Academician Mart Saarma, Research Director of the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Helsinki, was bestowed the honorary doctorate in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the development of Tallinn University of Technology.

Saarma is an internationally renowned Estonian scientist whose research has covered a wide range of topics, including plant viruses and virus resistance, the development of the nervous system and mechanisms of neuronal death, as well as the potential use of neurotrophic factors in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. His work extends across many other areas of genetics and biotechnology.

He has also been highly active in translating research discoveries into applications in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. He holds numerous patents and patent families and has concluded several research and licensing agreements with international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Saarma has published more than 230 scientific papers and has supervised numerous doctoral theses. He was elected a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences in 1990 and became its President on 9 October 2024.

Alongside his work at the University of Helsinki, Saarma has maintained close ties with Tallinn University of Technology for nearly three decades. He served as a part-time professor at TalTech from 1997 to 2015, as a member of the Board of Governors from 2015 to 2020, and as a member of the University Council from 2020 to 2025.

Saarma has served, and continues to serve, as a member or chair of the scientific advisory boards of several national and international institutions, as well as on the editorial boards of a number of scientific journals. He is a member of the Finnish Academy of Technology and Academia Europaea, a foreign member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and an honorary doctor of the University of Tartu.

Andrus Salupere, Dean of the School of Science and Professor at the Department of Cybernetics, said: “Mart Saarma is a brilliant scientist and an exceptionally charismatic person, with a remarkable ability to explain even the most complex subjects in a simple and engaging way. His presentations and lectures are enjoyed by leading scientists, students and the general public alike. Mart Saarma’s contribution to the development of Tallinn University of Technology, and to the establishment and evolution of today’s School of Science and Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, has been substantial, inspiring and distinguished.”

Paula Kyrö, Professor Emerita at Aalto University, was bestowed the honorary doctorate for her contribution to entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurship research. Over many years, she has guided and supported the development of entrepreneurship education at TalTech, contributed to research projects, and supervised doctoral students at the University’s School of Business and Governance.

Kyrö is an internationally recognised pioneer in entrepreneurship education whose academic work has significantly shaped the development of entrepreneurship education as an independent and interdisciplinary field of research in Europe, including Estonia. She has held professorships at several of Finland’s leading universities, including the universities of Jyväskylä, Tampere and Helsinki, as well as Aalto University. She has published extensively and edited academic volumes that rank among the influential works in the field of entrepreneurship education.

Professor Kyrö’s influence can also be clearly seen in the careers of several of today’s entrepreneurship educators and researchers at TalTech. With her support, TalTech gained access to international research networks, contemporary approaches and leading European debates in the field. She has helped shape entrepreneurship research and education at TalTech into what they are today: internationally connected, research-based and firmly focused on developing entrepreneurial competencies.

Sirje Ustav of the Department of Business Administration said: “Paula Kyrö’s influence continues to shape the way we understand and develop entrepreneurship education. As her former doctoral student, I came to understand that entrepreneurship education is not simply about talking about entrepreneurship or passing on the experiences of practitioners; it is a research- and evidence-based form of pedagogy. It requires educators to have a deep understanding of both entrepreneurship and the processes of learning and teaching, as well as the ability to design methods and learning environments in which students can genuinely develop their entrepreneurial competencies.

“This is precisely the approach I have consistently pursued as Head of Entrepreneurship Education at TalTech. The awarding of a TalTech honorary doctorate to Paula Kyrö, in recognition of her international contribution to entrepreneurship education, is therefore highly significant. Her contribution is one of the reasons why our entrepreneurship education and research today have reached a level that attracts international recognition.”