The International Advisory Counsel includes Sir John Walker, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and Professor Emeritus at the University of Cambridge; Tuula Teeri, President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences; Wolfgang A. Herrmann, President Emeritus of the Technical University of Munich; Killu Sanborn, Managing Director of the Life Sciences of Oxford Finance; and Jesper Olesen, Professor at the University of Copenhagen.
The Advisory Counsel is tasked with making recommendations to the Rector and the Board of TalTech on strategies for the university’s management and teaching, research, and development activities.
According to Gunnar Okk, Chair of the Board of TalTech, the university needs good international advice in order to make meaningful progress in regard to its development goals. He added: ‘This means providing education that meets the needs and expectations of society, taking science-based action, contributing to the Estonian economy, and advancing sustainability and inclusivity in the activities of the university. The experience of the universities of Cambridge and Copenhagen, as well as Oxford Finance and the Technical University of Munich, is certain to be of great help to TalTech on its path of development.’
According to Tiit Land, Rector of TalTech, in today’s competitive and open world it is essential for the university to also seek advice concerning its strategies from outside of modestly sized Estonia’s borders. ‘I am pleased that we now have the opportunity to consult with advisers, top researchers, and senior executives from abroad as well,’ said Land, adding: ‘Our international expert advisory counsel will help us to identify and understand which choices make the most sense for our university specifically, taking into account the best practices from across the globe, and to avoid mistakes made by other universities.’
The term of office of the International Advisory Counsel is 3 years.