News

Yesterday, 15 May, saw the TalTech Development Fund grant scholarships to the value of 217,100 euros to inquisitive, hard-working students. The scholarships were awarded to students with a keen interest in the artificial intelligence (AI) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) fields, mostly from the School of Engineering.

More than a thousand students applied for the grants. “I was thrilled to see so many students submit applications,” said Elinor Toming, the director of the TalTech Development Fund. “It wasn’t easy choosing who to award the scholarships to, but their letters of motivation helped on that front, since they gave the companies involved more of an idea of the students’ lives, dreams and goals in life.”

Robert Kitt, the chairman of the supervisory board of the TalTech Development Fund, says the grants will help shore up the future of the fields in question by guaranteeing their sustainable development. “The growing number of supporters shows that the private sector is starting to realise that’s the case,” he noted. “In addition to these scholarships, I call on entrepreneurs across the board to contribute to cooperation with the university by getting involved in joint projects, giving guest lectures and putting together study programmes.”

Individuals looking to popularise specific fields also contribute to the scholarships, but the majority of support is from forward-looking companies: TalTech students were recognised for the first time this spring by Coop Pank, Elcogen, Filter Grupp, SAMI Grupp, Smartecon and Tammer OÜ.

Margus Rink, the chairman of the management board of Coop Pank, says he was delighted that there was so much interest in the scholarships being provided by the bank. “It was clear from the essays the applicants wrote that they fully understand the role of AI and ESG in shaping future economic models,” he remarked. “They were able to see both the opportunities and the risks in those fields, and to suggest ways of creating greater added value for clients.”

Rink added that Coop Pank’s main goal in working with TalTech is to foster interest in fields in which there is significant potential to boost the competitiveness of Estonian banking and the wider economy.

Coop Pank entered into a cooperation agreement with TalTech this February to offer scholarships and practical opportunities to students interested in the fields of AI and ESG. This partnership will help to diversify studies, support students, train bank staff, conduct research, provide topics for Bachelor’s and Master’s dissertations and offer practical experience.