University calls to raise funds for the Seventh Pillar Fund during charity donation week

From 26 November to 2 December, donations are invited to the University of Tartu Seventh Pillar Fund, which offers scholarships for young researchers and outstanding students.

The global generosity movement GivingTuesday was created in 2012 to encourage people to do good. In Estonia, donation campaigns have been organised since 2019, led by the Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organisations and supported by the Ministry of the Interior. This year, the donation day is on 2 December.

During the donation week, individuals and companies that care about recognising young talent are invited to support the fund.

1 December marks 106 years since the opening of the Estonian-language University of Tartu. The university will celebrate this with traditional anniversary events. At the anniversary ball in the Vanemuine concert hall, all guests can participate in a charity lottery in support of the Seventh Pillar Fund. During the evening, gifts from the supporters of the ball are raffled.

According to Leelo Muru, member of the management board of the University of Tartu Foundation, combining these two events is novel yet meaningful, as the anniversary of Estonia’s national university is a time when the university community celebrates the continuity of research and education in the Estonian language while looking to the future. The Seventh Pillar Fund was also established with the university’s sustainability in mind – contributions made to the fund are invested, and scholarships are paid out from the profits generated by these investments. “This way, the donated money remains in the fund and grows over time, making it possible to provide scholarships in the future. Thus, every donation becomes an investment in the benefit of future generations,” said Muru.

According to Toomas Asser, Rector of the University of Tartu, supporting active and talented students is a significant act of generosity with a long-term impact. “The strength of the University of Tartu has always been our people – students, academic staff and alumni, who keep the spirit of the national university alive. The Seventh Pillar Fund is an excellent way for each of us to contribute to the growth of the next-generation researchers, lecturers, and thinkers,” said Asser.

When the Seventh Pillar Fund was established in 1998, it was named by the then patron of the University of Tartu Foundation, Lennart Meri, who referred to the seventh pillar as the pillar of wisdom, symbolising the supporting role of knowledge and education in society. Among those who have received scholarships from the fund during their studies are Aune Valk, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at the University of Tartu; Mart Abel, Associate Professor in Topology; and Kristi Läll, Research Fellow of Statistical Genetics.

The University of Tartu Foundation will announce a public competition for Seventh Pillar Fund scholarships on its website in the upcoming spring semester. Everyone who wishes to contribute to the future of the University of Tartu can make a donation via the foundation’s website.