Journey to Digital Estonia: A Visit to the University of Tartu
How do they take care of their employees elsewhere? We took a closer look at HR practices at the University of Tartu.
Site Visit: the day HR got interesting
We made it through! On Wednesday, 27 August, our faculty hosted the Site Visit. Everything ran smoothly, and the early signals suggest we have retained the HR Excellence in Research Award. We have every reason to be proud; the official verdict will follow soon.
Summer in our HR team wasn’t about ice cream—it was about preparing for the Site Visit—a visit by evaluators from the European Commission to check whether we still deserve to hold the HR Excellence in Research Award (the HR Award for short).
How did we prepare?
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First and foremost, we built on the tremendous work done at our faculty by the previous HR Award team led by Dr Barbora Wahlová and Mgr Zuzana Hrabovská.
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We overhauled our website so it makes sense even on a Monday morning before coffee—take a look.
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We revised the Action Plan to capture everything completed as well as new ideas, and to ensure that each step has traceable, real outputs.
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We consulted the Site Visit process with several universities that have already been through it.
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We prepared the presentation for the panel very thoroughly, to make sure we didn’t miss anything that went well and to highlight clearly what still needs work. The result was excellent—content-wise and visually.
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We didn’t neglect our presentation skills either: we iterated the deck several times with the Dean, Bursar Roman Čermák, Vice-Dean Markéta Munzarová, and Vice-Dean Luděk Bláha. Yes—testing exists outside the lab, too.
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We invited more than 30 colleagues to the focus groups and carefully balanced gender and national diversity among participants. The groups also had to represent all research profiles R1–R4.
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We held six preparatory meetings with the focus groups in Czech and English, both at the Campus and at Kotlářská.
How did the day go?
The day itself ran smoothly and in a friendly atmosphere. The assessors asked focused, practical questions and offered a few useful recommendations.
The focus groups spoke openly about what works and what doesn’t—and why. Great work; thank you all!
How did it turn out?
We don’t have the official verdict yet. One thing is certain: we have retained the Award. Which level of assessment we end up with (there are two successful levels) remains to be seen.
The first signals from the closing remarks suggest we were among the well-prepared institutions. As soon as the final report arrives, we’ll share an update. Until then, fingers crossed.
The main message for all of us
We have every reason to be proud.
Yes, sometimes things snag, and sometimes we spend longer than we’d like finding the right form. But the levels of transparency, flexibility, and respect have moved forward significantly in recent years. Processes are no longer just binders on a shelf—in most situations, they are a real support.
Thank you to everyone who contributed your time, energy, and openness.
