The leader of the Centre Party and former Prime Minister Jüri Ratas looks back at his time at the university with warm gratitude. “Most of all I remember the mornings when I drove to the university building in Kopli. The neighbourhood there was very promising already a couple of decades ago and the changes that have taken place are huge compared to that time,” he says.

However, studying at the Faculty of Economics was by no means the first choice for Ratas. “I started studying power engineering. Two weeks later, however, I switched to economics. My course mates at the time, who had graduated from Nõmme Gymnasium with me and were admitted to economics, played a role in my decision to change the field,” he recalls.

The schoolmates with whom I still communicate to a greater or lesser extent can be found in the ranks of the public sector and among entrepreneurs. It is obvious that over the decades the University of Technology has made a great contribution to the Estonian economy and the functioning of the public sector through its graduates, lecturers, and professors," he highly appreciates TalTech. But who are the first ones among the teaching staff who Ratas remembers from his university days? “At that time, Alari Purju, a very likable person, served as the dean. Certainly Kostel Gerndorf - may the earth rest lightly upon him.

If Ratas had a chance to start his studies again, he would choose the field that left unfinished years ago – power engineering. "It is a very promising field, and the construction industry is also extremely interesting. But to the young people who are still making their choices, I would say - if it is possible to study abroad at an international university for half a year or a whole year, do it, in any case. Take this opportunity even if your studies at the Estonian university should be extended due to that. It will be an incredible experience.”

The article was first published at the Estonian business newspaper Äripäev.