Election of the Rector of Tallinn University

In February 2026, Tallinn University will elect a new Rector for the next five-year term. Candidates for Rector may be nominated until 5 January 2026, and the elected Rector will take office on 15 May 2026.

Rector candidates

The Tallinn University Rector Election Committee, chaired by Professor Emeritus Mati Heidmets, has confirmed Professor Indrek Ibrus, Professor Katrin Niglas, and Professor Priit Reiska as candidates for Rector.

Indrek Ibrus is a member of Tallinn University’s Council and Professor of Media Innovation at the Baltic Film, Media and Arts School. He graduated from the University of Tartu with a degree in Journalism and Communication and earned a master’s degree in Media and Communication from the University of Oslo. In 2010, he completed his PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science with the dissertation “Evolutionary Dynamics of New Media Forms: The Case of the Open Mobile Web.” Ibrus’s research focuses on how new media forms and platforms emerge and how these changes affect content creation, distribution and media use. He links media studies with innovation and cultural analysis and employs data-driven approaches. He has published on media innovation, the development of the mobile web, cross- and transmedia, media policy, and the digitisation of culture and the governance of cultural data. In 2024, he was awarded the national research award in the social sciences. Alongside his academic work, he has contributed to institutional and sectoral development: he has held various positions at Tallinn University, served as an adviser on the audiovisual sector at the Ministry of Culture, and previously worked as a practitioner in the media and communication field.

Katrin Niglas is Tallinn University’s Vice-Rector for Research and Professor of Data Analysis. She obtained her teaching qualification and a Master of Science degree at Tallinn Pedagogical University, and earned a master’s degree in Education at the University of Cambridge. Building on research initiated in Cambridge, she defended her doctoral dissertation in 2004, titled “The combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods in educational research.” Niglas’s research focuses primarily on methodology in educational and social sciences, including the development of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, as well as issues related to their application. She has participated in several international research projects and has published more than 40 academic publications. Niglas began her academic career in 1994 at Tallinn Pedagogical University and has held a number of leadership roles at Tallinn University, including Head of the Department of Informatics and Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Since 2011, she has served as Tallinn University’s Vice-Rector for Research and is actively involved in shaping Estonia’s research and higher education policy, as well as in international academic life, including editorial boards of scholarly journals.

Priit Reiska is Director of Tallinn University’s Institute of Natural and Health Sciences and Distinguished Professor of Science Education. He graduated from Tallinn Pedagogical University with a degree in Physics and earned a PhD in Physics Education at the University of Kiel in 1999. Reiska’s research focuses on making the learning of the natural sciences more accessible and effective through experiments, computer simulations and digital tools. In his research, he develops and applies the concept mapping method to map learners’ knowledge and understanding. He has published more than 40 academic publications and has worked as a researcher at the University of Kiel and as a senior researcher and later professor at Tallinn University. Since 2005, he has held a number of leadership roles at Tallinn University, including serving as Acting Rector from 1 September 2020 to 15 May 2021. Since 2025, Reiska has been Director of TLÜ’s Institute of Natural and Health Sciences.

Election timeline

Election procedure

The election of the Rector of Tallinn University, as well as the Rector’s duties, are governed by the Tallinn University Act, the Statutes of Tallinn University, and the Rector Election Regulations established by the University Council.

Nomination of candidates

Under the Statutes of Tallinn University, a person who is or has been elected to the position of professor may be nominated for the office of Rector.

Candidates may be nominated to the Election Committee by:

• the councils of Tallinn University’s institutes, college and unit, by a formal decision;

• at least three members of the Tallinn University Council, by a joint submission;

• at least eleven members of the Tallinn University Senate, by a joint submission;

• the incumbent Rector of Tallinn University, by a submission.

To nominate a candidate, the following documents must be submitted to the Election Committee by email, digitally signed, to valimistoimkond@tlu.ee:

• a proposal to nominate the candidate, including a justification of the candidate’s suitability;

• the candidate’s consent;

• the candidate’s curriculum vitae (CV).

The deadline for submitting nominations is 5 January 2026 at 16:00.

Electoral Assembly

The Rector of Tallinn University is elected by the Electoral Assembly, whose members include all members of the Tallinn University Council and Senate, the University’s regular professors, and student representatives elected by the Student Union Council. Student representatives (including student representatives who are members of the Senate) must constitute at least one fifth of the Electoral Assembly.

The list of Electoral Assembly members will be approved by the incumbent Rector on 4 February 2026, and the Electoral Assembly meeting will take place on 11 February 2026.

Election Committee

The election of the Rector of Tallinn University is organised by the Election Committee approved by the University Council. The Chair of the Committee is Professor Emeritus Mati Heidmets, and its members are Professor Katrin Tiidenberg, Senior Specialist of Document Management Hille Erik, student representative Kärt Kaasik-Aaslav, and Council member Kertu Saks.

Contacts

Election Committee: valimistoimkond@tlu.ee

Media enquiries: Monika Maljukov, monika.maljukov@tlu.ee, tel +372 513 5430