06.06.26 NEWS ... Researchers and the State Forest Management Center (RMK) are working together to breed hardier, faster-growing trees for Estonia's future forests.

05.06.26 NEWS ... The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) won't directly alter Estonia's summer, though the weather we can expect for Midsummer is still changeable.

05.06.26 NEWS ... According to Ivo Lille, the new director of Tallinn University's Baltic Film, Media and Arts School (BFM), AI must be integrated in a way that preserves creativity and critical thinking. Curricula should be reviewed with that goal in mind in the near future.

05.06.26 NEWS ... Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise says local governments are not required to subsidize private kindergarten attendance if a child has access to a public kindergarten.

05.06.26 NEWS ... A new Estonian study finds many AI systems can still be steered by propaganda-style prompts, with results varying widely by model and language.

04.06.26 NEWS ... A rare vulture was spotted in western Estonia this week, Lääne Elu reported.

03.06.26 NEWS ... Known as an e-state, Estonia's digital backbone relies heavily on international connections, meaning that damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea could disrupt even everyday banking services overnight. According to a master's thesis defended at TalTech, financial institutions should develop independent local payment solutions to use in the event of a communications crisis.

02.06.26 NEWS ... A study by researchers at the University of Tartu shows that the rapid spread of cormorant colonies on small Baltic Sea islands significantly reduces the diversity of other nesting bird species. Long-term data from Estonia's coastline indicate that these changes occur quickly after cormorants arrive and affect multiple species at once.

01.06.26 NEWS ... Wildlife-vehicle collisions in Estonia are most common at sunrise and sunset, with the highest risk occurring in spring and autumn, a University of Tartu study found.

01.06.26 NEWS ... Children having rights may seem obvious today, but for much of history, views on kids were far less considerate, writes Tallinn University associate professor Ingrid Sindi.

01.06.26 NEWS ... Estonian students' economic situation has deteriorated in recent years and a growing number of university students are having to work while pursuing their studies, according to a study conducted by Praxis.

26.05.26 NEWS ... Officials say schools and kindergartens should follow national risk assessments, but without a school-specific protocol, responses to drone threats still vary in practice.

26.05.26 NEWS ... Recent high school entrance exams in Tartu and Tallinn saw high applicant numbers, but the process was hampered by inconsistency and indecision at the Ministry of Education.

26.05.26 NEWS ... Invasive ornamental plants are escaping from gardens into the wild in Estonia, putting native ecosystems at risk, said Environmental Board expert Eike Tammekänd.

26.05.26 NEWS ... A veterinarian is urging pet owners to keep vaccinations up to date, as rabies could return to Estonia through shelter dogs brought in from abroad.

26.05.26 NEWS ... Tattoo artist and researcher Oskar Poll says Soviet-era prison and military tattoos signaled identity, status and defiance, with motifs including demons, skulls and anchors.

25.05.26 NEWS ... Estonia's education system tends to view learning primarily through the classroom. However, well-planned field trips can help reduce educational inequality and provide children with experiences that not all families have access to outside school, a doctoral thesis has found.

25.05.26 NEWS ... Estonia's fragmented gender studies landscape leaves gaps in teaching, LGBT+ research and broader social analysis, says University of Tartu researcher Rebeka Põldsam.

25.05.26 NEWS ... Researchers at the University of Tartu have mapped how genes influence human metabolism using data from more than half a million people. The large-scale study gives scientists a more precise picture of the causes of disease and could help speed up drug development.

23.05.26 NEWS ... More Estonian schools are switching to longer class times ahead of the next academic year.

23.05.26 NEWS ... The legacy of world-renowned memory researcher and one of the best-known scientists of Estonian origin, Endel Tulving, has arrived from Toronto at the University of Tartu Library. It includes books and research materials as well as personal items and awards.

23.05.26 NEWS ... Estonia reported 360 new cases of breast cancer in the first five months of 2026, with nearly half caught through its nationwide screening program.

22.05.26 NEWS ... Large language models and the AI applications built on them are unable to fully support students because they do not properly explain their decisions and fail to take learning processes and students' individual characteristics into account. Researchers at Tallinn University are therefore developing an AI algorithm based on data collected from learners.

21.05.26 NEWS ... A reader of ERR's Novaator science portal noticed diseased ash and elm trees in their home yard and asked what was causing it and what could be done to help the trees.

21.05.26 NEWS ... New research and a TV experiment suggest AI-generated voices are becoming increasingly convincing in Estonian, raising concerns over a new wave of phone scams.

21.05.26 NEWS ... In 19th‑century Western Europe, marriage became less tied to social origin and wealth, but in rural Estonia traditional patterns strengthened: people married later, chose partners within their own circles, and prioritized practical concerns over love.

21.05.26 OPINION ... The electricity grid is like a country road: if too many heavy trucks are directed onto it at once, the road must either be widened or traffic managed more intelligently, writes Merilin Metsik.

20.05.26 NEWS ... The transition of Tallinn schools to Estonian-language instruction has sparked a heated political confrontation, fueled by teacher shortages and conflicting expectations regarding the speed of the change.

19.05.26 NEWS ... A new laboratory in Kõiguste, Saare County will enable scientists to conduct marine research at a world-class level, with researchers saying it could rank among the best facilities of its kind globally.

18.05.26 NEWS ... University students across Estonia face competition for mandatory summer internships due to high demand and limited placements. Despite the resource costs, companies view these programs as effective recruitment tools.

18.05.26 NEWS ... While Estonia's mandatory high school English exam can be replaced with an international one, the Cambridge or CAE exam will no longer be free of charge starting 2027.

16.05.26 NEWS ... A new weather radar on Saaremaa was topped out Friday.

14.05.26 NEWS ... A fresh report from the Estonian Research Council (ETAG) shows that both the number of students admitted to doctoral studies and the number of defended dissertations have increased in recent years. Concerns over Estonian-language higher education have not disappeared, however, as the growth has been driven primarily by students from abroad.

13.05.26 NEWS ... Education Minister Kristina Kallas and the rectors of Estonia's six public universities on Wednesday signed administrative agreements for 2026–2028. The parties agreed to increase student admissions in fields facing severe labor shortages.

12.05.26 NEWS ... Tallinn is raising back-to-school benefits for city schoolchildren this fall, with payments for first graders starting school nearly doubling.

11.05.26 NEWS ... Educators say earlier basic school final exams for 9th graders are disrupting learning and stressing out students and teachers. The Education Ministry says to give it time.

11.05.26 NEWS ... Several signs of spring have arrived earlier than usual this year, something especially noticeable in insects and ticks, said entomologist Urmas Tartes.

11.05.26 NEWS ... Estonia could be headed for a dry summer, as unusually low rainfall and dry soil raise drought concerns that even occasional storms may not ease.

10.05.26 NEWS ... The slow arrival of spring has in turn made for slow moving on the part of Estonia's two main snake species.

09.05.26 NEWS ... In the late 19th century, thousands of land-starved Estonians migrated to the Caucasus seeking better lives. Unknowingly, they became tools of Russian settler colonialism, according to Estonian National Museum researcher Aivar Jürgenson.

09.05.26 NEWS ... Banning social media won't fully protect children online, a new report from Estonia's Foresight Center warns, arguing digital literacy may matter more than age limits.

08.05.26 NEWS ... Academic freedom means students, lecturers and researchers are free to express their ideas while also safeguarding the independence of universities. According to a new report, academic freedom remains strong in Estonia, but is in decline globally, including in the United States.

08.05.26 NEWS ... The shortage of math and science teachers in Estonia is so severe that, according to Education Minister Kristina Kallas, it may be worth considering whether their salaries should be set higher than those of other teachers. School principals, however, are divided on the issue.

08.05.26 NEWS ... Jupiter, ERR's streaming service, is marking the 100th birthday of British natural historian and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough by showing several of his most recent nature documentaries, with Estonian subtitles.

08.05.26 NEWS ... Archaeologists excavating the future Siuru Cultural Center site in Tartu have unearthed what may be the city's oldest building with a concrete cellar, among other discoveries.

08.05.26 NEWS ... Narva is launching a major recruitment campaign to hire 175 new education workers before fall, with the biggest shortage in kindergarten assistant teachers.

07.05.26 NEWS ... A new study shows that the rapidly growing technology sector is reshaping cities in unexpected ways: while well-paid tech workers reduce ethnic segregation, they are also widening the divide between wealthier and poorer residents.

07.05.26 NEWS ... Content evoking the Soviet era is becoming increasingly common on social media. While older people share personal stories, comparisons and loss wrapped in humor, younger audiences are drawn primarily to the aesthetics, an Estonian semiotician says.

07.05.26 NEWS ... As student numbers shrink in rural Estonia, small schools are relying on local support, flexible staffing and creative solutions to stay open.

07.05.26 NEWS ... Researchers at the University of Tartu have found a way to recycle cellulose from cotton textile waste, breathing new life into old jeans as insulation or packaging.