Professor Muhammad Mahtab Alam joined the Thomas Johann Seebeck Department of Electronics in 2016 as a European Research Area (ERA) Chair holder. Since then, he has carried out exceptionally high-level research and development work in Estonia in the fields of communication technologies and future mobile communications. Professor Alam has led a number of significant projects in Estonia and internationally and has built up a very strong research group in communication systems, including successfully engaging and training young researchers.  

Academic succession, the active participation of PhD students in the work of the research group and their dedicated supervision have always been close to Professor Alam's heart. Under his supervision, seven students have obtained their doctoral degrees at Tallinn University of Technology over the past five years, and five more young researchers are currently under his supervision. The doctoral students describe Professor Alam as a hard-working and demanding supervisor, who nevertheless always remains friendly and cheerful.

A person with infectious energy, patience, and determination, he sets clear goals as a supervisor, encourages, supports, and provides up-to-date and relevant feedback to his doctoral students. According to the PhD students, he encourages collaboration and creates a supportive and motivating environment to help each student reach their full academic potential. Professor Muhammad Mahtab Alam is an invaluable asset to the Department of Electronics at Tallinn University of Technology and a highly respected mentor to our PhD students. 

Outstanding lecturers of the year 2023

The lecturers of 2023 are characterized by several qualities, why they have reached the hearts of students and colleagues. Their lectures and practice sessions are engaging and varied, they are consistent and friendly, good communicators with a real passion for their work.

Risto Heinsar, Engineer at the Department of Computer Systems 
Risto Heinsar is one of the youngest lecturers at the Department of Computer Systems, but he has shown himself to be at his best, for many years, when it comes to conducting and planning teaching, earning high praise from both colleagues and students. Risto's labs and tutorials are always engaging and varied, and he himself is always supportive and helpful. His ideas and innovative spirit have contributed to the development of several courses. We wish Risto success in his continued teaching and hopefully also in his personal career! 

Peeter Ellervee, Tenured Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Systems 
One of the longest-serving lecturers at the Department of Computer Systems, Professor Peeter Ellervee is about to complete his fourth decade at the University. Today, Peeter is responsible for all the department's teaching, being the driving force behind it, in addition to his work as a lecturer, he is also the head of the Learning Centre and the Programme Director of the curricula. He is highly competent in all matters related to teaching and Peeter is usually the first person to whom colleagues and students alike turn, who have never been stingy in giving high marks to the teaching he conducts. He is best described by words such as hard-working, consistent, helpful and student-friendliness. Good luck to Peter in all his wide-ranging and rewarding activities for many years to come! 

Kristjan Pilt, Senior Researcher at the Department of Health Technologies 
Kristjan Pilt is a dedicated transmitter of his knowledge, he is thorough, patient, and balanced. He delivers his lectures with soul and passion, and a twinkle in his eye. He is also a lecturer who is always ready to share further explanations with students, to seek and find the time to do so, despite his busy work schedule. He is a good communicator, positive, helpful and makes time for colleagues. Alongside all this, he finds opportunities to engage in music and sport. In Kristjan's case, it is a case of who does much, achieves much. 

German Mumma, Visiting Lecturer at the IT College 
German Mumma has been a visiting lecturer in the IT College's course "Automated Testing" since 2019, and the feedback from students is consistently top-notch. The students appreciate the practicality and relevance of the subject, the lecturer's ability to communicate with them like colleagues, with humour and at the same time effectively, based on the company's experience. As of 2023, German Mumma has been teaching automation testing in English. 

Eero Haldre, Senior Engineer at the Thomas Johann Seebeck Department of Electronics 
Eero Haldre is an electronics software and hardware expert with a wealth of experience, who has long shared his skills and experience with new generations of young people at the Department of Electronics. Over many years, Eero has brought technical skills in electronics and measurement to students. For example, in recent years, he has supervised practical lessons of the following courses "Test and Diagnostics", "Impedance Spectroscopy", " Data Acquisition Means and Methods", "Instrumentation".  

As Eero himself confirms, students like practical exercises and experiments, and these are usually a more fruitful form of teaching and learning than just lectures in front of a blackboard. Students who have studied with him over the decades attest to Eero's wide range of horizons, his ability to make complex things understandable and his warm, caring attitude.  In addition to teaching, Eero is a valued colleague in research and development projects. His ability to systematically analyse problems and make connections has been useful in the development of a wide range of equipment. We can talk here about scientific equipment such as impedance spectroscopes and moisture meters, right through to very practical street lighting controllers. Eero is an inexhaustible source of information for students and his colleagues, attentive and always helpful - a true Engineer and Teacher with a capital letter. 

Sille Arikas, Visiting Lecturer at the Department of Software Science 
Sille Arikas is a visiting lecturer at the Department of Software Science, whose course "Cyber Security Management" aims to provide a basic understanding of the management principles of information and cyber security. Sille's practical experience in the field has enriched the course with many real-life examples. The quality of the course structure and content, which has been honed over the years, is confirmed by the high evaluation of the course by the students and the growing interest of Programme Directors in including Sille's course in their curricula.

She can skilfully convey the content of the subject to students specialized in cyber security as well as to students from other disciplines and faculties. Students are also grateful that Sille provides thorough feedback on their performance. Feedback is also an important aspect of teaching for Sille, and she always takes the time to do this. 

Gert Kanter, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Software Science 
Gert Kanter is a lecturer at the Department of Software Science and a Programme Director. His vibrant energy is divided between teaching students and supervising theses, as well as participating in research projects and publishing the results. Gert has spearheaded the restructuring of the thesis defense process of the undergraduate “Informatics” curriculum, which has significantly improved the quality of theses and increased the number of graduates.  Gert is highly regarded by students as a lecturer who is flexible and approachable, able to teach independent problem solving, and able to talk about complex issues in simple terms, while serving up all the wisdom in good humor. Although Gert is demanding as a lecturer and expects constant input, students say that Gert genuinely cares about how they are doing in the course. 

Priit Järv, Researcher at the Department of Software Science 
Priit Järv is a Researcher in the field of automated common sense reasoning and communication systems at the Department of Software Science. Priit's day-to-day research work is diversified by teaching and supervising theses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. The course "Foundations of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning " taught by Priit has received a remarkable amount of positive feedback from students.  Priit’s teaching style and methods include e-support for convenient use of teaching materials, expertise, constant encouragement, and respectful interaction with students. In addition, a willingness to find a common language, often experimenting with the theme of the “Lord of the Rings” in slides and tasks. What is also admirable is the fact that students find Priit's homework assignments engaging, knowledge-acquisition supportive and of a difficulty level that keeps them motivated. The students wish that Priit's teaching methods could be a model for all lecturers.