This is a series of community academies, in which active communities from South Estonia as well as the world's top scientists and cultural figures inspire each other and improve the world. You will have the chance to seek solutions to global problems locally, and vice versa, together with other forward-looking people. 

Story

Life needs ideas, words and plans. We need support and inspiration for our thoughts. For this very reason community academies and local people will be joined by world-renowned scientists and artists with a broad outlook and an open mind. Like a tsunami of positivity, the experiences of these people will bring inspiration to South Estonia.

Local communities and characters themselves get to choose the relevant topics that will be tackled at the World University. These are the topics that matter, issues that cannot be tackled alone. Science, the search for common values and an unprejudiced exchange of thoughts will help us address these problems.

Experience

You will have the chance to take part in 12 public debate days. The doors will be wide open to local residents as well as to all other Estonians and the ones visiting. The debate days will be chaired by local people from children to the elderly. Different target groups get inspired by different aspects of the same issue, and we will be opening up all of them. We will aim for criticial awareness. Hope you'll join us. 

No one comes here to simply listen. Here, we all become part of the community behind the event. We will learn about the heritage of the region and get to be part of the special characteristics of the community.

The debate days take place in inspiring locations. Be it a festival in Nightingale Valley, a conference on the top of Munamägi, brainstorming sessions at the Valga-Valka border, a summer-, forest- or village school on Piirissaar, or a garden- or barn academy in Saatse Boot.

Impact

Our aim is to create long-term plans for the benefit of the community to preserve as well as renew the culture and distinctiveness of South Estonia. Through our story and values, this region will make it to the consciousness of both Estonian and European cultural tourists as a place to be. We will retain the identity of South Estonians, or “Hindätiidmine” as they call it.

Advocates: Triinu Laan, Mari-Liis Nummert and University of Tartu Centre of Ethics

Contact: triinu.laan@ut.ee
Read more about the project here.