

Ent isegi sellest on veel vähem. Kaasaegne ühiskond on kasvatanud terve põlvkonna küberkonformiste — noori, kes on täielikult kureeritud kübersotsiaalsete algoritmide kaudu. Alates 2015. aastast, kui YouTube tõi kasutajateni “Home” lehe ja surus tahaplaanile “Subscribed”-süsteemi, hakkas tähenduse loomine toimuma algoritmilisel alusel.Alates sellest elame me täiesti erinevas maailmas ja enamus noortest tudengitest on sotsiaalmeediat tarbinud üksnes läbi algoritmi. Samaaegselt kasvas TikToki mõju, mille voog põhineb mitte valikul, vaid järjestikuste valikute profiiliimiteerimisel. Sellest hetkest alates muutus noorte maailmapilt semantiliselt suletuks – mitte ainult ei valita tähendusi, vaid neid ei toodeta enam üldse iseseisvalt.

Ja see ei puuduta ainult meediat. See puudutab mõtlemist ennast. Inimene ei vali enam, mida ta mõtleb — ta mõtleb seda, mida süsteem talle mõtlemiseks ette toidab, ja ta nimetab seda vabaduseks. Ta elab testide ja reaktsioonide ruumis, kus iga klikikujuline liigutus muutub semantilise valideerimise osaks. Siin ei ole enam individuaalset tähendusloomet, vaid jälgitav ja modelleeritav tähenduse liikumine, mille eesmärk ei ole mõistmine, vaid turundus. Tema isik muutub tema andmete projektsiooniks, mitte vastupidi.
Kuvandid, mida me näeme – reklaamid, isiksused, sildid, isegi poliitilised liikumised – ei ole enam lihtsalt representatsioonid, vaid igavesti kestvad testid. “Truth that is no longer the reflexive truth of the mirror, nor the perspectival truth of the panoptic system and of the gaze, but the manipulative truth of the test…” — nagu Baudrillard oma tuntuimas teoses “Simulacra and Simulation” oli öelnud ja “TV is the truth of the Louds, it is TV that renders true.” Seda peab mõistma: meid ei testita enam teadmise nimel, vaid kuuluvuse ja käitumise nimel. Ja test, mis ei lõpeta hindamist, ei ole enam test — see on paradigma. Me ei ela enam teadmise struktuuris, vaid filtreeritud reaktsioonide skaalas."

Nii sünnib uus semantiline surutis, kus isegi vastupanu on arvestatud valikute hulka, ja iga erinevus on juba klassifitseeritud. Ja iga liigne nihkumine — olgu see intellektuaalne, esteetiline või moraalne — ei põhjusta debatti, vaid tõrjumist. Sest see, kes ei ole modelleeritav, ei ole mitte lihtsalt probleem — ta on häire. Ta ei sobitu analüüsimudeli eeldustesse, ja seetõttu tema tähendus peab kaduma, et mudel ei läheks katki.
Sellises maailmas muutub mälukaotus kollektiivseks refleksiivseks normiks. Mitte keegi ei mäleta, kuidas mõelda tähenduse enda pärast. Mitte keegi ei taha tõesti meenutada neid, kes ei allunud. Nad ei kao ainult formaalselt – nad kaotatakse mõtteliselt. Ja see ongi süsteemi tõeline triumf: unustada mitte ainult valesti käitunud indiviidid, vaid võimalus üldse eksisteerida valesti.
Kui uurida, kus sotsiaalmeedia algoritmid sündisid, siis siin kerkib esile IQ-testide ajalugu kui selle epistemoloogilise järelevalve eelkäija: Sir Francis Galton ei tahtnud ainult mõista, mis on intelligentsus – ta tahtis seda mõõta. Normaaljaotus, g-faktor, Deviation IQ – kõik need mehhanismid aitasid luua standardiseeritud tähendusstruktuuri, kus indiviidi väärtus määrati tema võrreldavuse järgi. Mitte tema tähenduse, vaid tema sobivuse järgi. Ja iroonilisel kombel on just need struktuurid, mis kunagi loodi teadmiste huvist, saanud nüüd semantilise kapitalismi nurgakiviks: kui sa ei mahu jaotusesse, siis sind ei eksisteeri.
IQ-testide tähtsus ei seisne ainult selles, et nad olid statistiliste meetodite, nagu korrelatsioon, regressioon, normaaljaotus ja faktoranalüüs, pioneerid. Veelgi olulisem on nende epistemoloogiline eeldus, et inimese mõistus – tema võime mõelda, eristada, prognoosida ja lahendada – on kvantitatiivselt mõõdetav ning seeläbi prognoositav. See oli uus paradigmatase: mitte ainult see, et inimesi saab mõõta, vaid et mõõdetud tulemused ennustavad tulevikku. IQ ei jäänud lihtsalt akadeemilise huvi objektiks, vaid sellest sai praktikasse rakendatav selektsioonivahend.
Seda kinnitab tõsiasi, et peaaegu kõik Ameerika Ühendriikides kasutatavad kõrghariduse testid – SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), LSAT (Law School Admission Test), GRE (Graduate Record Examination), MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), MAT (Miller Analogies Test) – on tänaseni tugevalt g-loaded. See tähendab, et need korreleeruvad tugevalt üldintelligentsuse faktoriga, isegi kui nende peamine eesmärk pole otseselt intelligentsuse hindamine. On tehtud mitmeid katseid vähendada nende testide sõltuvust g-faktorist, muuta neid rohkem spetsiifilisteks või kontekstipõhiseks, kuid need katsed on järjekindlalt läbi kukkunud. Selgub, et mida iganes sa ka ei mõõdaks – loogikat, verbaalset arutlust, analoogiaoskust, ruumilist mõtlemist – g-faktor imbub igale poole, nagu strukturaalne gravitatsioonitõmme mõttetegevuse sees.
See ongi see tuum: g-faktor on universaalne telg, mille ümber organiseeruvad tähenduse, suutlikkuse ja süsteemse sobivuse kategooriad. Kui inimese tulemus on väga kõrge või väga madal, muutub see tähenduseks, mitte ainult numbriks. Sellest saab narratiiv, määratlus, sotsiaalne identiteet.Ühtlasi, miks ma tean sellise teema kohta on see, et ma tegin gümnaasiumi uurimistöö just intellektuaalse andekuse kohta ja sellega võimalikult kaasnevad suhtlustõkked, millel oli 49 viidet sh ka Lewis Termani sada aastat vanad uuringud. Kahjuks hindamiskomisjon ei saanud midagi aru ja hakkasid kohe hate’ima ja sain kolme ehk… E? Ma sain isegi vähem punkte kui vene rahvusest naine, kes tegi lõputöö parketipaigalduseks ja esitas üsna kehva eestikeelse tasemega esitluse. Muideks see ei olen vene rahvusest inimesi pilkav, lihtsalt naljakas lugu.
Ning täpselt sellesama loogika on kaasaegsed sotsiaalmeedia algoritmid nüüdseks täielikult üle võtnud. Ka nemad ei huvitu enam pelgalt sellest, mida sa klikid, loed või jagad, vaid sellest, kuidas sa orienteerud maailmas: kui kiiresti sa reageerid, kui täpselt sa fokuseerid, kui pikalt sa peatud, millist infot sa —

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Kai Pesti

"I have been a bachelor's student at the University of Tartu for almost 3 years, including seeing life at another European university as an exchange student. In addition to school, I am also the secretary of the board of the Progressive Movement, so I am already actively involved in making the voices of young people heard. It is important to me that we, philosophy students, have a safe and fun university life and that our wishes and concerns are taken seriously."

"First of all, my priority is that our university life is safe and that we don't bury our heads in the sand when it comes to harassment and other negative incidents, as the university has unfortunately done repeatedly. Second, I want the philosophy department to have its own students room to rest! We've been talking about this for years, but unfortunately it hasn't come to fruition. In addition, I want everyone, including queer students, to be treated with respect, which is an important topic for me as a queer person myself."

"Important topics that the university should pay attention to right now are the funding of higher education and equal treatment, including the university taking harassment cases and victims seriously."

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Aleksander Amos Nigesen

The candidate provided some of their answers in English

"I'm open to everyone and to listening to whatever may be on your mind! Also since I've already been a student representative I have an idea what is expected of me and how I can be of help to others."

"It's most important that students in our institute enjoy studying here."

"TÜÜE-le laiemalt mõeldes on tähtsaim näidata, et tasuta kõrgharidus ei ole mitte lihtsalt tore privileeg, vaid ühiskonnale laiemalt oluline hüve, mille ära kaotamisel on tõsised tagajärjed."

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Grete Liina Tuuksam

"I feel that I would be suitable as a student representative, as I have been involved in student representation before (at secondary school level), and I also feel that I would like to do more to improve school life as a student. Currently, as a member of the board of TÜL (Theatre Studies Students' Association), I feel that I would like to contribute to my profession outside of school. Being part of the student council would give me better opportunities to help our institute as a whole and not just one student society.
Recently, there have also been situations where I have wanted to have a say in the teaching and development of the institute, but there is no platform to do so. This is my main motivation for applying: the desire to get a position where I can help further our Institute."

"For me, the most important issue is student well-being. This includes both school work and extra-curricular life (e.g. student societies and grants/scholarships). At the moment, my main concern is that there is no longer a mental health counsellor at our institute who students can turn to for help. The use of space in our institute is also a concern. I would also like to help find better solutions for the use of our substitute space, so that more students/organisations can organise their own events and also feel more free to use the school premises."

"In my opinion, the UTSU should focus on the quality of education and funding. As the institute is divided into three departments, as a student of theatre studies, I can (at least for the moment) speak most about the concerns of the literature and theatre department. While the quality of the curriculum is high, the lack of specialised subjects is a concern. This is probably due to a lack of funding. Attention should be paid to renewal of the curriculum.."

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Gerli Raag

"I am an open and empathethic communicator, so it is easy for me to converse both with my fellow students and the university personel. It is important so that the work done at the institute could be transparent and prioritise the well-being of everyone. I have previous experience in advocating for pupils and students alike. I have also been a tutor at our institute. I feel like i have my foot in enough doors to help me find solutions for different types of problems and to represent our institute in a positive yet realistic manner."

"The accessability of scholarships (the reinstatement of the perfomance scholarship)
Curriculum review (so that the amount of credits for a major in smth wouldn't be smaller than the amount for a minor in smth))"

"In my oppinion UTSU should continue to stand for the state funding of higher education and also increase the cooperation between The University of Tartu's colleges in Viljandi, Pärnu and Narva."

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Marta Selma Grünvald

"I am a big fan of the Institute of Cultural Research and I wish that all students enjoy studying here."

"As a student representative, the important topics for me are equal treatment and increasing interdisciplinary interaction within the institute."

"The focus of UTSU should remain on higher education funding and equal treatment."

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Anete-Marleen Siimon

The candidate provided some of their answers in English

"My previous experience as the recording secretary of my high school’s student union has given me a strong eye for detail and the ability to distinguish the most important information from the unnecessary. It has also taught me to listen and value different opinions, while knowing when to speak up. I won’t step outside without my daily dose of yappucino. I’m driven by a strong sense of responsibility, which means I have no problem taking on tasks that come with greater responsibility. For me, the most important thing is to stand up for the rights and well-being of students, which is why I’m not afraid to voice unpopular opinions when necessary. Above all, I value good company and a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable enough to share their thoughts. In teamwork, I’m solution- and compromise-oriented. These personal qualities ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and, whenever possible, the maximum benefit is achieved for all parties involved."

"Minu jaoks on kõige olulisemateks teemadeks erinevad toetused, stipendiumid, Tasuta kõrgharidus, õpilaste vaimne tervis ning võrdne kohtlemine, sest need on valdkonnad, mis ka minu õppetööd ja edukust kõige enam mõjutavad. Nagu eelnevalt mainitud, on minu jaoks oluline ka seltskonnaelu ja selle edendamine, sest kogukond ja head sõbrad on need, kes muudavad ülikoolielu kergemaks."

"Funding and sustainability of higher education, equal treatment, and the mental health and well-being of students and faculty."

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Elsa Triin Raidla

"I have been a student representative for four years now, as both a representative for my institute and my faculty, and I feel very passionate about it. To me, standing up for student rights is extremely important and I feel that we need to make our voice heard even more. It is crucial, in my opinion, that not only the institutes under one faculty work together, but that collaboration between faculties is enthusiastic and strong. Of course, it is also important to work together with professors, teachers and administrative employees. This saying sure is a cliche, but together we can do so much more. After all, we all want the University of Tartu to be strong, safe and inspiring. I feel that during my time in UTSU, I have managed to play a role in a number of changes. Even though the university is a place for science as well, students are those who make it a UNIVERSITY."

"One of the most important topics for me is equal treatment. As I mentioned previously, for UT to be a good university, everyone has to feel safe. It is the only way this institution can be sustainable. In addition to equal treatment, a topic dear to my heart is the quality of teaching. I have been able to play a role in improving quality of teaching in my institute and in my faculty and seen, that if students make their opinions heard in a way that they cannot be ignored, things improve not only for students, but for teachers as well. We need to take a serious look at ECTS and if they match the work given, and whether the curriculums are versatile and aimed at achieving results."

"UTSU has been very active this year when it comes to standing up for free higher education and we need not only continue, but to be even louder. The second topic that has to be among UTSU’s priorities is equal treatment. We, as representatives, need to start fighting more in that field. Even though it is a topic that has a place in all of our minds, UTSU needs to become a spokes”person”. UTSU’s purpose is to stand for the interests of students, I will never tire of repeating that sentence. Of course, quality of teaching is also something to work on – mainly, we need to work together with teachers and professors."

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Elisabeth Pae

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Mul on varasemalt kogemusi mitmes erinevas organisatsioonis tegutsemisel ning see on andnud mulle hea baasi esindajatööks. Olen olnud aastaaega instituudi üliõpilasesindaja, mis on loonud ülevaate sellest, mis teemad vajavad tähelepanu ja kuhu peab liikuma. Olen positiivne ja koostööle orienteeritud, mis aitab mul olla esindajana tõhus ja usaldusväärne."

"Minu jaoks on väga oluline, et kõik tudengid, õppejõud ja ülikooli töötajad tunneksid end akadeemilises keskkonnas võrdselt kohelduna. Tõik on see, et ebavõrdse ja ebaväärika kohtlemise lahendamine on ülikoolis auklik ja vajab arendamist. Minu eesmärk esindaja - tudengitele peab olema lihtne ligipääs vajalikule teabele. Tudeng peab tundma, et ülikoolil on kindlad viisid probleemide lahendamiseks."

"Kahtlemata. Kõrghariduse. Rahastus. — Järgmisel õppeaastal peab tingimata jätkuma kõrghariduse rahastusele keskendumine ja selle mõju pidevale teadvustamisele. Tudengiesindajana leian, et teema vajab konstantset tööd, sest rahastus mõjutab otseselt nii õppekvaliteeti, tudengite motiveeritust ning kõige peamiselt - tudengite toimetulekut."

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Andres Laiapea

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen lõpetanud Tartu Ülikoolis bakalaureuseõppe ajaloo erialal (suund: Eesti ajalugu), kõrvaleriala riigiteadus (võrdlev poliitika), ning magistriõppe põhikooli mitme aine õpetaja õppekaval (ajalugu, ühiskonnaõpetus, inimeseõpetus). Praegu õpin usuteaduskonnas religioonipedagoogikat (usundiõpetuse õpetajaks). Olen seega puutunud õpingute kaudu lähedalt kokku nelja erineva instituudiga. Mul on olemas võrdlusmoment, millele saan üliõpilasesindajana toetuda."

"Kolme lapse isana olen äärmiselt huvitatud sellest, et kvaliteetne õppemaksuta kõrgharidus, mille puhul on üliõpilasele jäetud võimalikult palju valikuvõimalusi, oleks kättesaadav ka tulevikus. See on peamine siht, mida kavatsen pidada silmas üliõpilasesinduse liikmena, kui mind selleks valitakse. Tahan, et ka minu lastel oleks võimalik omandada kunagi enda huvidele vastav haridus, koormamata ennast selleks suurte õppelaenudega."

"Minu arvates on läbivalt kõige olulisemad teemad õppekvaliteet ja kõrghariduse rahastamine. Paljud muud asjad võib liigitada nende kahe omavahel seotud suure teema alateemadeks."

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Marleen Vasser

"A year of experience as a student representative at TÜ VKA has given me valuable insight into university affairs. Thanks to my previous experience, I have the ability to identify and examine interdisciplinary issues and provide students from other fields with the opportunity to have their voices heard. I am a good listener, attentive to my fellow students' concerns, and approach them with support and willingness to help. I am an active, hardworking, and determined team member who is always ready to contribute and sees tasks through to completion."

"Student’s social and mental well-being is a cause close to my heart, and I am committed to supporting it. As a student representative, I want to foster a supportive environment where students feel they are not left alone with their problems and have the confidence to reach out to us. Academic stress and mental health issues remain important topics that require greater awareness. That is why I aim to contribute to the overall well-being of students. Additionally, I want to strengthen interdisciplinary communication and a sense of community through various initiatives and events."

"In the context of TÜ VKA, as a student representative, I would like to focus on two key topics in the upcoming academic year: 1. The Lack of Internship and Volunteer Work Credits in the Cultural Management Curriculum Internships and volunteer work are essential for cultural management students to gain professional experience. However, these activities are currently not reflected in the credit system, which decreases students' motivation and makes it harder to balance studies with practical work. As a student, I want to work towards better integration of internships and volunteer work into the curriculum so that students' contributions to the field and its development are properly recognized. 2. Course Instability and Outdated/Inaccurate Curriculum Content TÜ VKA’s curricula are constantly evolving, yet many courses and their structure may not fully align with the current job market and professional practice needs. Additionally, there is instability between courses—content often overlaps, availability is unclear, or courses do not match their initial descriptions. As a student, I want to advocate for a curriculum that is up-to-date, well-structured, and clearly understandable for students."

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Anna-Luisa Lekštedt

"I have many creative ideas, but at the same time I’m very down-to-earth.
I’ve always enjoyed working with people, and now, while studying community education and recreational activities, I’ve expanded my knowledge and skills to engage all kinds of people in both exciting and developmental activities."

"
As a session-based student, I have a great opportunity to represent and give a voice to those students who are not on campus every week. I plan to involve supporting members of the student council more actively in its activities and to encourage their own initiatives."

"Many fellow students have expressed concern about the lack of communication between different fields of study. I believe that, in addition to focusing on mental health, the University of Tartu Student Union could next year also place more emphasis on encouraging student interaction. Connections made at university not only enrich one’s free time, but are also valuable in future professional life."

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Kristiina Tsõtsin

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Usun, et igale probleemile on olemas lahendus ja igat rõõmu tuleks jagada. Olen hea meeskonnamängija ja tunnen, et suudan ka stressirohketes olukordades rahulikuks jääda. Mulle meeldib kuulata ja arutada erinevaid arvamusi ning vajadusel leida kompromisse, et arvestada võimalikult paljude soovide ja arvamustega. Olen hea suhtleja ja usun, et igaüks väärib, et teda kuulatakse ja mõistetakse."

"Tunnen, et oluline on panna rõhku tundegielule väljaspool õppetööd. Pakkudes tudengitele võimalusi erinevatest üritustest osa saada ja tuua erinevate erialade tudengeid kokku, et luua uusi tutvusi ning arendada erialadevahelisi koostöid. Lisaks arvan, et suurt rõhku vajab ka tudengite vaimsele poolele tähelepanu pööramine ning see, et tudengitel oleks julgust mure korral kellegi poole pöörduda."

"Arvan, et erialadevaheline koostöö ning kokkupuuted vajavad arendamist ning suuremat tähelepanu."

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Kadi-Liis Pitk

"I am a very empathetic and friendly student. I gained my first experience in a student council in primary school, which sparked my current strong interest in being part of the Student Council at the Viljandi Culture Academy. I care deeply about students' well-being and opinions, and my strengths lie in determination and courage. I have experience in marketing, event organization, and partnerships. I believe I am a strong team player, and my contribution would be valuable for successful collaboration."

"It is very important to me that every voice is heard. Ensuring quality education, social well-being, and mental health for students is essential. I want the cultural program in the Viljandi Culture Academy to be more than just parties — something that brings together all our unique fields of study."

"I’ve often found myself thinking that we lack a shared and comfortable lounge for students."

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Helina Kalamees

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen aktiivne ning sooviksin enda ja teiste tudengite ülikooli aega võimalikult toredaks muuta. Kuna olin gümnaasiumis õpilasesinduses, siis olen sellise tööga kursis."

"Kõige südamelähedasemad teemad on minu jaoks erinevad kunstivaldkonnad ning sooviksin ka sporti edendada."

"Usun, et võiksime sportlikke tegevusi rohkem tudengiteni tuua ning kooli ühtsustunnet suurendada."

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Berit Eriste

"I am a conscientious, active and open communicator, which makes me a good student representative. I have previous experience as a member of the youth council and now also in Viljandi Culture Academy student council where my responsibility was specifically to take care of student’s problems. I am ready to take responsibility so that every joy and worry will reach the university’s administration. I am also determined, accomplish my goals and I can take initiative and lead. In addition, I am also caring and empathetic and always listen to concerns to find the best solution for them."

"The well-being and mental health of students is very important to me. I would like to make the learning environment better and more comfortable, so that it favors positivity, consistently raises students' motivation and inspires them during their studies. In addition, I would like to develop cooperation and communication between all the majors in TÜ VKA. I believe that every small change leads to big changes."

"In the case of Viljandi Culture Academy, I would like to see more attention given to the following issues:

1) Limited selection of elective courses for TÜ VKA students – Compared to the University of Tartu, we have a very small selection of electives, which makes it more difficult to collect the required credit points. A wider range of electives would also allow students to make their university studies more engaging and diverse.

2) Course feedback – Students provide valuable feedback on courses, highlighting what could be improved or changed to make certain subjects more student-friendly and supportive of the learning process. I would like to see lecturers take this feedback more seriously, as doing so would help increase student motivation to complete the course and be actively engaged."

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Juan Uukareda

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen julge ja ekstravertne. Julgus on eriti kasuks tulnud isiklike arvamuste välja ütlemisel ja ka ekstreemsete naljade tegemistel. Usun, et mu kohusetunne on abiks olnud igas olukorras mu elus. Tegin koos oma kaastudengitega Tartu Ülikooli Viljandi kultuuriakadeemiale esimese taskuhäälingu. Sellest johtuvalt olen valmis vastu võtma uusi väljakutseid, et muuta koolielu veelgi põnevamaks."

"Tunnen, et rohkem tähelepanu võiks suunata sellele, mis tudengitel õppekavas tegelikult vaja on. Olen valmis sõna sekka ütlema juhtkonnale, et mis õppeained saaksid tudengile juurde anda nii professionaalina kui ka inimesena. Oluline oleks ka see, et meelelahutuslik programm Viljandi kultuuriakadeemias areneks."

"Arendada Viljandi kultuuriakadeemia erialade vahelist koostööd."

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Adanna Ilves

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen hingelt maailmaparandaja — kui näen, et miski saaks parem olla, siis vingumise asemel vaatan, mida ma ise ära saaksin teha. Mulle meeldib arutleda ja oma arvamust avaldada, olen hea teiste eest seisja, sest kuulan ja annan endast parima, et lahendusi luua."

"Soovin erialasid rohkem ühendada. Räägitakse, et siit saame oma tulevased kolleegid, aga me oleme eri majades ja ei puutu üksteisega piisavalt kokku, seega vajaksime ehk väikest tõuget. Alustaksin koostöövõimaluste kaardistamisest. Siis parandaksin majadevahelist suhtlust ning nähtavust nt ühe networking üritusega, kus erialad saavad ennast tutvustada ja välja selgitada, kuidas neil üksteisest kasu võib olla. Pikas plaanis võiks minu silmis ÜE-s olla igast majast vähemalt üks esindaja.

Samuti soovin rõhuda sellele, et kõigil üliõpilastel oleks võimalus rohkem koolielus kaasa rääkida, et julgetaks ÜE inimestel kratist kinni võtta ja oma muredest rääkida. Kord semestris võiks toimuda avatud debatt, kuhu on oodatud kõik üliõpilased nii oma arvamust avaldama mõne käimasoleva teema kohta kui ka uusi murekohti esile tõstma."

"Arvan, et tihedam koostöö Wimkaga annaks neile rohkem võimalusi ürituste korraldamiseks ja ÜE-le jääks rohkem ressurssi üliõpilaste heaolu parandamiseks."

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Karoliina Lotta Kangust

"I am an open-minded and solution-oriented second-year cultural management student. My choice of field reflects my activeness and energy. I generate new ideas and contribute to discussions by expressing my opinions. I am a member of the current (soon to be former) student representative body and feel that I still have much to accomplish together with others for the benefit of the school — including organizing fun events for students and serving as a bridge between students and the school when it comes to both concerns and joys."

"Based on previous experience, I feel that in the coming year I would like to focus more on the well-being of the school and its students. When comparing the cultural management curriculum to those of other fields, I believe that through collaboration with students and school staff, we could implement several changes that would help make these curricula better and more stable.
In addition, I plan to create new universal working documents within the student body—templates that would be clear and usable for future members as well. I hope that developing these further will also improve the overall efficiency of the student union’s work. Alongside all this, it would be beneficial to continue conducting the student well-being survey, so we can constantly assess the current situation and find solutions accordingly—ensuring that the student voice is heard and their concerns are addressed."

I think that TÜÜE (University of Tartu Student Union) should pay more attention to the topic of scholarships in the next academic year. I understand that the current situation may make this difficult, but I personally feel—and have also seen in others—that students with good academic results, who previously received support, depended on it significantly. Now, the motivation and support to strive in their studies and get the most out of them has faded.
Last year, I also witnessed efforts to improve collaboration and communication with various student bodies, and I strongly support continuing that work."

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Sandra Tiidrus

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Sõbrad on öelnud minu kohta nii: Oled asjalik ja tegus inimene; sul on selline natuur, et sobid TÜÜE liikmeks; kui on vaja midagi teha, siis sa teed selle ära, vahet pole kuidas. Samuti olen osalenud TÜVKA üliõpilasesinduse tegemistes aktiivselt toetajaliikmena, mille tõttu olen lähedalt näinud, kuidas esindusetöö toimib."

"Kuna TÜVKAs alustab sügisest tööd uus õppedirektor, sooviksin tagada sujuvat üleminekut ühelt juhilt teisele. Uus õppedirektor ja juhtkond peaksid olema teadlik tudengite rõõmudest ja muredest ning et ka tudengid oleksid teadlikud uutest suundadest kuhu akadeemia liikuma hakkab."

"Kõrghariduse rahastamine on üks teemasid, mis mulle on väga oluline. See võimalus, et saab tasuta minna ülikooli õppima on kindalsti üks Eesti ülikoolide privileege, mida paljude teiste riikide ülikoolid ei võimalda. Kui ülikoolid tehakse tasuliseks, muutub paljude noorte unistus ülikooli õppima minna palju raskemaks, mida ma näha ei tahaks."

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Marten Leppik

"I’m running for the student representative because I feel like I can actively contribute to improving our university life. I’m especially passionate about promoting movement and sports – I’d like to help ensure students to have more opportunities to stay active. I have previous experience in my high school student council and the Lääne-Viru County Youth Council, where I learned teamwork and how to represent others."

"As a student representative, I would focus on making physical activity and sports more visible and accessible at the Culture Academy. Currently, there’s a clear lack of attention and space for sports like volleyball and basketball. I’m also passionate about social media and visual content creation, and I’d like to help share our student life more actively. In addition, I’d love to contribute to developing events that bring our community closer together.."

"I believe UTSU should focus more on how and when feedback is collected from students about their courses. In my experience, giving feedback at the end of a course often feels pointless, as it no longer affects the learning experience. A better approach would be to allow feedback during the course, so adjustments can be made in real-time. It’s also important to make sure that student feedback leads to visible changes and that students are informed about what has been improved."

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Maret Mehevits

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen hea kuulaja ja avatud suhtleja, kelle jaoks on oluline mõista erinevaid vaatenurki. Oskan leida tasakaalu vastandlike arvamuste vahel ning väärtustan koostööd, sest usun, et parimad lahendused sünnivad just ühiselt tegutsedes. Minu jaoks on oluline olla usaldusväärne esindaja, kelle poole saab alati pöörduda ja kes seisab siiralt tudengite huvide eest."

"Minu südameasjaks on hoolitseda selle eest, et tudengite vaimne heaolu oleks väärtustatud ning nende arvamus tõesti kuuldud – mitte ainult kuulatud."

"Järgmisel õppeaastal võiksime keskenduda rohkem üliõpilaste ühendamisele üle erialade. Meil on palju suurepäraseid algatusi, kuid võiksime luua platvormi, kus tudengid erinevatest valdkondadest saaksid kokku tulla, jagada ideid ja luua uusi koostöövõimalusi. Erialade vaheline koostöö rikastab akadeemilist kogemust, avardab silmaringi ja aitab tudengikogukonnal tugevamalt ühtsena tegutseda."

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Marina Daškina

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Usun, et minust teeb hea üliõpilasesindaja kombinatsioon empaatiavõimest, kohusetundlikkusest ja oskusest kuulata ning kaasa rääkida. Olen inimene, kellele läheb tõeliselt korda, kuidas tunnevad end teised ning kuidas saaksin panustada sellesse, et üliõpilaste häält kuuldaks ja arvestataks otsuste tegemisel.Minu soov on seista selle eest, et kõigil tudengitel oleks võimalus õppida toetavas keskkonnas, kus nende arvamus loeb. Usun, et minu isikuomadused ja varasemad kogemused loovad hea aluse selle rolli vastutustundlikuks täitmiseks."

"Vaimse tervise ja heaolu teema on olnud läbivalt tähtis. Meediapädevuse nädala raames käsitletud digitaalse heaolu ja infohügieeni küsimused haakuvad selgelt sellega, kuidas tudengid kogevad õppimist tänapäevases infoülekülluses. Üliõpilasesindus saab siinkohal olla toetav jõud, tõstatades vaimse tervise, digihügieeni ja ülekoormuse teemasid."

"Tartu Ülikooli Üliõpilasesindus peaks järgmisel õppeaastal pöörama senisest rohkem tähelepanu vaimse heaolu toetamisele. Kuigi see teema on juba varasemalt päevakorras olnud, näen jätkuvalt, et tudengite vaimne koormus on kõrge ning tugi pole alati kergesti kättesaadav või piisavalt nähtav. Üliõpilased seisavad silmitsi mitmete ootustega – akadeemiline surve, töö- ja eraelu tasakaal, rahalised raskused ning tulevikuga seotud ebakindlus. Selleks et Tartu Ülikooli tudengid tunneksid end hoituna ja motiveerituna, tuleb tugevdada ennetustööd, tõsta teadlikkust vaimse tervise teemadel ning pakkuda rohkem nähtavat ja ligipääsetavat tuge, näiteks tugigruppe, koolitusi, nõustamist või mentorprogramme."

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Pirjo Mõttus

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Minust teeb hea esindaja sama omadus, mis teeb minust ka mitteniiväga hea esindaja: ma olen kirglik kõige osas, mida pean piisavalt oluliseks, et nendega tegeleda. Tänu sellele ei heiduta mind väljakutsed ja tagasilöögid, sest takistused on ju selleks, et neid ületada. Toetan häid ideid, kui samas ütlen kõhklemata välja oma arvamused. Püüan seda teha diplomaatiliselt, kuid vahel lööb mu tulihingelisus välja ning võin seetõttu näida liiga otsekohese ja intensiivsena. Samas on selle taga alati vaid soov arutada alternatiive ja leida parim võimalik suund või lahendus."

"Doktorantide esindajana keskenduksin eelkõige teemadele, mis meie õppetasemel on kõige akuutsemad. (Õppe)töökoormus ja atesteerimisnõuded osakoormusel töötavatele doktorantidele on kindlasti olulised teemad, mis vajab jätkuvat tähelepanu. Pean tähtsaks ka doktorantide heaolu, milleks on vaja mõistvat ja läbipaistvat süsteemi, mis toetab doktorantide arengut ning austab neid kui võrdväärseid ja olulisi panustajaid instituudi akadeemilisse ellu. Esindajana oleks minu uks alati avatud kaasõppijate arvamustele olulistest teemadest, sest mis on oluline minule, ei pruugi olla määrava tähtsusega kõikidele ja samamoodi võivad mõned olulised valupunktid jääda minule märkamatuks. Seepärast pean tähtsaks dialoogilist lähenemist, mille tulemusena viin instituudi nõukokku need punktid, mis esindavad võimalikult suure hulga doktorantide huve."

"Doktorantide esindajana TÜÜEs soovin pöörata tähelepanu küsimustele, mis aitavad muuta meie õpikogemust suunas, et mitte üksnes praegustel vaid ka tulevastel doktorantidel oleks hea pinnas õppida ja areneda ning et neil oleks soov panustada akadeemiasse ka pärast õpingute lõppu. Kindlasti tuleb seetõttu keskenduda võrdsele kohtlemisele, läbipaistvusele, doktoriõppe ajakohasuse ja kvaliteedi tõstmisele, kuid võimalikke arengusuundi on teisigi."

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Roman Zolotarjov

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olles panustanud Skytte instituudi töösse erinevates rollides - nii üliõpilase enda kui ka õppeassistendina - ja näinud ülikoolielu erinevate nurkade alt leian, et ehk natuke paremini tunnen ma kaasõpilaste muresid ja soove. Olgu tegemist õppetöö korraldamise, töö ja õppimise kombineerimise vajaduse või lihtsalt selge ja adekvaatse “köögipoolse” informatsiooni puudumisega. Oskus kuulata ja kaasa lüüa, mõelda progressiivselt ja kastist välja, kuid ennekõike tugev sisemine veendumus et üliõpilaste hääl peab olema kuulatud ning et kõrghariduse planeerimine ja hariduspoliitika üldiselt peab lähtuma tudengite vajadustest ja mitte Excel tabeli kalkulatsioonidest teeb minust hea üliõpilasesindaja."

"Ennekõike tasub otsustada kõrghariduse rahastamise küsimuse üle. Kõrgharidus peab olema Eesti noortele kättesaadav ehk tasuta. Punkt. Ei poliitilist petturlust ega tühje sõnu sellest, kuidas poliitikud ja ametnikud muretsevad Eesti ja tema noorte pärast, kärpides samas hariduskulusid. Teiseks, stipendiumid. Riiklikud kärped kõrghariduse valdkonnas on viinud selleni, et riik on lakanud tulemusstipendiumite maksmast, pannes paljusid üliõpilasi keerulisse olukorda, kus nad peavad samaaegselt nii õppima kui ka tööl käima. Sel taustal on veelgi häbiväärsemalt näevad välja poliitikute jutud “tasuta” kõrgharidusest. Kolmandaks, õppeprogrammide suurem seos tööturu vajadustega läbi avaliku ja erasektorite tihedama koostöö ühelt poolt ning Ülikooli ja riigiasutuste koostöö teiselt poolt. Üliõpilastel peab olema võimalus käia tööl oma riigis oma valdkonnas."

"TÜÜE peab minu meelest aktiivsemalt sõna võtma üliõpilaste jaoks olulistel teemadel, isegi kui see tundub kohati asjatu. Kõrghariduse rahastamine ja tasuta kõrgharidus on üks selliseid teemasid. Ei tasu mõelda, et poliitikud lähtuvad tudengite vajadustest, kui nad suletud uste taha otsustavad Eesti kõrghariduse rahastamismudelite üle. Nad seda ei tee. Neid huvitab ennekõike võimalus olla tagasi valitud, mille toovad vanemate inimeste - ja mitte noorte - hääled. Aga sellest ei tulene meie õiguste eest seismise väiksem olulisus. Vaid pannes tudengeid tagasi esikohale hariduspoliitika planeerimisel ja elluviimisel saame luua riiki, kus iga üliõpilane tunneks ennast väärtustatu ja olulisena. Ja selles küsimuses peab TÜÜE’l olema esiroll."

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Brian Wiggins

"I believe I would be a good student representative at the institute council because of my perspective as an international student and my prior experience on university organization executive boards. During my bachelor’s, I spent two years organizing like-minded students as an executive in my university’s Cybersecurity club and International Relations & Model UN club. I feel I can bring the same focus and determination to see our students thrive to the institute’s council."

"My top three goals as a student representative would be to expand the interdisciplinary offerings for our academic programs (especially classes on technology and digitization), advance the inclusion of international students through adding a student representative seat on the council specifically for international students, and develop more opportunities for students to engage with one another.

Having an interdisciplinary background is a highly sought out aspect by academic and professional organizations. We should ensure the voices of international students are always heard by giving them a seat at the table on the institute council. And students across programs and nationalities should have more opportunities to interact with one another in institute facilitated academic and social gatherings."

"I think the UTSU next year needs to pay more attention to the comfort and inclusion of international students, protecting funding for student scholarships and support, and calling out the university administration, the ministry of education & research, and even the Riigikogu when their decisions or actions conflict with the interest and values of the student body."

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Marie Emilie Nõmm

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen hea suhtleja, kelle poole võib julgelt pöörduda nii murede kui ka ideedega. Olen hea kuulaja ja mõistan erinevaid seisukohti. Olen kohusetundlik ja tasakaalukas."

"Minu jaoks on oluline, et majandusharidus käiks kaasas tööturu vajadustega – et õppekavad oleksid ajakohased ja praktilise väärtusega. Samuti leian, et rohkem tähelepanu võiks pöörata tudengite motiveerimisele ja toetamisele, erinevate stipendiumite kaudu."

"TÜÜE võiks senisest rohkem keskenduda sellele, kuidas tudengid saaksid paremini kaasa rääkida oma eriala arendamises – mitte ainult tagasisidestamise kaudu, vaid ka sisulistes aruteludes. Tudengi arvamus peaks olema arvestatav osa ülikooli arengus."

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Johanna Uuemäe

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Minu tugevused seisnevad eelkõige orienteerituses lahendustele, kannatlikkuses ja lakkamatus optimismis, et kõike on võimalik vähehaaval paremaks muuta."

"Väärtustan oluliste algatustena selget kommunikatsiooni, ühiseid eesmärke ja sidusust."

"Minu jaoks on olulisemad teemad kõrghariduse rahastamine ja õppekvaliteet. Leian, et need väärivad kõrgendatud tähelepanu."

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Getter Lepp

"Hi! I'm Getter. I’ve previously been — and still am — a student representative at the institute level during my bachelor's studies, but on the horizon (hopefully!) is the start of my master’s studies in the fall of 2025. If all goes according to plan and the doors to the master's program open, I’d be more than happy to continue my role in the institute’s student council. This current academic year (2024/2025) has also brought me the opportunity to serve in the student council of the Faculty of Social Sciences, where I’ve mostly focused on matters related to study quality. As a faculty-level representative, I’ve also had the chance to take part in other decision-making bodies — like the Student Union Council (TÜÜE), the Faculty Council, and the Programme Council. In short: it’s been anything but boring, and I’ve really enjoyed the work.

Thanks to all this experience, I can confidently say I understand what being a student representative entails. And if I get the green light to start my master’s studies, I’d love to pick up right where I left off — making sure students’ voices are heard. It’s always been important to me that the voices represented aren’t just my own, but those of other students as well. That’s why I try to keep an ear to the ground and stay connected with fellow students — whether over coffee, during lecture breaks, or in casual chats. All in all, I believe I’m a pretty solid candidate to keep speaking up on behalf of students. And I’d do it gladly, with a smile on my face."

"As a student representative, my top priorities are the quality of education and the content of courses and curriculum – how studies actually work for students in real life. I also care deeply about student well-being more broadly, and about making it possible for students to maintain a healthy balance between their studies and personal life. A good education shouldn’t come at the cost of burnout – and that’s something worth advocating for."

"I believe UTSU should focus on the issue of higher education funding in the next academic year – both at the systemic level and from the perspective of individual students. Without financial security, access to education suffers, as do mental health and equal treatment. It’s also crucial that the university environment supports students’ mental well-being and fosters an academic space where everyone feels safe, respected, and treated equally. These issues aren’t separate – they’re deeply interconnected and deserve continuous attention."

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Rait Mattias Salvan

"As a student representative, I am motivated to contribute to making the students of the University of Tartu even more prominent advocates of a free society, and to make this visible to the outside world. I am well informed about general issues concerning higher education, have found many like-minded people, and as a student representative I want to actively seek them out. While I associate a strong abstract thinking ability with law studies, I consider my strengths lie in addressing a wide range of issues together, because the "arguments" that shape the future do not exist separately in vacuum."

"The issues that are important to me overlap to a large extent with those on which I would like to see UTSU more active, since it would be posssible for myself to contribute as a student representative. Personally, as a student representative, I am planning on finging other people who share my view that the quality of higher education in its broadest sense depends first and foremost on suggestions and feedback from students themselves. Thus the quality of education and high standards set by students themselves go hand in hand. Not just the fact that suggestions are made is important, but also that it is relevant in its substance, i.e. that the parties agree with each wother within the overall core values and strategy. It would be arbitrary to suggest that student input in addressing these issues is somehow poor, but there are examples of weird misunderstangings between faculty/institute and students."

"The issues that are important to me as a student representative also overlap with the issues on which I expect more attention from the UTSU. I think that, e.g. on higher education funding, UTSU can be even more active. Free higher education has been a great contribution to ensuring access to higher education, but unfortunately the current model seems likely to disappear despite the oppositon. The statements of UTSU should not be merely a reaction to possible next policy steps on this issue, but a proactive debate involving students should also extend to the issues of specific funding models and the rethinking of higher education. UTSU, therefore, has the opportunity to initiate a debate on this issue first among students themselves, which would in turn provide a strong backing for the expression of views to the public."

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Lisette Põld

"I believe that every student’s voice matters, and I am committed to ensuring that your ideas and concerns are heard. As your representative, I will strive to create an inclusive environment where every opinion counts. I promise to be approachable, listen actively, and advocate for our needs. Together, we can work towards improving our university experience, from academic support to social events. I believe this is also supported by my previous experience as a student representative at the institute. Let’s make our university a place where everyone feels valued and empowered. I am passionate about making a difference and would be honored to earn your vote."

"First, I would like to establish open communication to ensure that every voice is heard. Academic support is another key focus for me, which is why I advocate for clearer and more transparent communication between students and faculty. Mental health awareness is also a priority, I want to promote mental health resources and create a supportive environment. Your ideas will be central to this effort. Lastly, I believe in the importance of collaboration with faculty, as building strong relationships with professors and administration will help us effectively address our needs and ensure that our voices influence school decisions. Together, we can create a positive and thriving school environment."

"As information technology is increasingly involved in everyday life, one of the topics that needs to be addressed is the use of artificial intelligence in studying so that it is fair to both professors and students."

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Rasmus Tannebaum

"What makes me a good student representative is my collaborative spirit, proactivity and a genuine desire to make the university experience better for students. As a student of the Tallinn Department of the UT School of Law, I have made a significant contribution in terms of the initiation ceremony, the orientation party that unites the course and the party that unites the whole department. I would like to become a student representative in order to take the next step and contribute to creating a better environment already at the institutional level. I would like to make the student voice heard and represent the interests of students in order to create a pleasant environment that meets their needs."

"As a student representative, I consider the most important issue for the next academic year to be ensuring a high-quality learning environment in connection with the renovation of several buildings. Both in Tallinn, on the replacement site at Tõnismäe, and in Tartu, on the renovation of the Näituse 13a building, moving to the replacement sites must not affect teaching. My priority is to be in constant dialogue with the students in order to quickly map out possible bottlenecks, be they related to space, technology or accessibility, and to seek solutions in cooperation with the university. Another important issue I see is to continue to maintain close ties between the Tartu and Tallinn departments by supporting joint events and information exchange."

"In my view, UTSU needs to focus even more strongly on higher education funding issues in the next academic year, as this directly affects students' livelihoods and learning opportunities. The abolition of merit scholarships and of the Master of Laws scholarship will increase the financial burden on students and may discourage access to higher education. UTSU should be a strong advocate at both university and national level, calling for a sustainable funding model. At the same time, the UTSU could actively work with the university to find alternative means of support, such as private funding for scholarships."

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Karmel Justina Loog

"What makes me a good student representative is experience! I have already been a student representative for one academic year and I really enjoyed it! I feel like I have enough drive and courage and really have the will to make law school better for all of us. I've been a very active student all my student life, and that's why I still want to contribute. Personality-wise, I am a complete social butterfly and if I could, I would just talk and socialise. I believe this is one of the most important qualities in a representative. Thank you in advance for all your votes. I promise to use this new opportunity to stand up for your rights 100%!"

"The issues you tell me are important! If I can, I will get it processed! As a student in Tallinn, I will definitely contribute to making the new learning environment in Tallinn perfect to our exact convenience. I will definitely stand up for the curricula and subjects to support the learning of all of us to the maximum. As a Master's student, I will try as much as I can to make sure that topics about tuition fees and study sessions is arranged in a way that is good for us. That said, I'm happy to listen to anything else that concerns you and then we'll see from there!"

"
Let's focus on higher education funding and quality of learning!"

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Ariadna Pavlenko

"I study journalism and communication, which has provided me with strong skills in clearly and effectively conveying information. My openness, empathy, and proactive attitude in addressing issues would make me a good student representative. Previous experience with volunteer work and project management has taught me to listen to diverse opinions and act accordingly."

"My top priorities are supporting students' mental health, improving the quality of education, and increasing student involvement in university decision-making processes. As a journalism and communication student, I also aim to improve communication between students and university administration. Additionally, it is important to me that all first-year students feel welcome and not alone at university.

Representing the Institute of Social Sciences, I aim to highlight awareness of social issues and increase student involvement in decision-making processes. Additionally, I want to emphasize the need to improve the institute's internal and external communication, support students' mental health, and offer interactive opportunities for prospective students to explore various specializations."

"Next academic year, UTSU should focus more on enhancing the student feedback system, ensuring that student opinions meaningfully contribute to improving education quality and university management. Additionally, attention should be given to the quality and transparency of communication. It would also be beneficial to provide more engaging interactive activities for prospective students, helping them quickly understand which specializations suit them best."

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Marzhan Ryskhanova

"This is the second year in a row that I have been a volunteer at the Narva College Student Council. While in the volunteer club, I participated in all the organization of the event, and also helped students with their problems. My hard work and kindness helps me combine my basic studies and volunteering. Having worked with the student council and participated in a wide variety of events and seminars, I can confidently say that I have experience in this."

"My main priorities as a student representative are the well-being of students, their favourable stay at the university and the creation of computer conditions for both students and teachers."

"In my opinion, more focus should be placed on student development. To organize conferences and seminars not only where they study, but also in different departments of the university. Secondly, I think it's worth trying to add more activities for an interesting student life for young people."

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Denis Yelizarov

"My main priorities as a student representative include increasing student interest in college events and creating opportunities for international exchange of experiences. I plan to make the events more exciting and relevant in order to attract more students. I also want to organize trips to workshops and youth gatherings in nearby and other EU countries so that students can share their experiences and learn how education and university life are practiced in different parts of Europe."

"UTSU should pay attention to increasing attendance at events organized by the college in order to make them more appealing to students. This is relevant to the feedback topic, as students can offer their opinions and ideas for improving these events. It is also essential to create opportunities for students to participate in multi-day trips organized by the student council. For instance, UTSU volunteers and student council members could travel to Vilnius for workshops with Lithuanian student councils. These events are relevant to equal opportunities, as they provide all students with an opportunity to share experiences and learn from other countries."

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Jekaterina Makarova

"I am a person of ideas, action, and new opportunities. I’m ambitious, creative, and not afraid of challenges—especially when it comes to improving university life. As a first-year student living in the dormitory, I constantly interact with people from different backgrounds, which means my ideas are shaped by real experiences and aimed at benefiting the student community. For the past year, I have been actively involved in the volunteer program of our student council, so I know how it breathes, what it dreams of, and what it needs. I don’t just want to be a part of the Narva College family—I want to help make it stronger. I’m confident that my diverse experience, enthusiasm, and creative approach will serve as valuable tools for future initiatives."

"Creating a comfortable environment for communication between international students within the college. Increasing the number of evening game events held in different languages to help students develop their skills. Listening closely to students wishes and suggestions."

"For me, it’s all about communication between international groups. Organizing events and games in different languages to make students feel more comfortable. For example, hosting evenings dedicated to cultural presentations, traditional customs, food, and workshops."

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Pille Kurnitski

"Last year I successfully stood up for the opinions of my fellow students, organized events and contributed to the work of the University of Tartu Student Union. In addition, I am also on the program council of my specialty and can successfully express the opinions of students. I have set myself certain priorities and I stand up for them firmly and courageously, because if we don't do it, who will? Considering all this, I think I am well suited to be a student representative next year as well."

"As a student representative, the most important issues for me are those that directly affect the daily lives and academic success of students. The key issues for me are student well-being and mental health, because academic pressure can be very burdensome. I also consider academic representation and the protection of student rights to be important in order to ensure a fair and supportive environment. Improving the quality of education is also important, because I want students to receive the best possible education. It is important to ensure effective communication between the university and students, so that information flows quickly and smoothly."

"In the next academic year, the University of Tartu Student Union should focus on improving the learning environment, emphasizing the importance of the environment and listening to the students’ voices. The aim is to create an environment where students feel comfortable and important, which in turn promotes better learning and well-being. The Student Council should actively collect student feedback and cooperate with the university administration to ensure good conditions in the academic buildings. It is important that students’ opinions are taken into account when designing the learning environment to ensure a favorable and supportive environment for everyone."

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Marie Kristiin Lahesoo

"In 2024/2025, I have been the head of the Student Council of Pärnu College. In addition, I have previously worked in jobs that required quick decision-making. I stand by my decisions and I can stand up for them. Because I know how important teamwork is, I am always open to communication and other opinions."

"As a student representative, the most important thing for me is to represent students. At Pärnu College, it is necessary to improve the quality of life of students, through events as well as representation in the council. I would like to take the work we started last year to the finish line, so that Pärnu would be one step closer to Tartu."

"In the next academic year, UTSU should pay more attention to studies fees and bringing back the performance scholarship. In addition, UTSU should also turn its attention to the use of text robots in teaching and how it changes exams."

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Carmen Koha

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen terve elu olnud hea kuulaja ja mõistja. Mul on suur õiguse ja õigluse tunnetus. Lisaks sellele olen ka analüüsiv ja märkav inimene, kes oskab märgata ka neid, kes pole nii häälekad ja nende muresid. Tunnen, et need omadused aitaksid kaasa mul nii enda õppeasutuses kui ka valdkonna põhiselt tudengite esindamisel."

"Eriliselt südamelähedaseks teemaks on mulle Tartu Ülikooli erinevate valdkondade ühendamine. Tudengite silmaringi avardamine läbi valdkondade ühendamiseks mõeldud ürituste. Minu arvates läbi valdkondade ühendamise saame kujundada meeldivamat ja mõistvamat tulevikuühiskonda meie kõigi jaoks."

"Erilist tähelepanu peab pöörama õppekvaliteedile ja selle vastavuse jälgimine ja õppeine kodutööde tagasisidestamise reglementatsiooni parendamine, et õpilased saaksid vastava ja konkreetse tagasiside töödeks, et saada aru oma vigadest ja leida arenduspunkte."

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Romina Ashrafi

"True leadership is not about having a title; it's about listening, understanding, and standing up for those who trust you to be their voice."

"Problem-solving and having fun together."

"UTSU should prioritize mental health support, financial aid, career opportunities, academic flexibility, and inclusivity to enhance student well-being and success in the next academic year."

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Sophie Leia Bolšakova

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Ma olen aktiivne ja vastutustundlik üliõpilane. Sain enda kursuse kursusevanemaks, kuna tahtsin aidata kursusekaaslasi ja lahendada õppimisega seotud probleeme. Üliõpilasesindajana annaksin ennast parimat, et tudengid saaksid õppida meeldivas keskkonnas, kus on olemas kõik vajalik hariduse saamiseks ja mälestuste tegemiseks. Kooli ajal on õppimise kõrvalt professionaalselt tegelenud tantsimisega, mänginud kitarri ja õppinud mitu keelt, seega ajaplaneerimisega probleemi mul ei ole. Ma arvan, et see teeb minust hea üliõpilasesindajat."

"Mind väga huvitab hetkel toimuv õppimise reform ja sellega seotud probleemid. Samuti arstiteaduse tudengina tahaksin, et biomeedikum saaks endale hubaset ja nutikat puhke/õppimise alat. Põhiline huvi on tulevaste ja praeguste tudengite jaoks toreda keskkonna loomine."

"Tudengite vaimne tervis, uus biomeedikumi õppimise ala"

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Helena Raivo

"Over the past year, I have been actively involved in the leadership of EstMSA, which has made me well-acquainted with organisational work, meetings, and operating within the context of a student collective. Through this experience, I have learned to lead a team more effectively, communicate with greater confidence, organise events, and carry out projects through collective effort. I believe that, as a student representative, one of my key strengths would be my sense of responsibility and transparency in both my actions and abilities – I am not afraid to admit to gaps in my knowledge or skills. My work with school magazines (and my love for literature as a hobby) has made me comfortable with writing, whether it’s something formal, polite, engaging, or simply pleasant to read."

"My true wish is to see more seating spaces in the Biomedicum building so students could eat or study in-between classes. However, in light of the on-going renovations, this issue may already be on its way to a resolution. That said, I would like to express more generally that, for me, the most important thing is to address everyday comfort-related matters that affect students – such as the condition of common rooms, the fast and effective sharing of important information, and ensuring it receives the attention it needs. These things might seem like small details, but together they have a significant impact on a student’s overall satisfaction with their university experience. I believe that one of the most important duties of an ISC representative is to listen to such concerns with empathy and do their best to find a solution."

"UTSU, as the representative body of all students at the University of Tartu, should continue their vocal opposition to the potential plans to introduce tuition fees for Estonian students in higher education – especially in defence of first-time enrollment. Now that scholarships are being cut and there is a lack of adequate loan options, students would be in a difficult position. I fear that abolishing free higher education could lead to a significant decline in the number of highly educated young people, and consequently, in the overall level of education within society. This is one of our national prides, and protecting it should remain a goal for UTSU going forward."

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Johan Mihkel Jürisson

"I want to become a student representative because I see issues at our school that have simple solutions but have not yet been addressed. I believe that solving these problems would make students' lives much more comfortable. What makes me a good student representative is my ability to navigate the university's bureaucracy and my desire to communicate with other students to help them on their academic journey."

"As a representative of the Student Union, I plan to contribute to making communication between TÜÜE and the school board more understandable to students. My goal is to aid communication between students and the faculty, relay feedback regarding the curriculum and everyday campus issues, and bring responses from the faculty back to the students. I intend to focus especially on matters related to student common/study areas, parking arrangements and the funding of higher education."

"Firstly, it is important to continue promoting equal treatment, so that every student feels valued in the university community. Secondly, a major concern is the discontinuation of performance-based scholarships, especially in fields where working alongside studies is challenging. The Student Union could explore ways to provide financial support for outstanding students. Finally, the Student Union needs to focus on making the school environment a more comfortable place for students to study and spend time in."

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Narges Mohammadrahimi

"I am passionate and committed to creating a supportive and collaborative environment for all students. I am approachable, a good listener, and I genuinely care about representing my peers’ voices and concerns. I would love to help build stronger communication between students and faculty, and work together to make our program the best it can be."

"My top priorities as a student representative are:
Open Communication – Ensuring students feel heard and that their feedback is regularly shared with faculty.
Supportive Environment – Promoting mental health, work-life balance, and a positive research culture.
Academic and Career Development – Advocating for more opportunities like workshops, networking events, and mentorship programs.
Inclusivity and Community – Helping build a welcoming and inclusive community where everyone feels valued and connected."

"UTSU should focus more on supporting mental health and helping students prevent burnout, particularly during intense periods like thesis writing. Providing clearer guidelines for final theses and publications would alleviate stress and confusion. Furthermore, ethically integrating AI tools into research and academic writing could enhance productivity and learning."

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Hanna Andla

"I have previously represented pharmacy students as a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of the University of Tartu, and I have also contributed to improving student well-being through the OLE ROHKEM. movement. Through these experiences, I hope to make life better for PhD students at the University of Tartu."

"As a student representative, I would be the voice of PhD students in the institute’s council. It is also important that PhD students support each other. As a representative, I would have the opportunity to help organize events where PhD students can share their academic experiences, receive support from their peers, and build lasting connections."

"Next academic year, the first PhD students who began their studies under the reformed doctoral system will be graduating. UTSU should be ready to collect their feedback and, if needed, propose meaningful improvements to the overall structure and support system of doctoral studies."

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Liisa Viktooria Puurand

"I am a first year medical student who started representing students in middle school. During 2020 and 2021 I was a part of the Youth Council of the city of Tartu, for which I completed multiple team building trainings. I am hard working and determined; I believe my personality and previous experience would help me improve the daily life of students."

"Scientific research is extremely important to me. I want to find more opportunities so that anyone could take part in research, even as a first year student."

"Next year, the focus must be on the needs of students in general. In addition, research opportunities and feedback for classes needs more attention."

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Suvi Sumberg

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen juba ühe aasta Farmaatsia instituudi üliõpilaskogus esindaja olnud ning tunnen end seetõttu kordades enesekindlamalt kui eelmisel kevadel: ülesanded on tuttavad ning süsteem selge. Üliõpilasesindajana olen järjepidev ja kohusetundlik, et ette võetud plaanid saaksid ellu viidud ja tudengite mured leiaksid lahenduse!"

"Minu jaoks on kõige olulisem instituudisisese tudengite, õppejõudude ja töötajate vahelise suhtluse hoidmine ja arendamine, et kõik osapooled tunneksid end kaasatuna ning et ka rõõmusõnumid ei jääks jagamata. Väikeste sammudega saime eelmisel aastal tudengite puhkeala arendada (taarakast, kausid, hügieenitarvete korv jne) ning loodan seda ka uue mandaadi jooksul jätkata. Insituudi infokirja abil oleme nii tudengite tegemisi, teadustöid, instituudis toimuvat kui ka palju muud kõikidele osapooltele lähemale toonud."

"Pean tähtsaks võrdset kohtlemist, selle jaoks vajalike dokumentide ja juhendite koostamist ning nii üliõpilaste kui õppejõudude teadlikkuse tõstmist antud teemast."

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Rebeka Kärbis

"My strong communication skills, initiative, and problem-solving abilities make me an effective student representative. I am an attentive listener who values diverse perspectives and opinions. Always ready to help, I take a proactive approach to finding solutions in any situation, ensuring that students receive support for both major and minor concerns."

"My goal is to create a comfortable and supportive environment for students, where they can not only study effectively but also feel good and enjoy university life. I also consider it important to represent students' opinions and ensure that their voices are heard."

"UTSU should focus more on supporting mental health and balancing academic workload in the next year. Students well-being directly impacts their academic success, so providing more resources and support for stress and burnout prevention is crucial."

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Ann Katriin Abel

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Arvan, et mind toetab üliõpilasesindajaks olemisel julgus katsetada ja selle käigus õppida – nii õnnestumistest kui ka ebaõnnestumistest. Lisaks, meeldib mulle igasuguseid "hulle" ideid genereerida, mida saab siis ühiselt teiste esindajatega lihvida ning teostada. See, et need ideed teistele (mõnikord) peale lähevad on kokkuvõetav vanasõnaga: “Pime kana leiab ka tera.” Nüüdsel kandideerimisel on juba ühe õppeaastane kogemus üliõpilasesindajana olemas. Selle kõrvalt olin ka erialaseltsi juhatuses ning vabatahtlik noorteorganisatsioonis. Esimene aasta oli hea proovikivi, mis andis julguse järgmisel aastal veelgi suurema innuga esindaja rolli täita."

"Minu jaoks oluliseim on tudengite hääle kuuldavaks tegemine ning tudengite õppekeskkonna täiustamine. Möödunud õppeaastal saime instituudi üliõpilaskoguga mitmeid uudseid lahendusi Farmaatsia instituuti toodud, aga kindlasti on veel palju, mida võiks ära teha."

"Fookuses võiksid kindlasti olla õppekvaliteet ja võrdne kohtlemine. Usun, et need kaks teemat on tegelt üsna lõimunud ning üks viis õppekvaliteedi tõstmiseks on kõigile inimestele ülikoolis võrdse kohtlemise tagamine. Igaüks peaks tundma end turvaliselt Tartu Ülikoolis ning siinne õpikeskkond toetama tudengeid hariduse omandamisel."

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Katriin Pensa

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen oma olemuselt väga leidlik - iga probleem leiab lahenduse. Mul on ka varasem kogemus üliõpilasseltsis - olen erialaseltsi 24/25 aasta juhatuses."

"Minu suureks sooviks on tekitada kaasõpilastes tunne, et neid ja nende muresid nähakse-kuuldakse. Samuti soovin, et meie tudengiteni jõuaks kiiresti värskeim info instituudi tegemistest, võimalustest ning suurematest muudatustest."

"Õpilaste ning nende saavutuste ja tegemiste väärtustamine ja kajastamine võiks olla see aasta rohkem fookuses. On oluline, et tudengid tunneksid, et neid väärtustatakse ning et nende panus ühiskonda on oluline."

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Helena Rähni

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Minust teeb hea üliõpilasesindaja soov muuta õppimine üliõpilastele meeldivamaks. Olen abivalmis ning avatud meelega ja alati valmis tudengite muredele lahendusi leidma. Lisaks on mul ka varasem kogemus üliõpilasesinduses, mistõttu olen kursis esindaja kohustustega."

"Üliõpilasesindajana on minu jaoks kõige olulisemad teemad seotud õppetöö parandamisega nii praegustele kui ka tulevastele üliõpilastele. Samuti soovin edendada suhtlust tudengitega, et nad teaks, kelle poole probleemide korral pöörduda."

"Minu arvates võiks TÜÜE järgmisel õppeaastal tähelepanu pöörata uute stipendiumite leidmisele hea õppeedukusega üliõpilastele. Usun, et üliõpilasesindus võiks aidata tudengitel keskenduda õpingutele ilma liigse majandusliku surveta."

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Emily Talvik

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen loomult küsimuste küsija, kes julgeb avaldada oma arvamust ning väärtustab õiglust ja võrdsust. Tunnen rõõmu headest suhetest ja suhtlusest ning meeskonnana ühise eesmärgi nimel töötamisest. Leian, et kõik väärt muutused algavad headest küsimustest."

"Pean oluliseks teabe liikumist ja üliõpilaste teadlikkuse tõstmist nende õppe kohta. Ükski üliõpilane ei tohiks oma murede või küsimustega üksi jääda."

"Pean väga vajalikuks mitte ainult TÜÜE poolset vaid kogu üliõpilaskonna seismist tasuta kõrghariduse eest ja leian, et see on kogu Eesti oluline alustala. Samuti tuleks endiselt töös hoida üliõpilaskonna ja esindajate vahelist suhtlust ja panustada kvaliteetsele teabe levikule."

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Oliver Mõttus

"I have previously been a member of MVÜK and KMIÜK and am active in EAÜS. While there, one of my biggest accomplishments was advocating for better organization of the OSCE exam, which resulted in the creation of a comprehensive memo for students. I am very enthusiastic and hardworking, and I want to make medical studies better for everyone. Anyone can always turn to me with any concern, and I will always give my maximum effort (very quickly). Having seen the current situation, I believe that student representatives could do much more to improve the lives of all students, and I would like to do my part."

"1. The organization of the practical exam should be clear and student-friendly
2. Medical students should also have easily accessible and general scholarships
3. Students should not be expected to have foreign language skills to understand their patients
4. Student feedback on courses and faculty should be genuinely listened to and used to make decisions
5. Medical education at the university should be made more practical"

"The most important thing is that the university not only listens to our input but also acts accordingly. UTSU needs to gain the authority so that the students' opinions truly mean something. In my opinion most of our problems stem from this harmful power imbalance."

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Elis Riin Tars-Hurt

"I have previously served as the chair of the Institute of Clinical Medicine, which has given me insight into the system, and I would like to contribute even more to improve students' learning conditions. In addition, I am an active member of the Estonian Medical Students' Association and I also work. These experiences help me understand different perspectives and advocate for the rights of all students."

"Collaboration between different institutes and more joint events (like the ventilation evening). In addition, I am currently part of the equal treatment working group and contribute to topics related to the reform of the medical curriculum. I definitely want to continue working on these topics and help create a student-friendly OSCE exam, as well as keep the students informed."

"Funding of higher education, opportunities for research, and making improvements based on student feedback."

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Asya Esin Aksoy

"I would be a good student representative because I genuinely care about advocating for students. I’ve been part of the Programme Council for the Medicine in English curriculum and have also been a group leader during my pre-clinical and clinical years. These experiences have helped me become a better listener and communicator."

"My top priority is to make sure every student feels supported and heard throughout their studies. I know firsthand how hard it can be to balance university and personal life, and I want to help create an environment where students feel empowered - I’m here to advocate for everyday support."

"UTSU should pay more attention to mental health, especially since medical studies can be very demanding. Many students silently struggle with stress and burnout, so it’s crucial that we create an environment where seeking support is encouraged and accessible."

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Johanna Karp

"I thing I am a great student representative, because I am also a student, so in that same situation as the people I would represent. I am a little bit people pleaser - I put my friends and family first any try to give them the best. I am also very conscientious, I love system and when everything works as they should work. Overall I am joyful, friendly, nice and wish every people the best."

"I feel that the most important problems to solve are other students’ problems + personally I think it is important to develop a study system that supports growth and self-improvement."

"As a medical student, I feel that the OSCE exam and it’s organizing is very hot topic to discuss. I think it is fair to adjust the curriculum in that way that the students get the proper preparation for it."

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Triinu Luts

"I believe I would make a good student representative, because I am able to bring together different perspectives and find common ground with others. I see my role as that of a mediator, and I'm confident that I could successfully collaborate with representatives from other fields and consistently advocate for the interests of students."

"Primarily, I wish to improve students' learning experience and assessment conditions – learning arrangements should take into account the actual needs and expectations of students. I believe I could be a strong link in this communication and contribute with new ideas."

"The most important topics in the coming year, in my view, are the funding of higher education and final exam supervision. It is essential to actively advocate for the continued availability of free higher education for students. The organisation of final exams should be student-friendly, setting clear and reasonable expectations for students."

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Kadri Elisabet Seilenthal

"I think that cooperation between students and teachers is very important - I've acknowledged this fact many times during my studies. I believe that I have the right qualities for being a student representative - I am a good communicator and I have no problems about discussing complex and difficult issues."

"As a representative, the most important thing personally is the quality of learning, whether it's recorded lectures, scientific texts or other sources. If a subject is taught mainly online, it is essential that the accompanying material contains the most up-to-date scientific facts and is easy-to-use for the students."

"In my opinion, UTSU should pay more attention to online-based subjects and providing feedback on courses. For online courses, I think that the materials should be as user-friendly as possible, while also containing the latest scientific data. Feedback is vital in ensuring the quality of learning, both for professors and students."

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Joanna Miranda Ausmees

"I am running for student representative because I have a strong sense of justice and genuinely care about the well-being of students. I am open-minded, responsible, and dedicated in my endeavors, always putting my heart into what I do. I often notice areas where there is room for improvement, and I want to contribute to making students’ voices heard in any way I can. I am motivated by an old Estonian proverb, which roughly translates to, “Where you see an issue, help in fixing it.”"

"
Currently, the topics close to my heart are the practical final exams (OSCE) and curriculum development. I want students’ voices to reach decision-makers and for students’ thoughts and wishes to be heard, especially on such important issues that most directly affect students and our future."

"Equal treatment has always been an important issue to me. I believe it is crucial in every field and at all times. Additionally, I consider feedback on courses and curriculum to be important, and it is essential that real changes be made based on the feedback provided by students, as without that, feedback is of little value. In addition, the topic of education funding is just as significant."

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Anna-Ly Truusalu

"My determination and desire to improve student life make me a good student representative. I want the opportunity to have a voice in important student matters and to find solutions to various challenges."

"As a student representative, I want to focus on the practical aspects of medical education and work to ensure that students have more opportunities to engage with real hospital situations and develop practical skills early on, even during preclinical studies. This would make it easier for them to later work as nurse assistants or junior doctors, as hospitals would be more willing to hire students who already have a stronger foundation in clinical skills."

"TÜÜE should definitely focus on education funding next year – students should continue to have the opportunity to study for free at the university."

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Martin Veližanin

"I have been a representative for the medical faculty for two years now and know the ins and outs of representing students."

"Supporting the institute."

"Equal treatment of students and faculty."

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Enelin Leichter

"I find that I would be a good student representative because I have prior experience in the field. Also, I am dedicated to the things I take on."

"I think that top priorities should lay with bettering the physical and psychological environment of the school, so that all students can concentrate on their studies."

"I find that the quality of teaching and the feedback given are two sides of the same coin. There will be difficulties with raising the quality if the feedback is not constructive and if the ones giving feedback can’t do so comfortably. So, I would like to investigate the feedback system that is currently in use after each course, to make it more comfortable to use and a bit more informative for the teachers."

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Angelika Kurm

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Usun, et sobiksin üliõpilasesindajaks, sest mul on head kuulamis-, analüüsi- ja probleemilahendus oskused. Soovin aktiivselt panustada oma instituudi üliõpilaste ülikoolikogemuse edendamisesse."

"Üliõpilasesindajana soovin olla oma intituudi üliõpilastele olemas, et nad teaks kuhu oma murega pöörduda ning leiaksid neile lahendused."

"Ma arvan, et oluline on tegeleda kiirelt ja efektiivselt õppeaasta jooksul esilekerkivate murede ja probleemidega, kuid pikemas plaanis võiks rõhku panna üliõpilaste vaimse ja füüsilise tervise edendamisele."

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Marileen Nael

"I like to help my fellow student and give my best efforts at making their uni experience a pleasant and memorable one. Furthermore, I have a year of experience in being a student representative already, which has shown me that I am capable of taking a leading role if necessary and I won't leave my responsibilities in shambles."

"Top priorities for me as a student representative are students' well-being in the learning environment and modifying the curriculum based on the feedback of students."

"In the next academic year UTSU should pay more attention to providing feedback on subjects/lectors."

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Birgit Nurmberg

"I am very active and conscientious by nature and I enjoy organizing (events, gatherings, etc.). I am interested in improving the well-being of students and making school time interesting and memorable."

"Making school life more interesting to motivate students to study. Listening to and taking into account student feedback and thereby improving school life."

"Providing feedback on subjects to diversify studies and create more opportunities for professional self-development."

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Elina Petron

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Minust teeb suurepärase üliõpilasesindaja tugev kohusetunne kaastudengite ees, suudan kuulata ja kõneleda tudengeid enim vaevavaist muredest. Osalen aktiivslelt instituudi üritustel, mis võiksid üliõpilaselu edendada ja tunnen, et mõninga abiga oleksin võimeline neid ka korraldama."

"Soovin motiveerida kaastudengeid osalema aktiivsemalt oma meelisõppeainetes ja viia neid kokku sarnaste huvedega õppuritega, et meeskonnatööst sünniks rohkem teadust ja tudengimelu. Selle saavutamiseks pakuksin välja tudengeile rohkem nende erialaga seonduvaid üritusi, et kaasata neid veelgi neid juba huvitavatesse teemadesse."

"ÕIS-s tekkinud segadustele, õppejõududele konstruktiivse tagasiside andmine, kõrghariduse rahastamine"

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Katrin Kaarama

"1. I'm very active community spirit - I contribute my participating in an orchestras, doing sports and training young people and adults. I am a small business owner and I organize soap hockey tournaments! ;)
2. I enjoy being versatile and inspiring a growth mindset in others
3. I have experience in organzing events both at the county level and nationwide
4. I have led the student council both in primary school and in high school
5. I shine like the sun and I spread that energy to others"

"1. Students everyday concerns - solving issues related to school systems, leisure activities and other areas of concern
2. Get the youth moving - one-two-three!"

"1. Supporting students in times of mental stress - providing training and directing help to the youth
2. A new, cool sports event can never hurt! ;)"

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Ronald Judin

"I have had the honour of serving fellow students as a student representative for two years now. I am also active in the Tartu city council education committee and two non-profits. I've written opinion pieces and instructed labs in the university. My previous experience with leadership and public speaking has created good preconditions for expressing students' opinion clearly and assertively. I'm also sociable and always there for people: information passes through me, questions receive answers and problems receive solutions. My connections allow me to do a little on the local government level to improve something about the university. I work best when given input, so you can be sure that if you should need something from the student union, I will only be happy to help."

"I'm running for student representative for the third time. Last year, my main goals were making more room for students in Delta, preserving and increasing the proportion of teaching in Estonian, and expanding the smoke-free area to cover the whole Delta courtyard. The first of these has so far been achieved by our representative team: empty classrooms open for study easier than before and never get full. Holding the language frontline is a continuous job, which is why it must be tirelessly continued to ensure the Estonian language's vitality and prestige even in computer science and increase the study quality for Estonian students, because studying in the mothertongue is inevitably more efficient. I will also continue work towards expanding the smoke-free area until it gets done so everyone arriving in Delta could feel safe, knowing their health is cared for.

To the faculty level of science and technology, I want to bring and elevate similar topics, focusing on language and infrastructure. In this way (and additionally), I want to improve communication between the student union and the institute of computer science because we've been working rather by ourselves lately, but closer cooperation would help the institute as well as the faculty to reach their goals and would allow for the inclusion of many more students in these efforts."

"There are multiple such topics: as always, the language question and higher education funding, but some time has passed and a new topic we have to tackle is the use of text bots. Experience shows that not only students, but also the professors are at risk of becoming addicted to them, but if a course starts outright endorsing text bots by design, the effects on study quality will be catastrophic. It's important to stress temperance on both sides."

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Kanwal Batool

"I believe I can bring into notice issues with a more diverse perspective. I care about the quality of student life and I am confident to voice my opinion on issues. I am social and have good connections with PhD colleagues."

"To bring into attention all the issues, even if some of them are experienced by only a single student. To encourage more inclusivity and diversity. To make international students especially the new ones feel at home."

"Funding opportunities for international conferences. Inclusivity and promotion of diversity."

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Toomas Daniel Viskus

"I wish to represent the students of my institute and ensure that the teaching is of the highest possible standard and carried out as reasonably as possible."

"For me, it is important that students are treated fairly and that they can manage financially. As a doctoral student, it is important to me that a student entering the doctoral program, both from the University of Tartu and from outside, is able to carry out their research with as little confusion and unnecessary hassle as possible."

"Emphasis should be put on bringing back the performance grant. It was a great motivator for me when I was doing my bachelor's and master's degrees, and helped me to manage my finances more easily."

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Markus Kõiv

"What makes me a good student representative:
1. I care about the quality of education at the University of Tartu and actively participate in providing feedback (I would be well-suited for the role of curriculum quality specialist in FSC).
2. I have previous experience in organizing events (I would be a good fit for the TÜÜE vaim position in ISC).
3. Through lab work, I have become familiar with the inner workings of the institute and would be a good fit for ISC."

"Higher education funding and equal treatment issues! I feel that the removal of the performance-based scholarship signals the direction we're heading in, and I want all future changes in this area to be coordinated more closely with students."

"For equal treatment! UT needs to communicate more strongly that this is a priority for them. Compared to foreign universities, UT doesn’t yet have a good enough system in place. I want to be one of the people who keeps reminding the university of this.."

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Kaisa Aab

"With two years of experience in Solaride, a student organization dedicated to popularizing engineering, I have actively worked to inspire young minds about the wonders of technology and science. Additionally, my three years in the Tartu University lab have given me hands-on expertise in materials science, complemented by industrial experience. Goal-oriented and passionate, I aim to make natural sciences more accessible and exciting for students while advocating for the highest-quality academic programs at our university."

"For me, the most important mission is to broaden students' horizons by showcasing the vast opportunities within their fields—whether in research, industry, or innovation. I believe that theoretical knowledge must be paired with strong practical skills to prepare students for real-world challenges. I will advocate for more workshops, collaborations with companies, and research opportunities to ensure students gain not just academic depth but also the confidence to apply their skills. Together, we can build a program where learning extends beyond the classroom, empowering students to thrive in their future careers."

"I would like to focus on improving academic quality, thesis supervision guidelines, and feedback mechanisms for courses. High-quality education starts with well-structured courses and clear thesis guidelines that support students in their research. I will advocate for more detailed and accessible thesis manuals, ensuring every student receives proper guidance. Additionally, I believe regular and constructive feedback on courses is essential—both from students to lecturers and vice versa—to continuously refine teaching methods and learning outcomes. By strengthening these areas, we can enhance the overall academic experience, making it more transparent, supportive, and effective for all students."

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Suchith Sadanand

"I am suchith and excited to introduce myself as a candidate as student representative. Communicative and extrovert who loves to talk ,I'm a polyglot and I believe these skills are required to foster student needs ,understand the requirements of students and addressing it ,be it managing events or connecting with students .I ensure student concerns are listened and put forth on the table and resolve it"

"1.Commication between student union and administration
2.Create a platform where student can voice their concerns
3.Mental health and introduce extra curricular activities to overcome education stress and burn out"

"Student voices regarding their mental health is my top priority,I feel we need to introduce lot of sport activities and seminars and also guide students how to apply for study abroad programs or conference"

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Karl-Ander Kasuk

"Education: UT PhD student in Electrochemistry, MSci Chemistry from Imperial College London.
Leadership experience: Nucleate Baltics, Imperial College Estonian Society.
Representing PhD students in the Council of the Institute of Chemistry.
Representing the interests of BSc and MSc students with hindsight and the example of Imperial College London."

"Modernisation of Chemistry postgraduate education to support science-based entrepreneurship."

"More interest-specific societies (example: https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/activities/a-to-z)."

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Kaspar Arukaevu

"As the president of TÜKS (University of Tartu chemistry students´ association) I have already been in contact with the institute of chemistry. I also care about improving our programs and the wellbeing of students. I feel that the best method for that is through UTSU."

"For me the most important would be collecting feedback about subjects and finding out problems with them. Then we could solve those problems and organize consultations for those who need them. It is also important to handle problems that appear throughout the year and I would like to think new ways to improve the overall wellbeing of students."

"UTSU should pay attention to improving the main methods of collecting feedback, because in my opinion the methods used right now are incomplete."

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Elo Joandi

"I wish to be as active, honest and effective of a mediator between my institute and its people as possible."

"A lot of the problems at university are due to funding and the lack of it. Instead of dealing with the symptoms, we could deal with the causes, so funding for higher education is most important to me."

"Preservation and financing of free higher education."

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Anet Ilustrumm

"My experience makes me a good student representative – I have been serving in this role for the past two years, which has given me a strong understanding of the university's structure and the knowledge of whom to approach for different issues and where to find support. I am determined and dedicated, firmly standing up for students' interests and needs while working to ensure that their voices are heard in decision-making processes."

"As a student representative, my top priority is ensuring that students' wishes and needs are genuinely heard in the development of curricula and courses. When running for the student council, one could make many promises, but ultimately, the most important thing is that students have the opportunity to express their opinions and influence how studying at the University of Tartu can be improved for them. I also want to raise students' awareness that their voices and suggestions are not just a formality – they truly matter and are taken into account in the university's decision-making processes."

"TÜÜE should focus most on the topic of equal treatment in the coming year, as a supportive and fair environment is essential for both students and university staff. Only when everyone feels valued and treated equally can the university be the best possible place for studying and working."

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Iko Marten Kiisler

"Starting from autumn, I will be a third-year Mathematics student. Ever since middle school, I have been caught up in the hustle and bustle of school life and have helped organize events. Because of that, I am used to being busy. I am the kind of person who is always ready to listen to others' problems, and I love helping people."

"My top priority as a representative is the quality of education. The main purpose of a university is to provide education, and because of that, it is very important that the University of Tartu offers the best possible education. To achieve this, it is necessary that students’ voices are heard so that courses can be improved.
I would also like to strengthen the sense of unity among students in Institutes and Faculties"

"In my opinion, the most important topics that UTSU should focus on this year are the quality of education and the funding of higher education. A high failure rate in a course is not a sign that students are lazy or not working hard enough, but rather a sign that there may be issues with the course’s structure or organization.

We have a lot to fight for when it comes to the funding of higher education. We must stand for keeping higher education free and work to ensure that students do not lose more opportunities to receive scholarships."

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Birthe Lall

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Minust teeb hea üliõpilasesindaja see, et olen särasilmne, kohusetundlik ja hooliv. Kuulaksin alati ära kõigi tudengite mured ning uued ideed, sest pean oluliseks, et tudengid saaksid ka kaasa rääkida."

"Mulle on kõige olulisem see, et kõiki tudengeid koheldaks võrdselt ja kõigi mõtted oleks kuuldud."

"Arvan, et TÜÜE peaks järgmisel õppeaastal pöörama rohkem tähelepanu sellele, kuidas tudengite tagasiside jõuab tegelikult ka muutusteni. Tudengid annavad igal aastal tagasisidet, aga osade ainetega tundub, et hoolimata sellest ei muutu tegelikult midagi."

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Magnus Vaikla

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Praegune matemaatika 2. kursuse tudeng olemisele lisaks toon perspektiivi erinevatest aastakäikudest ja teistest õppehoonetest; samuti olen tükk aega läbinud õpingute ja töö vahel žongleerimise kadalippu ning tean, millest see alguse võib saada ja mida see endaga kaasa toob. Tulin ülikooli eelkõige kogema vabadust ja tahan seda võimaldada teistelegi. Tean eelkõige, et iga tudeng kui ka õppejõud on oluline; õppetööst tekkiva sisulise kasu loovad üht- ja teistmoodi kõik asjaosalised."

"Kõige kirglikumalt tahaks pidurdada õppetöö struktuuri muutumist tunnikontrollide ja teiste sagedate tegevuste suunas, millel võib rahuliku süvenemise toetamise asemel olla pigem tüütu mõju. Peale selle tahaks üleüldse, et kõrgharidus Tartu Ülikoolis oleks edaspidigi vähemalt sama asjalik ja et õppimine ei peaks kellelegi jääma pidama toimetuleku taha."

"Põhilised pinged möllavad jätkuvalt kõrghariduse rahastamise ümber. Kuna uuesti õppima asumine on tehtud keskmisele tudengile märksa keerulisemaks, tasub toetada ja julgustada neid, kes oma eriala alles valivad. Ei pruugi ka üldse kaugel olla ajad, mil tasuta kõrgharidusega jätkamine ei ole ainult aruteluküsimus, vaid tegemist võib olla reaalse võimalusega."

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Lisette Haug

"I believe that every student’s voice matters, and I am committed to ensuring that your ideas and concerns are heard. As your representative, I will strive to create an inclusive environment where every opinion counts. I promise to be approachable, listen actively, and advocate for our needs. Together, we can work towards improving our university experience, from academic support to social events. I believe this is also supported by my previous experience as a student representative at the institute. Let’s make our university a place where everyone feels valued and empowered. I am passionate about making a difference and would be honored to earn your vote."

"First, I would like to establish open communication to ensure that every voice is heard. Academic support is another key focus for me, which is why I advocate for clearer and more transparent communication between students and faculty. Mental health awareness is also a priority, I want to promote mental health resources and create a supportive environment. Your ideas will be central to this effort. Lastly, I believe in the importance of collaboration with faculty, as building strong relationships with professors and administration will help us effectively address our needs and ensure that our voices influence school decisions. Together, we can create a positive and thriving school environment."

"As information technology is increasingly involved in everyday life, one of the topics that needs to be addressed is the use of artificial intelligence in studying so that it is fair to both professors and students."

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Railin Viik

"It is important to me that the opinions of students are heard at the institute and university level. Although I have no previous experience in the student council, I am an active member of my student association and am not afraid to express my opinion and stand up for it. It is important for me to gain new experiences and skills. I adapt quickly to new situations and can find solutions to any problems that arise."

"For me, it is important that the teaching and learning environment is supportive and stimulating. In addition, I think it is important for students to have someone who listens to them and supports them in dealing with and solving problems. I am open to listening and support. Students can come to me with any question and I am confident that I can find a solution."

"As someone who has had rather little contact with UTSU so far, I think that next year it needs to pay attention to the visibility of the student council among students. I think that many people are still not exactly aware of what UTSU is about, what problems they address and how the student union can help them find solutions. I believe that by making itself more visible to students, UTSU can improve students' university experience and support them more during their studies."

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Elise Mägi

The candidate did not provide their answers in English

"Olen Bioteaduste Üliõpilaste Seltsi liige juba mitmendat aastat, osalenud seal mitme töögrupi tegemistes (Keskkond, Teaduse Populariseerimine ja Haridus). Seltsi liikmena puutun tihedalt kokku ka teistel kursustel õppivate tudengitega, kelle muresid ja rõõme saaksin Instituudile edastada. Lõpetan nüüd kevadel magistrantuuri ning sügisest oleksin TÜMRI üliõpilasesindaja doktorandina."

"Mul ei ole mõttes kindlat probleemi, mida esindajana lahendama läheksin - pean oluliseks tagada tulemuslik suhtlus Instituudi ja Tudengite vahel, et igale murele oleks õiglane lahendus."

"TÜÜE peab järgmisel aastal rohkem tähelepanu pöörama võrdsusele, õppekavade parendamisele ning erinevate valdkondade ja instituutide tudengite vahelise suhtluse edendamisele."

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Taavi Tamm

"I always try to see situations from every point of view. I have a rational mindset, I’m not afraid to express my opinion, and I know how to defend it. I believe that because of this, I am well-equipped to successfully represent the interests of students."

"For me, the most important thing is that students are treated equally and fairly. I want lecturers to be honest, supportive, and as accommodating as possible towards students."

"It’s important to me that the curriculum is well-structured — with as little unnecessary information in the courses as possible, and designed in a way that best supports the learner."

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Aikaterini Niovi Triantafyllaki

"I believe I am a good listener with a strong sense of justice and honesty. In the path of my life, I have gone through different leading positions(E+ projects, astronomy group) and I know that things are only moving forward when we act upon them, take accountability of these actions and plant the seeds for the next ones to go through the phd life a bit less frustrated and ready to dive into the curiosity of research and discovery knowing that maybe someone out there cleared things out, stood up. I do want to be a good example of this and a role model as a person and scientists who is passionately curious about the universe, spreads her own knowledge while keeping her values and preserving her rights as a student and human."

"Mostly support students and student rights, especially in the Observatory that it has now been in the process of having formal rules about student affairs. I fixed the student regulations regarding exams along with the head of studies as well as we communicate into supporting students. I do not know what will happen this year, let's see. I think I am a good example of asking questions on clearing things out on what needs to be done in the process of getting my phd. I hope for a stronger transparency and more organisation on the collective processes(phd exams, clarity on the books/lessons, where to find information) that involve the acquisition of a phd while as phd students we are taking our own individual research paths but we are growing together."

"Equal treatment and the people who are responsible of enforcing it, PhD studies, having internationals in UTSU,"

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Eliisabet Judin

"I am Eliisabet Judin and I would like the opportunity to represent the students of the Institute of Technology. My goal is not only to speak, but also to listen. I believe that real change starts when we all work together. I am ready to work hard to ensure that our students are heard and that our institute is the best place to learn for everyone. I represented the students of the institute last year and as a result I am now aware of the internal affairs of the institute and also the attitude towards students and curricula. I feel that so much can be changed and with this knowledge I would be able to create better strategies to improve the situation if I were given the privilege to do so. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you, and I promise you that I will do so with humility and determination."

"Over the year, I have come to understand why too few still graduate from the computer engineering curriculum in nominal time. The reason for this is that the curriculum has been made artificially difficult. I understand that some kind of filters are needed, but if these filters cause significantly more students to drop out than the average in the faculty, then they need to be reduced so that all curricula are of similar complexity. My goal is therefore to raise the voice of students as high as possible so that these necessary changes can take place and students' legitimate expectations of graduating in nominal time are realized. That is why I am running for the position of representative of the faculty in addition to the institute."

"In the next academic year, UTSU absolutely must pay even more attention to the financing of higher education. Higher education must remain free. It is difficult to focus on both studies and work at the same time and do both well. Leaving studies incomplete or not starting them at all due to lack of money is tragic and requires maximum resistance to avoid such situations in the future."

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Mihkel Ottis

"I am confident and not afraid to argue with professors. I want to stand up for the values of students."

"Student school life, because it is not normal for students to have to studi full-time and also work, study loads and ECTS volumes need to be reviewed. ;)"

"Financing higher education. Students shouldn't have to worry so much about money to have basic necessities."

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Richard Pihel

"I'm about to start my PhD and I've spent the last 5 years studying at the University of Tartu, so by now I have a pretty good understanding of how studying at university works and how it could work. I was also one of the founders of my a student association two years ago and I am still a member of the board, during which time I have interacted a lot with both students and lecturers about studying and many other things related to university life."

"For me, the most important thing is to improve the quality of learning and make the learning experience more effective. Often, lecturers do not receive feedback because the feedback system is flawed or there is a loss of hope that feedback will make a difference. I would also encourage lecturers to use more innovative methods of teaching, even if it might take them a little out of their comfort zone."

"UTSU must pay attention to the fact that the ÕIS feedback system should also work in specialisations with a smaller number of students. Learning must always be up-to-date and the use of artificial intelligence and other innovative solutions must be taught."

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Tormi Kalle

"I believe my broad network of contacts and activities make me a good student representative, it is helpful when addressing various questions and problems. I have also been a student representative for a year already, which has given me valuable knowledge and experience about the student union and its work."

"I want to improve the students' awareness of the different opportunities available in the University of Tartu's buildings. I also find it important to encourage students to share their concerns and joys with UTSU on various topics, such as the structure of curriculum or student life for example."

"UTSU should continue to focus on supporting the mental and physical well-being of the university community."

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Helena Tammsaar

"I believe I would be a good student representative, as I was already part of my institute’s student council last year. This experience has given me a solid understanding of the responsibilities that come with the role, allowing me to effectively continue contributing to ongoing projects in the upcoming year. Additionally, representing my peers is not new to me - during high school I was a member of the student council and also served as the student representative on the school board."

"As a student representative my top priorities would be to ensure a comfortable and supportive learning environment for all students, improve communication with the programs from our institute that are in English and overall to bring attention to the concerns students are facing in order to find effective solutions."

"
I think that next year UTSU should continue to pay attention to the topics of financing higher education and equal treatment."

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Jürgen Sarjas

"I wish to better the learning experience for the students. For the same purpose, we founded the Doctoral Society with my colleagues, where I am a board member."

"To enhance the connectivity of different levels of study and support reaching the doctorate level."

"The upcoming year might bring changes to the funding of higher education; the UTSU has to stand tall so the changes won't lower the quality of education."

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Martin Haamer

"I am a second-year PhD student in the Department of Geography, but my journey in geography began already in 2017 during my bachelor’s studies. Over the past year, I have represented ÖMI students on the institute’s council, and starting next year, I would like to represent students on the faculty council. I have been closely connected to the Faculty of Science and Technology for a long time and have interacted with students from several institutes. In addition, since 2018, I have been a member of the geography program council, which has given me in-depth experience with curriculum development and a broader understanding of how programs are structured in our faculty. I also represent doctoral students at the university centre of doctoral studies meetings. In my daily work, I focus on researching human mobility using big data, with the goal of promoting walking, cycling, and the use of public transportation in cities."

"As a doctoral student, I wish to focus primarily on topics that concern the work and well-being of PhD students. Too often, the concerns of doctoral students go unnoticed, and I believe that representing them at the institute and faculty level is important. I am also interested in contributing to curriculum development within the Faculty of Science and Technology."

"More attention should be given to the representation of doctoral students — currently, our perspectives are underrepresented in various decision-making bodies. I also aim to improve the support structures for doctoral students so that every PhD student knows who to turn to when facing different concerns."