The Information Technology Students’ Council (ITÜK) was named Student Organisation of the Year at TalTech. ITÜK stands out for its initiative, continuous development and clear motivation to collaborate with other student organisations. This was clearly demonstrated by TipiLAN, held in October and organised in cooperation between several student councils and organisations, which was also recognised as the Student Initiative of the Year.
TipiLAN revived the former TTÜ e-sports traditions, brought together a large number of students and student organisations around a shared goal, and attracted nearly one thousand gaming enthusiasts to TalTech from Estonia and abroad.
The three-day event received very positive feedback from participants for its professional organisation and high-quality live broadcast, which was viewed by more than a thousand spectators in total. The large expo area at TipiLAN featured more than 30 games by Estonian game developers, university stands, rally simulators and retro consoles, as well as various mini-tournaments.
One of the main highlights of the event was Estonia’s largest LAN tournaments in Counter-Strike 2 and League of Legends, with a total prize pool of up to 10,000 euros. The competition grew into a regional event, bringing together players from several countries, including Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Ukraine. TipiLAN made history as the first event in Estonia to receive international recognition and the right to award VRS points to CS2 winners, which determine players’ positions in global rankings.
TipiLAN demonstrated the capability of TalTech students to deliver events at an international level and enhanced the University’s reputation both in Estonia and beyond. The positive feedback confirms that the event is sustainable and has strong growth potential, with the capacity to become even larger and more visible across society in the future.
In addition, ITÜK organises the educationally oriented hackathon GameCamp for gaming enthusiasts. In cooperation with MTÜK, it has also delivered an internship fair, and for the second consecutive year ITÜK has developed the student bar in an innovative “stock exchange bar” concept. ITÜK’s activities have steadily expanded in scope, providing value to different target groups while ensuring that events remain inclusive and engaging for the entire TalTech student community.
The award was presented at the academic ceremony dedicated to the Independence Day of the Republic of Estonia on 27 February.