Fund established with Kadri Rõuk’s legacy to advance research on the Estonian language

This donation is an addition to more than two million euros received from the Rõuk family at the beginning of 2022, which, in line with Kadri Rõuk’s wish, was directed to the Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics for the benefit of the Estonian language. It is the largest donation ever made to support the University of Tartu’s activities.

To preserve and grow the 1.6 million euros received this autumn, the Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics decided to create an Estonian Language Fund at the University of Tartu Foundation, bearing the name of the Rõuk family to commemorate Kadri Rõuk and her parents. The fund will help support the promotion of the Estonian language and linguistics by providing scholarships for students, mobility grants for doctoral researchers and academic staff, and research grants for working groups.

Kadri Rõuk was an Estonian who resided in Calgary, Canada, and passed away in 2021. Her parents, Nikolai and Gerda Rõuk, studied at the University of Tartu (On the photo from left: Kadri, Gerda, Nikolai). In 1944, the family fled first to Germany to escape the invading Soviet army, and then on to Canada, where Kadri’s father became a passionate leader of the local Estonian community in Calgary. Kadri Rõuk studied at the University of Alberta Calgary Centre, and worked as a teacher in Calgary throughout her life.

A substantial amount of the first part of the legacy was used to support research and development. According to Liina Lindström, Head of the Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics, the institute has used the funds to invest in the university’s most valuable assets – its staff and academic succession.

With the funds, two doctoral positions related to the teaching of Estonian were created, scholarships were awarded to students, and a conference travel fund was established for the institute’s doctoral researchers and staff. Small-scale research projects have also been financed, and new projects have been launched, which later obtained external funding. “This has been a great opportunity, above all, for young researchers at the start of their academic careers. In addition, the institute has upgraded equipment in the phonetics laboratory and the psycholinguistics laboratory, as well as in lecture halls and staff rooms,” said Lindström.

Scholarships and grants will be paid from the income generated by investing the principal of the newly established Estonian Language Fund. “We invest the fund’s assets responsibly to ensure the donation grows over time and thereby offers support to the benefit of future generations and the Estonian language. The first scholarship competitions are planned for 2027, when, according to forecasts, the fund’s gain will be sufficient to make the first payouts,” said Leelo Muru, management board member of the University of Tartu Foundation.

Muru pointed out that many donations to the University of Tartu following the restoration of independence have come from expatriate Estonian families – people who understood the vulnerability of the Estonian language and culture without strong institutions. “We are sincerely grateful that Kadri Rõuk decided to donate her family’s legacy to support the Estonian language and education. I hope it encourages others to consider similar steps,” Muru said.

The donation of Kadri Rõuk’s legacy shows that even in times when public funding opportunities are limited, contributions from the private sector and alumni can open new doors and keep alive the university’s mission – to ensure the vitality of Estonian intellectuals and of the Estonian language and culture.