BASIC INFORMATION

Basic Information Estonia is a small, innovative and rapidly developing country in northern Europe that is known for its widespread and cutting edge IT sector (Estonia is the birthplace of Skype). Estonia is also known for its impressive natural environment – about half of the country is covered by expansive old forests and there are plentiful lakes throughout the country. With four distinctive seasons in Estonia, one can experience a full spectrum of nature’s wonders – drive the world’s longest ice-road during winter, canoe in drowned forests and fields in spring and explore 1,500 islands spread over Estonia’s long Baltic Sea coastline. Estonia’s Nordic culture and language share strong ties with Finland, its neighbour in the north. Sweden is Estonia’s nearest neighbour in the west across the Baltic Sea, and it shares a border with Latvia and Russia to the south and east. Estonia has a population of 1.3 million and about 70% of the population is ethnic Estonian, 25% Russian and 5% are other nationalities.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The student applies through the host institution. DoRa Scholarships for International Visiting PhD Students cover research and study visits of 1-10 months by international PhD students to Estonian universities under recognised PhD study programmes regardless of the subject area. The selection from among the candidates is made by the host university. The schemes are financed from the European Social Fund. It is also worth noting that during studies international students are allowed to work full time and stay in the country for 6 months after he/she graduates to look for a job. There is no limit on how many hours you work during your studies and there are many opportunities in the engineering and IT sectors. International students coming from outside of the EU need a temporary resident permit (TRP) to study in Estonia.