Professor Jaak Vilo elected as head of the Institute of Computer Science

On 28 November, the council of the Institute of Computer Science at the University of Tartu elected Jaak Vilo as the next head of the institute. His term begins on 1 January 2026.

Professor Vilo previously led the institute from 2011 to 2022. He earned his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Helsinki in 2002 and has been a Professor of Bioinformatics at the University of Tartu since 2007. He leads the Data Science Chair, which conducts research and teaching in data mining, machine learning, algorithms, bioinformatics, and computational neuroscience.

Vilo is a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences and was elected its Vice President in 2025.

In his speech, Vilo thanked the Institute of Computer Science for its great trust and highlighted the excellent work done by Heisi Kurig, who led the institute from 2023 to 2025. Looking ahead, Vilo emphasised that the role of the Institute of Computer Science in the university remains highly significant and is even growing, especially due to the AI revolution.

“Over the next three years, my goal is to ensure that our curricula align with the opportunities brought by artificial intelligence and the expected changes in the labour market, and that our students are technologically top-level. Highly skilled IT specialists have a direct impact on the development of Estonia’s economy. I also aim to strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation within the university, as well as with industry and the public sector,” Vilo said.