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The Student Parliament elections are in full swing! Until March 22, every TalTech student has the opportunity to vote for one of their faculty's candidates! With so many great candidates to choose from, making your decision is not easy. If you are still struggling to make a choice, here is a chance to learn more about all the candidates! Once you have decided who you’re going to vote for, the process is very simple: Log into the Student Portal with your uni-id Click on the blue button “Vote here” Now your ElectionBuddy ballot will open Select one of the candidates or “did not find a suitable candidate” Submit your ballot Done! NB! Once the ballot has been submitted, the vote cannot be changed. School of Engineering Iko-Eerik Uustalu: “I have studied Robotics, Physics, and Data Science. Now I am completing my master's in Industrial Engineering and Management so that I can put theory into practice. I have studied at three different universities, in three different cities, and in two different countries. In addition, I have travelled to the campuses of various top universities in the USA, visited lectures there, and gotten to learn about their academic and social lives. Through this, I have gained a comprehensive overview of different universities and my thoughts on my experiences have been published in Õpetajate Leht (https://opleht.ee/2021/02/piirideta-ulikool-eesti-parim-voimalus/).” Carolin Tõntsu: “I am a passionate and active student, who has been involved in making school life more interesting at different levels of education since 5th grade. In the one-and-a-half years since I started my university studies, I have contributed in many ways to various organizations and the Student Council of the School of Engineering (INSÜK). I have been a project manager at both ESTIEM and INSÜK and have actively contributed to the Culture Club as a project coordinator. I value teamwork and would like to contribute my experience and knowledge to make the work of the Student Parliament more visible to all students. Through the Student Parliament, I want to create an even playing field for all student activists and bring the students’ voices closer to decision-makers. I always do my work with an optimistic commitment. This is why I am appreciated both professionally and by other students” Kristiina Tammik: “I have been a student activist for 4 years. It started in high school when I helped organize labs for kids and really enjoyed it. I have set myself the goal that I will finish all the activities I start and put my heart into them. I always do my best to get things done as thoroughly as possible. It doesn't matter if it's a field I'm familiar with or not, I always have new thoughts and ideas. I am very open to other people's ideas and happily listen to different thoughts on how to improve student life. With consistency, I will do my best to implement them.” Birgit Russka: “I am Birgit Russka, a 4th-year architecture student. My hobbies are orienteering and student activism. I got started with student activism already in the first year of my studies when I took part in the tutoring program. Now I have been working as a tutor for 3 years. However, just being a tutor was not enough for me, so in my second year I joined the Student Council of the School of Engineering - INSÜK. I thought that the best way to get started was to join a project organizing team. That is exactly what I did. At first, I joined the construction conference BuildIT organizational team and after that, I was a part of the “Inseneritudengid Soojakus” team for two years in a row. After that, I felt confident enough to take on the position of project manager for “Sport x Teadus” and “Insneride 5 Võistlus” events. My sporty lifestyle made me pick up the position of sports coordinator on the board of staff at INSÜK. A year later, I applied and got elected to the board as Vice-Chairman of External Events. After taking on the position, I understood how important support from the Student Union is for the project organizing teams of student organizations. I would like to run for Student Parliament to ensure that no project will remain undone simply due to the lack of funding” Anet Marii Paumets: I am a second-year student of electrical power engineering and mechatronics at the TalTech School of Engineering. I have been an active member of the student organization BEST-Estonia for two years now. I am also a member at the Student Council of the School of Engineering (INSÜK). I have organized and contributed to a wide variety of projects in both organizations. Also I have actively contributed to BEST-Estonia as a mentor. I would like to actively contribute to student life Through the Student Parliament. Contribute to the development of the university and the student body through innovative ideas. And to make sure that everyone feels like their interests are represented. Madis Hendrik Muru: “I am Madis Hendrik Muru and I am studying product development and robotics. I started with student activism as soon as I entered the university when I joined the Student Council of the School of Engineering. Within half a year, I was elected to the board, where I have been active for almost five months now. I am running for the Student Parliament because I want to understand the function of the body and convey it`s content to others. In my eyes, the Student Parliament must be a place where you can stand up for the opinions and well-being of students. Since I have been at the university for less than a year, old habits and customs are not set in stone yet, and I can see problems with fresh eyes. I am very active and full of energy to deal with the realisation of all the new proposed ideas.” School of Information Technologies Karoliina Rebane: “Education, mental health, and sustainable development are topics that hold the most significance to me. I have noticed areas for improvement at the university and I aspire to create more opportunities for students, ensuring a brighter future and promoting mental well-being. It is essential that we educate students to think for themselves. Unfortunately, current teaching methodologies do not always foster this skill. Therefore, it is crucial to advocate for a higher standard of education and to attentively listen to the issues students are facing. I consider it the role of a student representative to give a voice to students' concerns and to ensure that their opinions are heard.” Ragnar Kramm: “Hi! I'm a student on the IT systems development curriculum, a full-time developer and a part-time basketball player. As a person, I am always optimistic and have a can-do attitude. When communicating, I am concrete and always consider the opinion of all parties when solving problems. I don't stick to my own opinions, but believe that the best solution can only be found through free discussion and unfiltered self-expression. I like to work in a team and I am also comfortable in a leadership role, should the need arise.” Eliise Marta Einpaul: “I am Eliise, a second-year business information technology bachelor’s student, and I consider myself to be an active person with a variety of interests. In addition to being a fan of IT and math, I am passionate about Estonian grammar, psychology and choir singing. I do yoga in the mornings, seize every opportunity to travel and am always on the lookout for new and interesting challenges to grow. Throughout my time at the university, I have also been active in student life: as a member of the Student Council of the School of IT, I have gained valuable experience in organising different projects, for example, I was the marketing manager of the IT career day last autumn. I have also been part of the Education Quality Working Group of TalTech Student Union for two semesters now, where we analyze feedback comments given by students in ÕIS and compose summaries of them for program managers and heads of institutes. The quality of education and feedback culture at TalTech have become topics close to my heart and my ideas related to their development and the desire to implement them motivated me to apply for the Student Parliament.” Tsun Sing Jason Fong: "Dear friends, One of the challenges we face is dealing with mental health on our own. The weight of these struggles can feel like a burden, and it can be difficult to find a way out of the darkness. As someone who supports people around me and has dealt with a fair share of mental health challenges, I know how important it is to prioritize our well-being. As your representative, I aim to build a program for mental health so that no one is left out and we can support each other. Vote for me and let's create an uplifting community on campus." School of Science Jan-Erik Vaher: "I’m a second-year bachelor`s student studying Earth systems, climate and technology and I’ve decided to take part in this year's Student Parliament elections. My goal is to represent the interests of all science department students. I have previous experience as a council member in a non-profit organization that would carry over to this position. I currently do advertising for the Earth systems, climate and technology programme and I try to take part in student life as much as I can. In the Student Parliament, I want to bring up the topics of increasing scholarships and creating a more coherent system of information sharing for students that are taking part in advertising their study programmes." Daniel Nurme: "I am a second-year student of applied physics. I love astronomy and do astrophotography as a hobby. I have made students' lives more colourful by enriching them with cultural events and conducted astronomy evenings where I introduced students to the night sky with a telescope." Diana Maslova: “I'm a third-year Applied Chemistry and Gene Technology student. In my first year, I specialised in Applied Chemistry and committed to the popularisation of chemistry. I am active in the Student Council of the School of Science of Tallinn University of Technology, where I am currently an active member and a member of the marketing team. I’m also a member of the Student Union, where I contribute to student life as a Coordinator of Marketing. I’m very open-minded and friendly, I also like to help younger students with school-related issues. I would like to be part of the Student Parliament because I want to contribute as much as possible to the student body and encourage others to do the same. I aim to support the School of Science, to speak out on various issues concerning the university and share my ideas and thoughts.” Anna Jürissaar: “My name is Anna Jürissaar and I am a 2nd-year student of Applied Chemistry, Food and Gene Technology. Student activism is close to my heart and I want to seize every opportunity to contribute to the development of myself and the university and make my time at university exciting. Thanks to various experiences, as a representative I can see the bigger picture and see things from different angles. I dare to express my opinion and stand up for the students of my faculty. I am very curious and open to new opinions and ideas. I want to contribute to making TalTech better and I want every student to feel valued, important and welcome.” School of Business and Governance Villy Tammer: “Hi! I'm Villy and I’m a freshman at Taltech. I am very active outside of school. I am an entrepreneur. Also, I do sports and have a lot of hobbies. I'm very open to new challenges. My motto is "If you don't try, you can't find out." I`m applying to the Student Parliament to gain new experiences in the students’ highest decision-making organization to learn to take on even more responsibility. I want to contribute to making life at the university even better for everyone.” Ana Koiava: “I am Ana Koiava from Georgia, currently studying in the Master's program in Law at TalTech. During my studies at Tbilisi State University, I was highly involved in different activities, such as law courses, public lectures, discussions, and summer schools. Since 2018, I have been an active member of the European Law Students` Association (ELSA) Georgia. Being part of the Student Parliament is a great honour, and responsibility as well. I desire to make our university a better place where students can not only care about their studies but also have a good university life, with a lot of opportunities and interesting events.” Johannes-Emmanuel Allas: “I'm a first-year student studying public administration and government. I am an active citizen who stands for a better future! In my first year, I managed to become a project leader and also run an event. In three words I am positive, cheerful and determined!” Daniel Aasorg: "I am an ambitious and active second-year student of the School of Business and Governance, who contributes to the activities of two student organizations on a daily basis. I would describe myself as an open communicator and an engaging and determined student activist. In my free time, I like to do sports, you can mainly see me in the gym, but I have also been involved in swimming and basketball in the past. Besides that, I like to learn new things from different fields and gain new experiences. I have been an active member of the Student Council of the School of Business and Governance since the beginning of my studies and I am also the chairman of the board of the Marketing Club. In addition, I contribute to several other projects of student organizations, because it is very interesting to me and it is always good to make new acquaintances." Estonian Maritime Academy Alex Mathias Vilberg: "I'm Alex Mathias, I'm 20 years old and I'm from Viljandi. I love my hometown very much and spend as much time there as possible. I moved to Tallinn only in the autumn of last year. Apart from school, I am constantly engaged in self-development in various ways. I find something new to learn everywhere. I love cooking and many of my friends know me as a big gourmet. For years I spent more time in the garage than at home. I am constantly looking for opportunities to do something new and interesting there. I am also a very social person and very happy to spend my free time with friends." Anette-Marie Sults: “I'm a third-year logistics student from the Maritime Academy (EMERA), who wants to take 100% of my university years and create awesome friendships and memories worth telling! In student organizations, I contribute to the EMERA student association, BEST-Estonia and the Culture Club, thanks to which I've gained invaluable experience in project management and how an organization works in general. I also represent the students of my faculty in the Student Council of EMERA and I belong to the Academic Committee of the current Student Parliament, where I'm still learning something new every day. I'd like to continue this journey to help improve the quality of education, raise important topics, and encourage others to step out of their comfort zone so their university experience would be more memorable too!” Helene-Armilde Kudre: "I study at the Estonian Maritime Academy (EMERA) and am a second-year student majoring in waterway and safety management. I belong to the EMERA student association and actively take part in the school's activities. I am also involved in representing the Maritime Academy and my major at educational fairs and visits to schools. By being elected to the TalTech Student Parliament, my main focus would be to improve the quality of education received. The goal is that lecturers can effectively pass on their knowledge and that students can receive it. Why should you vote for me? I care about EMERA students and want to be a voice that represents them. I am ready to listen, understand, talk along, and act on behalf of the interests of EMERA students." Karl Maarek Kokser: "I am Karl Maarek Kokser, 19 years old, ship mechanic cadet of the Estonian Maritime Academy, and member of the Student Council of the Maritime Academy. For most of my life, I have been involved in sports: football, basketball, wrestling, and strength training. Thanks to playing sports, I have good teamwork skills. I am interested in gaining knowledge and learning new skills, therefore I am constantly trying to learn new things and gain new experiences. By running for the Student Parliament, I hope to make my experience as well as that of my fellow cadets and students in this long period both memorable and useful in terms of gaining knowledge. For this, it is necessary to find and solve the problems that concern students the most. Everyone's well-being, thoughts and opinions are important, they must be listened to and taken into account - that's what I intend to do." Rudolf Bellen: “My name is Rudolf Bellen, a first-year student at Estonian Maritime Academy studying navigation. Since the first days of my studies, I have been involved in the school's Student Council, contributed to organising different events and evolved myself through it. As a member of the Student Parliament, I would be motivated to invest in the development of student life and finding solutions for problems. I wish to promote tutorism and pay attention to physical, as well as mental health. I will not give up until I have managed to bring to bring a sparkle to every student’s eyes and give them a positive attitude so that looking back on their student days after graduation it will bring back wonderful memories!”

In many organizations and in society, there is an ongoing discussion about efficient energy consumption. In his anniversary speech, TalTech rector Tiit Land already called for the university family to stay together, both literally and figuratively: "Staying together has a completely different side in the near future or even in the next few years. As a university, that means me and you as employees and students, we have to find the will and opportunities to survive economically and politically difficult times as painlessly as possible. Including saving up in the easiest way." He added: “Let’s always turn off the light when we don't need electric light at the moment. Let’s close the tap when the water does not need to flow. Let’s save energy intended for ventilation and room heating. No, of course we cannot work and study in dim light, stuffy air or with freezing fingers. But the university buildings have a lot of square meters, there are a lot of employees and students in these buildings. Every square meter counts, everyone's thought and deed counts." Real estate development director Riina Uska confirmed that the indoor temperature at the university was lowered by two degrees starting this fall. The temperature of the buildings is between 19 and 21 degrees. Since the buildings of the Technical University are different and some (old ones) are difficult to control, it is difficult to maintain the exact temperature. Regarding the air temperature of vivarium and other special rooms, distinctions are made according to the requirements of the room. Speaking about electricity, Uska emphasized that the external additional and decorative lighting of the Mustamäe campus has been turned off, and the interior lighting of the buildings is also regulated. "My message to our people is that we behave as frugally as we do at home. I believe that awareness of this will affect TalTech's energy cost savings," hopes Uska, adding that today the university is not planning to close buildings, nor remote work or learning. In the university, as in many other large organizations, this year the heating costs exceed the budgeted costs by 55%, i.e. by one million. This number could have been higher, but the university managed to save money on heating costs when we switched to the Utilitas central heating network in the spring. Before, TalTech's Mustamäe campus was heated by the university's own gas boiler house. The situation with electricity costs is even more serious - compared to what was planned in the budget, the cost overrun is 3 million euros, which is 150% higher than what was planned in the budget. The real estate department asks you to immediately report rooms where the air temperature may be below 19 degrees by writing to murekontor@taltech.ee.

Everything is new in September and there have been changes during the summer in our Student Union's board as well! There are two new additions to the board next to Pille, who is the board member in the educational field - new head of the board Joosep Perandi and new board member in the field of student life Anna Suzdalev. Anna and Joosep - who are you, where do you come from and how did you find your way to the Student Union's board? Anna: Helllloooo.. I am the new member of the board in the field of student life and I come from a small municipality near Tallinn called Saku. Fun fact, the last head of the board was also from there ;) Before applying for the board position, I had been active in the field of student life for a year already as the coordinator of the student organizations. I felt that being on the board would help me get out of my comfort zone and give me the personal development I wish from life right now. Joosep: Hey! I'm the new head of the board and I come from a small and sweet village called Jäneda. My road in student activism started in MTÜK (the Student Council of the School of Business and Governance), where I was a member of the board. I was good enough in my position, that people thought I could be of use in the Student Union as well, so after negotiating and assessing the situation, I would say that I have something to give to our student body and fulfill as the head of the board of the Student Union. How is the teamwork of the new board? Pille: Since all three of us have worked together a little in the past and know each other from before, then it was a little easier to start with the new board. Every meeting is fun, and scolding each other adds to a fun work environment on a daily basis. We have common visions and ideas and there haven't been many disagreements. Although at first it takes a long time to integrate into the board, then Anna and Joosep have managed it well. From time to time, things need to be reminded and helped, but these two already have a lot of questions :) Joosep: The cooperation of the new board works wonderfully. First of all, before mine and Anna's mandate even started, we sat down together, talked about our dreams and plans, and not a single idea caused anyone's reluctance - rather, it contributed to everyone's individual goals. Secondly, our general getting along didn't require a lot of teamwork excercises, it was pleasant right from the start. We are already there for each other, make fun of each other in moderation and support each other. Anna: The composition of the new board is very special in its own way. We are all from the School of Business and Governance and we all have very big wishes and goals that we want to fulfill during the year. Each new board brings with it new changes and goals, and right now we are happy that we all agree on the vision set for the next school year, which we want to implement. What are you expectations for the new school year? What do you wish to fulfill? Joosep: I wish the funding of the Student Union was even greater so that we could give our students as many opportunities as possible. We want to foster unity at TalTech and raise the transparency of the Student Union among our students. I would like to contribute to political issues concerning higher education and actively cooperate with other institutions offering higher education. I don't dare to advertise the biggest goals yet, but let's just say that if everything goes to plan, something super awesome can be expected at the end of the school year. In addition, I want to be supportive in the areas of my fellow board members - for example, due to my personal desire to compete, I want us to be the first at Ylisport events. Anna: The biggest expectation for this academic year is that the student life of our university can flourish in the same way as before the Covid era. The school year started with a big and traditional Kick-off Orientation, where more than 1000 new freshmen registered, and I hope for such intense activity for the whole school year! Personally, I would like to involve even more international students and student organizations in our student life activities during the year. The first big step has just been taken, where all English curricula were invited to participate in our Orientation. I also want to develop our sports field following the steps of the previous board member, creating new events that could be offered to our freshmen in cooperation with the sports coordinators of the student council. And of course, since my previous position was the coordinator of the student organizations, them I want to strengthen the cooperation between our student organizations even more, so that more new events can be created that we can all be proud of. Pille: My biggest goal is definitely to find a good successor who would take over my position and continue to fight for a good higher education. There are many other plans and a year is certainly not long enough to complete everything. The biggest projects, in which I have been involved, are definitely changing the ÕIS feedback and developing the good practice of the university. Additionally, me and Mia, the election coordinator o the Student Parliament, want to increase the electoral turnout of the Student Parliament and make their work more transparent. A new project and this year's big goal is to develop TalTech's views on mental health and organize events focused on mental health in collaboration with all the students of the different faculties to raise awareness of its importance. The coordinator of educational communication has moved the same Juulius' blog that you are currently reading to a new platform, and now we need to increase the reading activity and reach foreign students as well. Together with Joosep, we are fighting for free higher education and we are making various plans on how to stand out. Of course, all of this includes many smaller activities and current thoughts such as the Teachers' Day, Euroteq, Tutors' development, cooperation with other universities and much more. There is a lot to do, and probably many activities will continue on for longer than a year. What are the top 3 event, you would recommend during the school year? Anna: If you are a new student at TalTech, you MUST visit at least one student organization's information evening (ideally at least 2)! Maybe that's where you'll find lifelong friends and memories to last a lifetime. But on the other hand, no matter which year student you are, you definitely have to buy a ticket to the Campus Party (Linnakupidu), because these are the most legendary parties of the university, with incredibly awesome performers. The second event would be the Student Winter Games and the third would be the Summer Games. You cannot consider yourself a full-fledged uni student if you have not represented TalTech at both events. Pille: When I came to school in my first year, then one of my favourite events was definitely the Culture Club parking lot party. In the spring, I recommend that all students stop by MTÜK's business forum in order to gain more financial wisdom, and surely every proper student will stop by the Winter and Summer Games Joosep: In the first year, the Trilogy of parties, the Campus Party, and Ylisport events (Ylipall, Winter and Summer Games). I believe that every student has a student organization here at school that suits their interests, why not the Student Union of your faculty, where you can find friends and other students with whom you can spend the first semester, then the second, third, fourth, and then graduate together. What do you wish/recommend to students, especially freshmen for the new year? Joosep: I would like our freshmen to be open, so that they would look at all kinds of different opportunities that our university offers, in order to determine for themselves the places, organizations, etc., with whom to cooperate, join or contribute in some other way. Be good and smart in your studies! You will make potentially life-long friends left and right in the lecture. And lastly, I would recommend everyone to enjoy this extremely cool environment in which to develop. Pille: Don't give up! The first year is the hardest - you are just getting into the swing, the subjects are more general in some specialties and there may be many tests and exams at the same time, but it's all worth the effort! You have to move on, and as the semester progresses, your university years become easier, more interesting and more fun. And remember both in your education and in your student life that making mistakes is human and university is for learning from your mistakes. Anna: University is a very different experience to studying in high school. Sometimes you'll have it easy, but most of the time it can be difficult, and grades can be like a rollercoaster that goes up and down all the time. Don't forget that it's okay, life is always changing! The most important thing is that you understand the subject for yourself and can search for more information if necessary. Also, don't forget that apart from studies, the university has so much more to offer, for which you have to take the first steps yourself. And believe me, it's much easier to take these new steps at the beginning of the school year than during exam period or at the end of the school year. Take advantage of all the opportunities and create a school year that you will remember for the rest of your life because of these adventures! From the left: Pille, Joosep, Anna