In Estonia several scholarship programmes have been launched to support both Estonian students pursuing their studies abroad and foreign students coming to study in Estonia. Students also have an opportunity to participate in the European Union programmes and the Nordic and Baltic programme Nordplus. The European Union programmes and funding from the Structural Funds are of huge relevance in supporting mobility and internationalisation.
Several national scholarship schemes have been developed, supporting the studies and research of foreign students, researchers and teaching staff in Estonia. Students are offered scholarships for pursuing formal education, partial studies or participating in summer schools; scholarships for researchers and teaching staff cover the costs of short or long visits and post-doctoral studies. Some of the measures are targeted specifically at the ones interested in the studies of the Estonian language and culture, expatriate Estonians or kindred peoples.
Student Mobility
Scholarships for the students of Estonian higher education institutions for studying abroad:
Erasmus+ programme The program allows students to go on an exchange or internship in Europe or around the world. Students of all ages and levels of higher education can participate for up to 12 months, which may include several study visits of different lengths. Every Estonian student has the opportunity to participate in study mobility. The duration of mobility is 2-12 months. Doctoral students also have the opportunity for short-term study mobility lasting 5-30 days. The duration of the internship is 2-12 months, including for alumni. Hybrid learning mobility can last 5-60 days.
Kristjan Jaak scholarship programme A national scholarship programme initiated in cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Research and the Education and Youth Authority with a view to supporting the studies abroad of Master’s and Doctoral students enrolled in Estonian institutions of higher education and academic and research related secondments abroad of the Master’s and Doctoral students (and teaching staff).
Young scholar grant programme A scholarship programme founded in cooperation between private companies, the Ministry of Education and Research and the Education and Youth Authority, aimed at supporting talented upper secondary school graduates towards acquiring a Bachelor’s degree in acknowledged foreign universities.
DoRa Plus The programme supports short-time study mobility of young researchers and Master’s students (participation in professional conferences, seminars, courses or other professional activities).
Erasmus + programme The programme supports learning mobility of Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral students. There are opportunities for both European and global learning mobility. Erasmus Mundus joint curricula support higher education worldwide - joint European Master's programs, including scholarships and partnerships with higher education institutions outside Europe. Students are admitted to Master's programs once a year for three years. Jean Monnet actions support teaching, learning, research and debates on European integration. Additional information: Erasmus+ and the Solidarity Corps Agency
Nordplus higher education programme Under the programme studies or work practice with a duration of 1 to 12 months for Bachelor or Master’s students, as well as short-time study mobility projects of 5 days to 1 month are funded.
European University Institute scholarships In 2005, Estonia joined the Convention Setting up a European University Institute. The institute is an academic institution located in Florence, Italy and oriented toward Doctoral and post-Doctoral studies, focusing on European studies in law, economics, political and social sciences and history. Estonia has been allocated up to 4 doctorate student places. Additional information: Education and Youth Authority.
Scholarships for supporting the studies of expatriate Estonians and foreigners in Estonia
DoRa Plus The programme supports foreign Master’s and Doctoral students pursuing studies at Estonian institutions of higher education in the form of full-time study and visiting Doctoral students staying in Estonia for a shorter period, and the organisation of professional short and intensive courses at Estonian institutions of higher education primarily targeted at foreign students.
Scholarship program to support the studies of expatriate Estonians in Estonia The aim is to support the studies of expatriate Estonians in Estonian higher education institutions and vocational education institutions. Estonian language learning for expatriate Estonians receives special support. Additional information: https://harno.ee/valiseestlaste-stipendiumiprogramm
Support to kindred peoples´ languages and cultures 2021-27. Kindred peoples programme V The program supports the development of the languages and cultures of the kindred peoples (Finno-Ugric and Samoyed) through scientific, cultural and educational activities, and promotes contacts and co-operation between the kindred peoples. Inter alia, the program provides opportunities to involve foreign students in teaching and research.
National Scholarship Programme for International Students, Researchers and Teaching Staff A scholarship schema, which is partially based on the foreign agreements of the Ministry of Education and Research and offers students scholarships for formal education, exchange programmes and participation in summer schools.
Scholarships for the academic study of the Estonian language and culture by foreign students The programme awards the scholarship Estophilus, under which funding is provided for Estonia-related studies and research carried out in Estonia by the last year Bachelor´s students, Master’s and Doctoral students or researchers holding a Doctoral degree who are enrolled in foreign institutions of higher education. In addition, the participation in intermediate and advanced summer or winter courses of the Estonian language and culture is supported.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs scholarships The Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers Master’s and Doctoral scholarships under the instruments of development cooperation to the citizens of the development cooperation states of relevance for Estonia. Scholarship applications must be submitted by universities on a project basis, i.e., students cannot apply for the scholarship directly. Additional information: Education and Youth Authority.
Academic Staff Mobility
Scholarships for Estonian teaching staff and researchers:
Erasmus+ programme Study mobility projects enable teachers and other university staff to acquire new professional knowledge and skills in an international environment and to pass on their knowledge. The duration of a study mobility project is from 2 days to 2 months.
Kristjan Jaak scholarship programme The programme supports study-related secondments abroad of teaching staff and researchers of up to 35 years of age (for 3 to 30 days).
DoRa Plus The programme supports short-time study mobility of young researchers and Master’s students (participation in professional conferences, seminars, courses or other professional activities).
Erasmus+ programme The programme supports the mobility of teachers and university staff (learning, internship, work-shadowing, teaching or participating in training). Jean Monnet actions support teaching, learning, research and debates on European integration. Additional information: Erasmus+ and the Solidarity Corps Agency
State scholarship programme for the students, researchers and teaching staff of foreign universities A scholarship schema under foreign agreements, which offers researchers and teaching staff scholarships for education and research in Estonia.
Nordplus higher education programme The programme supports teacher mobility for the purpose of teaching, instructing students and developing teaching materials, or promoting cooperation with traineeship organisations and the labour market. The duration of a secondment shall be at least 8 hours. Mobilitas Plus The programme provides a returning researcher grant to the researchers who have completed their post-Doctoral studies (or comparable research) abroad for the conduct of a research project in Estonia. Funding is provided also to the researchers employed in Estonian research and development institutions for the participation in professional trainings and continuing education abroad.
EEA/Norway grant programme Study mobility projects support the bilateral mobility of the employees of higher education institutions of Estonia and other EEA states. The general purpose of the study mobility is to support professional development of the employees of higher education institutions, which shall be in line with the internationalisation strategy and development plan of the higher education institution. The programme provides the teaching staff of higher education institutions with an opportunity of secondment to a partner higher education institution to teach and study.
Further measures
Additionally, teaching staff has the opportunity to participate in the study mobility under Erasmus+ and Nordplus higher education programme and the Estonian-Norwegian Research Cooperation Programme. In addition, through the programme of academic studies of Estonian language and culture abroad, the Ministry of Education and Research supports the studies of the Estonian language and culture in foreign universities and general education schools by sending there lecturers and teachers of the Estonian language and culture. Lecturers of the Estonian language and culture are also sent to foreign universities as visiting lecturers. Additional information: Education and Youth Authority.
Scholarships for international teaching staff and researchers:
Mobilitas Plus The programme offers a returning researcher grant to the researchers who have completed their post-Doctoral studies (or comparable research) abroad for the conduct of a research project in Estonia. Support is granted also for the post-doctoral studies of the researchers coming to Estonia from abroad, and a separate grant has been developed for the implementation of a research project by a renowned researcher coming to Estonia from abroad.
DoRa Plus The programme supports short-time study mobility of young scientists and Master’s students of Estonian higher education institutions relating to studies or research abroad (participation in conferences, seminars, courses or other professional activities).
EEA/Norway grant programme The study mobility projects support the bilateral mobility of the employees of higher education institutions of Estonia and other EEA states. The programme provides the teaching staff of both Estonian and EEA/Norwegian higher education institutions with an opportunity of secondment to a partner higher education institution to teach.
National Scholarship Programme for International Students, Researchers and Teaching Staff A scholarship schema, which partially relies on the foreign agreements of the Ministry of Education and Research and offers scientists and teaching staff scholarships for the participation in formal education, exchange programmes and summer schools. Additional information: Education and Youth Authority
Recognition
Estonia has joined the Lisbon Convention (the ratification act entered into force on 27 February 1998) and it organises higher education based on the principles of the Bologna Process. The Professions Act adopted in 2008 establishes the eight-level qualification framework, which is in line the European Qualification framework and consists of general, professional, higher education and professional qualifications or professions. The framework brings together the competence-based professional qualifications and formal education qualifications in an integral system. On 25 May 2021, Estonia also joined the UNESCO Global Agreement on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Secondary and Higher Education. The agreement ensures easier recognition of Estonian secondary and higher education qualifications in more countries than before, especially outside Europe.
Academic recognition falls in the responsibility of the Estonian ENIC/NARIC Centre that belongs to the Council of Europe and UNESCO cooperation network ENIC (European Network of National Information Centres on Academic Recognition and Mobility) and to the NARIC cooperation network (National Academic Recognition Information Centre). The main activities of the Estonian ENIC/NARIC Centre include assessment of foreign education certificates for the purposes of recognition and offering of information related to higher education.
In addition to academic recognition, it is also important to recognise a person’s professional qualifications and skills in a broader sense, in order to ensure free movement of labour. Recognition of professional qualifications is regulated in Estonia by the Recognition of Foreign Professional Qualifications Act and coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Research. The latter is responsible for offering information on regulated positions and vocations as well as on institutions operating in the field of recognition of professional qualifications. Information related to the recognition of professional qualifications is also accumulated and distributed by the ENIC/NARIC Centre.
Estonia has also signed several international agreements on mutual recognition of educational certificates and diplomas, which also facilitates and supports bilateral exchange:
- an agreement between the Baltic and Benelux countries on the mutual recognition of higher education qualifications (a six-party agreement was signed on 27 September 2021).
- an agreement between the governments of the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania on mutual academic recognition of educational certificates in the common Baltic educational space (8 June 2018, the ministers of education of all Baltic States signed an agreement on automatic recognition of higher education qualifications (the Agreement on automatic recognition of academic qualifications concerning higher education entered into by the Governments of the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania);
- an agreement between the governments of the Republic of Estonia and of Ukraine on mutual recognition of educational certificates and academic degrees.