UT and Moscow State University Broaden Cooperation

The bilateral cooperation agreement between the two universities, which had been prepared over a long period of time, was finalized in mid-November. The overall aim of the agreement is to develop cooperation in research and education in fields of mutual interest.


The actual cooperation in education started already in September when Moscow University opened the "Estonian as a foreign language" specialty in cooperation with the University of Tartu. Eve Raeste, the head of the UT Lectureship of Estonian Language teaches Estonian language and culture to Russian students. According to professor Remniova, she is the first teacher of Estonian at Moscow University.

"It is remarkable that the leading universities of the two countries confirmed mutual trust and expressed their willingness to develop partnership and cooperation. Most importantly, the agreement opens up the opportunity to begin student exchanges between the two universities. Research cooperation has been ongoing in Slavonic philology, archaeology and other fields for some time already. Nevertheless, we hope to expand researcher and teacher exchange," explained UT Professor of Russian Philology Irina Külmoja, one of the chief initiators of the cooperation agreement.

Ten students – all ten are girls – chose Estonian as their specialty. In fact, there were more applicants to the new specialty than the university could accept. "They are highly motivated, remarkably hardworking and focused," Eve Raeste praised her students. The girls admitted that previously they knew very little about Estonia. Only one out of ten has visited Estonia. The majority don’t yet have a clear idea about what they will become after they have mastered the Estonian language. A couple of girls, though, have thought about a career as a translator.

Professor Külmoja delivered a series of lectures on Estonian and Russian contrastive grammar for the students majoring in Estonian language as well as other interested listeners. Aivar Kriiska, UT Professor of Archaeology, has promised to give lectures in Estonian history in the spring term. "It would be very difficult to fully understand Estonian language and culture without knowing Estonian history," commented Kriiska.

Further cooperation between the parties will be laid out in more detail in cooperation programs, which will be drawn up for specific periods after the topics, participants and conditions of cooperation have been specified.