2025 Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu
Host Organization: Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu
Website: http://www.ut.ee or https://skytte.ut.ee/en
Organization Profile: The University of Tartu is Estonia's leading institution of research and higher education. Founded in 1632, it is one of the oldest universities in Northern and Eastern Europe. Today, the UT is the only Baltic university ranked among the best 250 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022). It is also ranked as the best university in “New Europe” – the 13 nations that have joined the European Union since 2004 (Times Higher Education New Europe Ranking 2018). The UT’s competitive edge stems from research excellence and impact, as well as the quality of its learning environment.
The UT has about 14, 000 students (including over 1000 international students from 70 countries) and about 3000 employees (including 1500 academic staff members). It has four faculties, including the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty Science and Technology. The UT has about 1300 doctoral students and awards more than a half of all doctoral degrees issued in Estonia. The UT has 72 partner universities in 26 countries. It offers a wide range of support services to its international students and staff.
City: Tartu, Estonia
Internship Format: In-person
Internship Department: Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies
Department Profile: The Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu combines top-level scholarly research with a dynamic, international learning environment at all three levels of higher education. It offers a Political Science BA program at the Bachelor’s level (in Estonian), five MA programmes (International Relations and Regional Studies, Politics and Governance, EU-Russia Studies, European Studies, Central & East European, Russian & Eurasian Studies) in English and in Estonian, as well as a Political Science PhD program (in English). The institute has over 430 students and about 30 academic staff members, in addition to researchers and analysts working on applied projects. The Skytte Institute is one of the most international units of the University of Tartu, both in terms of staff and students. The Institute is ranked as one of the top three political science departments in the new member states of the European Union (QS University Ranking by Subject 2019).
Research conducted at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies encompasses the main subfields of political science (comparative politics, international relations and political theory), as well as area studies (Baltic, Russian, East European and EU politics) and, more recently, research on the usage and impact of information and communication technologies. The main research directions of the Institute include:
- International Relations
- Comparative Politics
- Political Theory
- Russian and Eurasian Studies
- Baltic Studies
- European Union Studies
- Governance and Public Administration
- E-Governance and Digital Public Services
- Applied Social Science Research
- Behavioural Policy and Financial Well-Being
The Institute is a member of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR).
The Institute has been successful in obtaining competitive research grants, including from the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, the Estonian Research Council and other domestic and international funders. Since 2011, the Institute has been very active in hosting and supporting foreign visiting scholars, post-docs and PhD students, and has developed a reputation as a reliable organizer of large-scale international conferences in political science and area studies.
Project description:
We offer the following ‘tracks’ for the internship (which can also be combined, depending on the interests and competences of the intern) :
1) The Centre for Eurasian and Russian Studies (CEURUS) is offering an internship opportunity for students interested in the history, politics, and contemporary societies of Eastern Europe, Russia, and Northern Eurasia. Interns will have the opportunity to work on various projects based at the centre, including the European Research Council project EMPSOLID ("Empire of Solidarities: A Connected History of Private Charity across a Decentred Romanov Empire, 1855–1914"). Tasks may involve research assistance, conducting archival research at the Estonian National Archives in Tartu (knowledge of Russian, German, or Estonian is required), data collection, literature reviews, and assisting with event organisation for academic workshops and seminars.
2) the University of Tartu Ukraine Centre (UTUC) seeks assistance with implementing a range of projects (see list of ongoing projects at the UTUC website). Possible tasks include research assistance, event organization, communication and dissemination tasks, and reporting.
3) Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence “Rejuvenating democracy in the EU” (REPAIR) offers an internship opportunity for students interested in the European Union and European politics. Possible tasks include research assistance, help with event organization and planning, writing grant proposals, reporting, dissemination and communication activities.
4) the Centre for IT Impact Studies (CITIS) offers opportunities to students interested in e-governance and e-democracy (including internet voting), including assistance with various applied research projects
Number of Opening(s): 2
Work Hours and Internship Start/End Dates: (Monday to Friday, June 16 –August 8, 2025) Five days and 35-40 hours a week for 8 weeks. Interns who wish to attend the Annual Tartu Conference on East European and Eurasian Studies should arrive on/before June 11 (dates of the 2025 conference: June 11-13; more info: tartuconference.ut.ee)
Work Attire: Casual
Local Language: Estonian. English is widely spoken, Russian may also be useful
Additional desired intern qualifications:
- has very good communication and writing skills (in English);
- is motivated, punctual and reliable, and able to work effectively both independently (especially considering that July is a rather quiet time at the University, as it the month of vacations in Estonia) and as part of a team;
- has an interest (and at least some background) in one of the internship tracks described above;
- is interested in learning about Estonian, Baltic or possibly Russian cultures and societies.
- Global Studies minors in European Studies will receive preference.
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- Policies regarding travel (domestic or international) and international internships will be updated as University policies evolve. Visit International Affairs Health Advisories for the most current travel guidance and restrictions for international travel.
- Travel Reservations: All interns are strongly encouraged to utilize Stanford Travel, a centralized booking program, when booking airfare, hotels, or rental cars for their internship experiences. StudentUniverse is best for special student rates.
- Students must be enrolled at Stanford in the quarter when they apply for an internship opportunity (Winter), and will need to be enrolled in undergraduate study in the quarter when grant funding is disbursed (Spring). Applicants participating in off-campus Stanford programs are welcome to apply, but it is the responsibility of the applicant to compile, collate, and submit a complete application.
- Internship participants must certify that they are in good academic standing, and may not participate in the program or receive or retain internship stipends if they are on suspension.
- International students must consult with Bechtel about interning in the U.S. or traveling out of the U.S. in the summer.
- Each applicant can apply for a maximum of two program-arranged positions. If you apply for more than two positions, we will only consider the first two positions submitted. EXCEPTIONS: your application for program-arranged positions in Belgium, Estonia, and Latvia, are exempt from this restriction. Although you are allowed to apply to multiple positions in these countries and you might be selected for multiple positions, you can only be awarded with one internship.
- The Program is open to all undergraduate students. Seniors* or co-terms are eligible as long as they do not confer their undergraduate degrees until after they complete their internships to remain eligible. Coterm students must still have undergraduate status. Positions in South Asia and Iranian Studies are also open to Master's students in all majors. Positions in East Asia are open to MA students majoring in East Asian Studies. Note*: Only seniors who will be returning to co-term for all of next year, are eligible to apply for positions in Belgium and Estonia.
- Participants must be current Stanford students during the internship period. Seniors and graduating Master's students must postpone graduation paperwork until the internship ends, but may participate in commencement. For summer graduation requirements, including details regarding enrollment requirements and information about participation in the June commencement ceremonies, students should contact their major department's student services office and Registrar's Office for graduation quarter petition.
- Local language skills are based on the internship description requirements.
- Global Studies minors receive preference for the program.
- Preference will be given to students who have not had similar internship experiences in the same country or region i.e., students who haven’t already participated in an internship in this country or region.
- Students who have not been accepted into the Global Studies Internship Program should refrain from contacting any of the partner organizations listed in the internship list until they receive direction from Stanford Global Studies.
- Preferably, before beginning their internships, selected candidates should have taken at least one course regarding the internship region. The course can be taken in the quarter prior to the internship.
- Interns must commit to full-time work (a minimum of 35 hours per week) for at least 8 weeks.
- To be eligible for a stipend, students must maintain health insurance for the duration of their internship.
- Violations of Global Studies Internship Program policies are also violations of the Fundamental Standard and may be referred to the Office of Community Standards. Students who fail to abide by the policies set forth by the Global Studies Internship Program, Stanford Global Studies, and Stanford University, will have low priority or no longer be eligible for future Stanford Global Studies funding opportunities and programs. The Global Studies Internship Program reserves the right to rescind funding at any given point and time should they be apprised of any policy violations as outlined above.
For more information, please see Eligibility and Stipend.
For more internship positions provided by the Stanford Global Studies Internship Program, please see our internship listing.
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