TALLINN - Tartu University greeted the start of the academic year by welcoming its newly-elected rector, Professor Alar Karis.
Karis was handed his chain of office by President Toomas Hendrik Ilves during an inauguration ceremony on Aug. 31, and was reminded that he was stepping into one of the most important offices in the country. Karis, 49, comes from a background in veterinary medicine, and was previously the rector of the agricultural-based Estonian University of Life Sciences.
His appointment comes after a year of turmoil at Tartu University following the departure of rector Jaak Aaviksoo, who resigned to become the Minister of Defense. An election failed to find a suitable candidate to replace Aaviksoo, and Professor Tonis Lehtsaar was installed as acting rector for one year. A new ballot of the UT Electoral College voted Karis into office on May 31. During the inauguration ceremony, Ilves said Karis had the responsibility of directing Estonia's academic development.
"You are about to become the president of a great and old academic state that has a history of 375 years," Ilves reminded the new rector.
Tartu University is the oldest and most prestigious university in Estonia, and its rector is considered one of the most important figures in public life.
