You are invited to the Estonian Doctoral School’s second Career Conference, an event for all Estonian doctoral students, master’s students, supervisors, and other interested parties.
The conference takes place on February 11, 2025 at the University of Tartu Library's Conference Centre.
The conference, organised by the University of Tartu in collaboration with other Estonian universities, aims to discuss the value of a doctoral degree in the job market, by highlighting the personal stories of representatives of different disciplines and sectors.
The participants will gain:
- A better understanding of the opportunities provided by a doctoral degree. The conference offers new perspectives on the value of skills and knowledge acquired during doctoral studies in various fields, from academia to entrepreneurship.
- Practical experiences and advice. Professionals holding a doctoral degree and current doctoral students talk about their journey to the degree, and how their doctoral studies have broadened their career prospects.
Conference programme:
- Presentations
Top professionals who have earned a doctoral degree speak about their learning experiences—what inspired them and how they have applied their acquired knowledge in their future careers. - Panel discussions
- In the doctoral students' panel, current doctoral students discuss how they plan their careers, and what their goals and challenges are.
- In the doctoral graduates' panel, the panellists share their experiences of choosing between various career paths. Listen to their tips on making the most of your doctoral studies.
- Interactive activity during the lunch break
During the lunch break, all participants will have the chance to answer two questions related to doctoral studies and career choices. Their responses will be displayed in real-time in word clouds on a large screen to facilitate discussions among participants and in panels.
The conference host is journalist and TV host Joonas Hellerma who will ensure engaging and inspiring discussions.
CONTACT
With questions please turn to Johanna Poll, johanna.poll@ut.ee.
PROGRAM
| 10.30 – 11.00 | Registration and morning coffee |
| 11.00 – 12.00 | Opening words by Mari Moora, Vice Rector for Research, University of Tartu Presentations, Kristina Kallas "A Doctoral Degree as a Mindset” and Kristiina Rull “What are the benefits of a PhD?” |
| 12.00 – 13.15 | Lunch and interactive activity |
| 13.15 – 14.45 | Doctoral students' panel discussion: "The Journey to a Doctoral Degree: Opportunities and Challenges" Panellists: Mari-Anne Härma, Ragnar Kauril, Kati Käpp, Maarja Pajusalu and Veeda Kala |
| 14.45 – 15.15 | Break |
| 15.15 – 16.45 | Doctoral graduates' panel discussion: "How the Doctoral Degree Has Influenced Career Choices and Broadened Professional Opportunities" Panellists: Kadri Haljas, Petri-Jaan Lahtvee, Martin Liira, Tanel Mahlakõiv and Maarja Mitt-Pichen |
| 16.45 – 17.00 | Closing remarks |
The event is held in Estonian with simultaneous interpretation into English.
REGISTRATION
Registration HERE! The deadline is 31.01.2025.
CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
PRESENTATIONS
Kristina Kallas earned her doctoral degree in political science from the University of Tartu in 2016. Her dissertation focused on identity changes and democratic resilience in post-Soviet countries. She has held various academic and leadership positions, including serving as the Director of the Narva College of the University of Tartu from 2015 to 2019. Since 2023, she has been serving as Estonia's Minister of Education and Research, focusing on innovative reforms in the education system. A multilingual expert fluent in Estonian, English, Russian, and Polish, she is also a prominent voice in public discussions on multiculturalism and integration. Additionally, she is the chairperson and co-founder of the political party Eesti 200 and serves as the President of the Estonian Handball Association, with years of experience as a professional handball player.
Kristiina Rull earned her doctoral degree in medicine from the University of Tart in 2009. Her dissertation focused on the role of genes regulating the production of human chorionic gonadotropin in cases of pregnancy loss. She has worked for over 20 years as an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Women's Clinic of Tartu University Hospital and, since 2023, has served as the head of the clinic. As a professor of obstetrics, gynaecology, and genetics at the University of Tartu, her primary research interests revolve around pregnancy-related issues, including complications such as diabetes, preeclampsia, pregnancy loss, and prenatal diagnostics. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, including travelling and hiking in nature. She is also passionate about sports, including orienteering, running, and skiing, and has participated in several marathons.
DOCTORAL STUDENTS' PANEL: "The Journey to a Doctoral Degree: Opportunities and Challenges"
Mari-Anne Härma has been a doctoral student at the University of Helsinki since 2016, with her dissertation focusing on genetic alterations in the Kallikrein-Kininogen system in patients with type 1 diabetes. Alongside her doctoral studies, Mari-Anne works at the Health Board of Estonia and contributed to managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Estonia from 2020 to 2022. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, relaxing at home with a book or Netflix, and exploring her creative side through drawing and writing.
Veeda Kala is a 3rd-year doctoral student at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, whose research focuses on improving the intelligibility of opera lyrics. She is particularly interested in topics related to the psychological processes associated with music and how these can lead to innovative solutions to societal challenges. In her free time, she enjoys ice skating, playing chess, learning languages, reading books, playing the piano, spending time in nature, and engaging in scouting activities.
Ragnar Kauril is a 2nd-year doctoral student at the Tallinn University of Technology. His research focuses on reducing the carbon footprint of the refining industry. Alongside his doctoral studies, he works as a research and development engineer at Enefit Power, a subsidiary of Eesti Energia, specializing in the Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) field. In his free time, Ragnar enjoys investing and analyzing economic trends. In winter, he participates in biathlon, while summer finds him enjoying various ball games.
Kati Käpp is a 3rd-year doctoral student at the University of Tartu. Her research focuses on the writing practices of Estonian high school students. Alongside her doctoral studies, she works as an Estonian language teacher in high school. Kati envisions a future where all students and teachers understand writing as a form of communication. Only then can meaningful and impactful texts be created — texts that convey important messages clearly to readers while helping writers deepen their understanding of the topics they explore.
Maarja Pajusalu is a 4th-year doctoral student at the University of Tartu Institute of Computer Science , in the Health Informatics Research Group. Her research focuses on developing methods and tools to visualize health data and care pathways. Maarja is the mother of three curious and active children. Her hobbies include dancing, painting, and spending time in nature and on the sea with her family. Car journeys between Pärnu and Tartu are filled with phone calls to friends or listening to podcasts on topics ranging from technology and design to psychology and philosophy.
DOCTORAL GRADUATES' PANEL:
"How the Doctoral Degree Has Influenced Career Choices and Broadened Professional Opportunities"
Kadri Haljas earned her doctoral degree in 2019 from the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Medicine, specializing in psychology. She is the founder and CEO of the health technology company Triumf Health. Dr. Haljas is committed to developing innovative solutions in mental health, focusing on children through the mental health management game Triumfland Saga. In addition to her entrepreneurial work, she actively raises awareness about mental health, frequently speaking on various platforms to highlight the importance of evidence-based mental health innovation. Her work is especially significant, as half of all mental health disorders emerge before the age of fourteen.
Tanel Mahlakõiv earned his doctoral degree in 2014 from the University of Freiburg, specializing in immunology and virology. His research focused on the immune system's response to viral infections in the respiratory and digestive systems. Dr. Mahlakõiv completed his postdoctoral studies at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, where he investigated the interplay between the immune and nervous systems, as well as immunometabolism. His research has been published in leading scientific journals such as Nature and Immunity. After leaving academia, Dr. Mahlakõiv transitioned to the U.S. biomedical sector, where he spent five years developing cell therapies for cancer treatment. A year ago, he returned to Estonia and currently serves as the Director of Translational Research at Icosagen Cell Factory. His work focuses on advancing biological drugs developed and produced in Estonia to clinical trials. In collaboration with Estonia’s largest hospitals, Dr. Mahlakõiv is developing CAR-T cell therapies for patients with blood cancers. In his free time, Tanel enjoys running, triathlons, and skiing.
Maarja Mitt-Pichen earned her doctoral degree in 2022 from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in the field of theatre arts. Her doctoral research explored how imagery influences the characteristics of an actor’s voice and speech. Currently, she works as a freelance actor, creative entrepreneur, public speaking coach, and voice and speech trainer. Previously, she was an actor at the Vanemuine Theatre and a vocal technique instructor in the Drama Department of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. Most recently, Maarja embraced a new and deeply personal role as a mother.
Petri-Jaan Lahtvee earned his doctoral degree in 2012 from Tallinn University of Technology in the field of chemistry and genetic engineering, followed by postdoctoral studies at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, where he focused on the systems biology of yeasts. After completing his postdoctoral research, Petri led the H2020 ERA Chair project at the University of Tartu in the field of synthetic biology. He currently leads the Bioengineering and Food Technology Research Group at Tallinn University of Technology and is a co-founder of the biotechnology company ÄIO.
Martin Liira earned his doctoral degree in 2014 from the University of Tartu. His doctoral research focused on phosphorus active filtration using calcium-rich hydrated oil shale ash, with an emphasis on precipitation mechanisms and are reuse applications . He currently works as a researcher in the Department of Geology at the University of Tartu and are marine geologist at the Geological Survey of Estonia. Previously, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University Centre in Svalbard, where he studied methane emissions from seafloor sediments. His primary research interests include the geochemistry of seafloor sediments in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic region.
