University of Tartu professors emeriti Marju Lauristin and Rein Taagepera received the lifetime achievement award for educators

At the national Teacher of the Year Gala on 7 October, the winners of the Teacher of the Year awards were announced, and three educator’s lifetime achievement awards were presented. Two of the three lifetime achievement awards went to University of Tartu professors emeriti.

Marju Lauristin has been working at the University of Tartu since 1970, starting as head of the sociology laboratory, then holding various teaching staff member positions in journalism for several decades, and still teaching today as professor emerita. Rein Taagepera started working at the University of Tartu in 1991 at the invitation of Rector Jüri Kärner, who wanted him to contribute to establishing the Faculty of Social Sciences. Taagepera was the faculty’s first dean and then a professor of political science. Since 1998, he has been professor emeritus of the University of Tartu.

The lifetime achievement award recognises educators whose contribution to Estonian education over the years has been highly valued by the wider public. Their work and social activism have served as an example to fellow citizens.

As the tradition goes, all laureates receive a statue of a little Joosep holding a globe, symbolising the knowledge of the whole world. Through knowledge, the whole world is open to us and within reach.

The lifetime achievement award comes with a monetary prize of 65,000 euros.

For more information (in Estonian), see the home page of the Ministry of Education and research. See also the photos from the event.