On August 27, EKA welcomes its new international and degree students to EKA, bringing together students from dozens of countries and art, design and architecture schools around the world.
Rector Hilkka Hiiop welcomed the new students encouraged them to make the most of both EKA and Estonia – its people, culture and nature. Drawing on her own student experiences at EKA as well as in Italy and the Netherlands, Hiiop recalled how important studying abroad had been in shaping her own perspective.
The welcome also included a visit to the Rector’s office, giving the students a glimpse of another side of EKA. The office is filled with Estonian art, including works by EKA faculty members, turning the visit into a small introduction to the Academy’s artistic community and history.
This autumn, EKA is welcoming 59 exchange students from around 40 partner institutions, representing at least 23 nationalities. They come from art, design and architecture schools across Europe and far beyond, including institutions in France, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine and the Nordic countries, as well as Mexico, Kenya, Japan and Australia.
Among the partner institutions represented this semester are the Glasgow School of Art, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, University of the Arts Berlin, Konstfack, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, Kyushu University, Tokyo University of the Arts, RMIT University and many others.
At the same time, 68 new students are beginning their degree studies at EKA. Together they represent 29 different citizenships, with 50 students holding citizenship from countries other than Estonia. The new degree students come from countries including Italy, India, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brazil, the United States, Iceland, Ireland, Finland, Spain, Turkey, Bangladesh, Armenia and many more.
For many international students, the welcome event was not their first encounter with EKA. A number of them have already spent several weeks at the academy taking part in an intensive Estonian language course, getting to know the building, Tallinn and one another.
The students’ introduction to Estonia is far from over. On Saturday, the programme continues with one of EKA’s traditional international student experiences: a bog hike followed by a sauna – an opportunity to experience two rather essential elements of Estonian culture.
The diverse group of newcomers brings together different cultures, experiences and ways of seeing, making and thinking. EKA wishes all new students an inspiring academic year and hopes they will be curious, take creative risks, learn from one another – and make EKA their own.
