Award recipients 2025, photo: Mailis Vahenurm
On 10 December, the best student research projects of 2025 were recognised at a festive award ceremony held at the National Library. This year, 531 competition entries were submitted, which is roughly the same as in previous years; the main awards going to the University of Tartu and Dalhousie University.
A total of 113 different awards were given this year across three levels of study (professional higher education and bachelor’s studies; master’s studies; doctoral studies) and six fields of science (natural sciences; engineering and technology; medical and health sciences; agricultural sciences and veterinary medicine; social sciences; humanities and arts).
Five student research awards went to the Estonian Academy of Arts this year:
In the field of humanities and arts, in the category of professional higher education and bachelor’s students, the 2nd prize was awarded to Clara Jantson-Köstner for her bachelor’s thesis “Bodily Exploration ‘Pain in Eight Figures’”, supervisors: Anita Kremm and Ene-Liis Semper.
In the field of humanities and arts, in the master’s student category, the 3rd prize went to Marta Elisabeth Tikman for her master’s thesis “Advanced Vernacularity: Applying Historical Techniques in Contemporary Architecture”, supervisors: Laura Linsi, Roland Reemaa, and Eik Hermann.
The Integration Foundation’s special award for a master’s student was awarded to Grete Daut for her master’s thesis “Finding Common Ground Without a Common Language: Possible Steps Toward Intuitive Sympathy Using the Example of Tallinn Citizens”, supervisors: Martin Melioranski, Ingmar Melioranski, and Eik Hermann.
Special awards from the National Heritage Board went to two EKA students. First, in the bachelor’s category, an award was given to Alissa Melnikova for her bachelor’s thesis “Conservation of Anton Starkopf’s Concrete Sculpture ‘Woman with a Vase’”, supervisor: Taavi Tiidor.
The National Heritage Board’s special prize in the master’s category was awarded to Piia Tammpuu for her master’s thesis “Novel, Modern and Economical – The Row House in Estonian 20th-Century Residential Architecture and Construction: The Development and Values of the Housing Type”, supervisors: Riin Alatalu and Triin Reidla.
The national student research competition has been organised since 1991. This year marks the 34th time that awards have been given to the best student research. The competition is organised by the Estonian Research Council in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Research.
Estonian Research Council’s photo gallery from the event
Congratulations to all award recipients and their supervisors!