TEDxUniversity of Tartu

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Aikaterini Niovi Triantafyllaki

  Junior Research Fellow in Stellar Physics, Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu

  Aikaterini Niovi Triantafyllaki is a Junior Research Fellow in Stellar Physics and student representative in Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu

• Aljona Galazan

  Landscape Architect, Teacher and Event Creator

  Aljona Galazan is a landscape architect, teacher, event creator, and guide who has worked independently for nearly 15 years. She is passionate about people-friendly cities and urban cycling, and believes that everyone can find their own joy in urban movement.

• Bogdan Janakov

  Project Manager at UNA Estonia

  Bogdan Janakov is a Project Manager at UNA Estonia and a student at the University of Tartu.

• Dmytro Fishman

  Co-Founder/CSO of Better Medicine and Associate Professor of AI at the University of Tartu

  Dmytro Fishman is an AI researcher and entrepreneur working at the intersection of computer vision and medicine. As Associate Professor of AI at the University of Tartu and Co-Founder/CSO of Better Medicine, he develops technologies that help doctors see more in medical images and detect cancer earlier.

• Dmytro Khutkyy

  Head of the University of Tartu Ukraine Centre and Research Fellow in Digital Governance

  Dmytro Khutkyy is Head of the University of Tartu Ukraine Centre and Research Fellow in Digital Governance at the University of Tartu, Estonia. His work focuses on digital democracy, digital governance, and Ukraine’s development.

• Elina Nechayeva

  Estonian Soprano and Creative Entrepreneur

  Elina Nechayeva is an Estonian soprano, performer, and creative entrepreneur. She represented Estonia in the Eurovision 2018 with the song “La forza”. Through her international career in opera, crossover music, and songwriting, she explores new ways of making classical music accessible to modern audiences.

• Francisco José Maldonado Torralba

  Research Fellow in Computational Neuroscience, Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu

  Francisco José Maldonado Torralba is a Research Fellow in Computational Neuroscience at the Institute of Computer Science, University of Tartu.

• Hanna Maria Kariis

  Pharmacogenetics Researcher, University of Tartu Institute of Genomics

  Hanna Maria Kariis, PhD, is a pharmacogenetics researcher whose vision is to bring genetic information into everyday clinical practice, making treatment safer, more effective, and personalised. She works at the University of Tartu Institute of Genomics across pharmacogenetics, psychiatric genetics, and data science, investigating how genetic variation influences the way our bodies respond to medications.

• Helena Valvur

  Avid Reader, Master's Student, Estonian University of Life Sciences

  Helena Valvur is an avid reader studying for her master’s in environmental governance and adaptation to climate change in a joint program at the Estonian University of Life Sciences and University of Tartu.

• Hüseyin Rüzgar Akcan

  Attorney, IT Law at University of Tartu

  Hüseyin Rüzgar Akcan has been practicing law as an attorney registered with the Istanbul Bar Association since 2020. He worked at KECOS LEGAL and currently us working as an independent attorney. He is also currently pursuing a Master’s degree in IT Law at University of Tartu. Previously, graduated with a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Public Law from Bahçeşehir University and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Maltepe University.

• Julija Sovane

  Business Coach, Go To Market Strategist

  Julija Sovane is certified Mindvalley Business coach and Go To market strategist with 20 + years of experience in leading global companies sales and business development across 60 + markets in aviation, IT, Finance, Consulting. Studied at Latvia University on Communication studies, English philology / Riga Stradinu University Master degree in global strategic management and PR. She is a mentor at Stockholm School of economics, Chambers of Commerce.

• Kristina Kallas

  Minister of Education and Research of the Republic of Estonia

  Kristina Kallas, PhD, is an Estonian politician, political scientist and educator. As of April 2023, Kristina Kallas is a prominent member of the Estonian government, serving as the Minister of Education and Research. She is the founder and the current head of the political party Eesti200. Prior to her career in politics, Kristina Kallas was a researcher at the University of Tartu. Simultaneously, in 2015-2019 she was the Director of the Narva College of the University of Tartu. As an expert consultant for several organisations and projects such as OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Kristina Kallas has advised many governments in integration policy, including Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.

• Kristjan Pulk

  Lecturer and Researcher, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of the University of Tartu

  Kristjan Pulk is a lecturer in Management at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration of the University of Tartu. His research focuses on financial behavior and financial literacy – how people make decisions regarding their finances and how to provide useful information to make considered choices. Most of his studies feature experiments, as well as surveys and interviews. His current projects involve non-bank lending and consumer credit forbearance.

• Kyrylo Martyniuk

  CEO and Co-Founder of OptilinEx OÜ and Business Administration student at the University of Tartu

  Kyrylo Martyniuk is a CEO and Co-Founder of OptilinEx OÜ, a company building fiber-optic drone communication systems deployed to Ukrainian and Estonian armed forces. His work focuses on bringing Ukrainian battlefield innovation into European defence and security frameworks – building the partnerships and knowledge bridges that strengthen Ukraine-EU defence cooperation. He is also a Business Administration student at the University of Tartu.

• Mark Braschinsky

  Founder of Tartu University Hospital’s headache clinic and Senior Neurologist

  Dr Mark Braschinsky is a senior neurologist at Tartu University Hospital and an associate professor of neurology at the University of Tartu. He graduated from the University of Tartu Faculty of Medicine and earned his PhD in neurology in 2010. Since 2006, he has worked at Tartu University Hospital, where he specializes in headache and migraine disorders. He is the founder of the Tartu University Hospital’s headache clinic, which he established to advance specialized care for headache patients. Dr Braschinsky also founded the Estonian Headache Society and served as its first president. He has held board memberships in the European Headache Federation and the International Headache Society, playing a key role in developing clinical guidelines for headache management.

• Maryna Starodubska

  Author of books, Adjunct-Professor and Visiting Lecturer

  Maryna Starodubska is an author of books “Understanding Ukrainians: Cross-Cultural Perspective” and “Ukraine Layer by Layer: Freedom & Friction In a Frontier Society”. She is an Adjunct-Professor at Kyiv-Mohyla Business School, Visiting Lecturer at University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology, and Institut Magellan (Paris).

• Piret Paal

  Deputy Scientific Director, Ars Moriendi Estonia 2030

  Piret Paal is Associate Professor of Medical Anthropology and Deputy Scientific Director at the University of Tartu. She leads the Ars Moriendi Estonia 2030 research group and serves as Action Chair of the European COST Action CA22127, focusing on culturally appropriate and inclusive palliative care education across Europe. Her work explores death, dying, spirituality, and cultural safety in healthcare.

• Ruby Gupta

  PhD student in Neuroscience, Yoga instructor

  Ruby Gupta is a PhD student in the Neuroscience curriculum at the University of Tartu. She works with patient-derived stem cells to understand the role of SPATA5 mutations in neurodevelopment. She is also a yoga instructor and the founder of Align, a yoga class/community in Tartu!

• Sander Šašlov

  Medical student at the University of Tartu, Social events coordinator

  Sander Šašlov is a 4th year medical student at Tartu University, and a social events coordinator at The Estonian Medical Students Association.

• Teele Siim

  Translator and Interpreter, Coordinator of Foreign Students at University of Tartu

  Teele Siim is a translator, interpreter, and coordinator of foreign students for University of Tartu Student Union (UTSU). She is also a master’s student of Translation Studies at the University of Tartu.