Get to Know the Candidates for UTSU’s New Board and Come to Their Debate!
This spring, the University of Tartu Student Union (UTSU) is seeking a new board, as the current board’s two-year term is coming to an end. All the new candidates for the board have now been announced, comprising students from three different faculties of the university. The candidates’ debate will take place on Monday, 2 June at 18:15 at the Student Union’s Tiksula premises (Ülikooli 17). The new board will be elected on Thursday, 5 June at 18:15 during the Student Parliament meeting.
The candidates’ debate will last up to 1.5 hours, and everyone interested is welcome to attend. Questions can be asked in person at the debate or submitted in advance via the Slido platform. The discussion with the candidates will also be broadcast live via Microsoft Teams. The new board will be elected on Thursday, 5 June during the Student Parliament meeting, held at the university’s main building. Only parliament members have the right to vote in the elections, but the meeting is open to all interested parties.
The Student Union board consists of a chairperson and two vice-chairs, each serving a two-year term from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2027. The current board’s term runs until 30 June 2025.
This year, three individuals from different faculties of the University of Tartu have put themselves forward as candidates. Two of them are standing for vice-chair and one for chair. Below, we introduce the candidates and the joint election platform they have prepared.
CHAIRPERSON CANDIDATE Eneken Riin Salong |
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Eneken is a bachelor’s student in Government and Politics at the University of Tartu. She has been a member of the General Assembly of the Federation of Estonian Student Unions (EÜL) and a student representative at both the institute and faculty level since 2024. Eneken has also held the position of chair of her faculty’s student council.
“I believe that my previous experience in UTSU and elsewhere supports the goals set out in our team’s election platform. For me, the most important priorities are to ensure that the work of the ISC’s (institute student councils) is effective and integrated into central activities, and to secure representation for international students. These are, in my view, areas that require more active engagement.” |
CO-CHAIR CANDIDATE Anet Ilustrumm | CO-CHAIR CANDIDATE Rando Simson |
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Anet Ilustrumm is a bachelor’s student in Mathematical Statistics at the University of Tartu. She has been a student representative at her institute since 2023 and has recently also served as a study quality specialist representing the Faculty of Science and Technology.
“During this time, I have gained valuable experience in student representation and an understanding of how discussions in the university’s decision-making bodies are conducted, as well as the opportunities for advocating for students’ interests. Additionally, since all this work has been carried out alongside my studies, I have learned to plan my time effectively to ensure that all commitments are fulfilled."
| Rando Simson is a bachelor’s student in History at the University of Tartu. He has been a student representative at both the institute and faculty level since 2024.
“During this time, I have familiarised myself with UTSU and its activities. I am well-acquainted with the topics that have been discussed at student parliament meetings. In addition, I have sought information from more experienced representatives about what has happened in previous years. Therefore, I consider myself a sufficiently experienced and knowledgeable candidate.”
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The board elections are governed by the general electoral regulations of UTSU.
