On Tuesday, 6 February, a recognition event for the Tartu Conference Ambassador Programme took place at the Alexela Creative Hub, where the outstanding conference organisers of 2023 were acknowledged, and certificates were presented to Tartu’s new conference ambassadors.
According to Tartu Mayor Urmas Klaas, conference organisers and ambassadors are continually introducing the city of Tartu to new visitors, and their work is highly valuable to the city. “I am very pleased to note that Tartu continues to thrive as a successful conference destination, attracting prestigious international events, influential entrepreneurs, and creators. This year, Tartu is the European Capital of Culture, with over 1,000 diverse events, marking an exciting and enriching year for both the cultural and conference landscape,” said Klaas.
Kadri Karu, the CEO of the Estonian Convention Bureau, highlighted that Tartu stands out particularly as a venue for scientific and professional conferences, helping to promote Tartu as a centre of excellence in many fields and strengthen international collaboration opportunities for local scientists and specialists. “We hope that the initiative and dedication of Tartu’s outstanding conference ambassadors will inspire many other organisers,” said Karu.
Last year, Tartu hosted 52 international conferences. The University of Tartu brought the most international conferences to the city, and the sTARTUp Day business festival attracted the largest number of participants. Additionally, three new Tartu conference ambassadors were named: one from the University of Tartu, one from the Estonian University of Life Sciences, and one from the Education and Youth Board. A Tartu conference ambassador brings conferences in their field to Tartu, contributing to the city’s development as an international conference hub. To date, there are 137 recognised conference ambassadors in Tartu.
The Tartu Conference Ambassadors’ recognition event was held for the 11th time this year. The evening has become a lovely tradition to reflect on the past year from the perspective of conferences, to recognise outstanding events across different fields, and to thank their organisers.
The following conferences were recognised:
9th Annual Conference on Russia, organised by the Baltic Defence College;
sTARTUP Day 2023, organised by sTARTUp Day;
ESIL Research Forum – European Society of International Law, organised by the University of Tartu;
ECTS MA Annual Meeting 2023, organised by the University of Tartu;
Vernacular Buddhism in Asia and Europe, organised by the University of Tartu;
13th International Conference Biosystems Engineering 2023, organised by the Estonian University of Life Sciences;
15th International Scientific and Theoretical Conference “On the Nature of Laughter” / “Laughter and Its Features,” organised by the Estonian Literary Museum and Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University;
10th Conference of the Scandinavian-Baltic Society for Parasitology, organised by the Scandinavian-Baltic Society of Parasitology;
“Study in Europe” Annual Conference, organised by the Education and Youth Board;
11th International Shallow Lakes Conference, organised by the Estonian University of Life Sciences;
ICOMOS Europe group meeting and ICOMOS Europe group/ISC20C/Nordic-Baltic conference (International Council on Monuments and Sites), organised by ICOMOS Estonia;
Geometric Foundations of Gravity 2023, organised by the University of Tartu;
ICOHTEC 50, organised by TalTech and the Estonian University of Life Sciences;
Symposium of Aquatic Microbial Ecology – SAME17, organised by the University of Tartu and the Estonian University of Life Sciences;
44th CERN School of Computing 2023, organised by the University of Tartu;
International Crane Conference 2023, organised by the Estonian University of Life Sciences;
ESU 2023 Conference of European University Network on Entrepreneurship, organised by TalTech and the University of Tartu;
Baltanest 2023 – 11th International Baltic Congress of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, organised by the Estonian Society of Anaesthesiologists;
Tartu Conference on Reproductive Medicine, organised by the Baltic Fertility Society;
12th International Conference on Air Transport, organised by the Estonian Aviation Academy.
Learn more about the Tartu Conference Ambassador Programme.