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Estonian International Relations Research Community. Vahur Made Estonian School of Diplomacy. Division. Policy-oriented research institutions: Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, International Center for Defence Studies, - Center for Russian Studies. Academy: Tartu University,
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Estonian International Relations Research Community Vahur Made Estonian School of Diplomacy
Division • Policy-oriented research institutions: • Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, • International Center for Defence Studies, • - Center for Russian Studies • Academy: • Tartu University, • Tallinn University, • Estonian School of Diplomacy. • Close institutional interlinkage through individual researchers/lecturers, • Theoretical teaching/research mainly in Tartu and Tallinn Universities.
Soviet heritage • No IR teaching/research in Estonia during the Soviet period, • Very limited access of Estonians to Soviet foreign service, • MFA of the Estonian SSR: - A curious tiny institution, - Supportive in the process of establishing Estonian foreign service (1990-1991), • Heritage of the Soviet university system.
Estonian School of Diplomacy • Established in 1990, • 450 graduates (one Minister of Foreign Affairs, ambassadors, diplomats etc.), • Nine-months post-graduate diploma program, • Scholarship program for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
Tartu University • Chair of Contemporary History, • Department of Political Science, • EuroCollege, • Centers for Russian, North American, Asian, Estonian Diaspora studies, • MA programs (Pol.Sc.), PhDs in the field of IR history (Con.His.), • A lot of theoretical teaching, rather limited theoretical publishing, policy studies mainly.
Tallinn University • A rather new institution, • Based on Tallinn Pedagogical University, Institute of Humanities, and former Estonian Academy of Sciences institutes (History, Social Sciences), • MA programs, ambition to develop theoretical teaching and publishing.
Estonian Foreign Policy Institute • Originally a MFA initiative in order to follow the Nordic model of similar institutions, • Pooles almost completely its researchers from Tartu University, • Research projects in the field of policy studies, • Publishes the Estonian Foreign Policy Yearbook, • Conference manager of the MFA.
International Center for Defence Studies • Initiative of the MoD, quite considerable budget and large researcher staff, • Mainly foreign-policy research, similar to EFPI, • Defence and military planning research on certain extent, • ‘Diplomaatia’ monthy, FP radio program, Lennart Meri annual conference.
Issues • Lack of clear government prioritisation (a lot of rhetorics, little action), • Typical controversy of academic and policy-relevant research (how and on what extent to implement the results of IR research, classified documents matter etc.), • Parliament’s role in IR studies still marginal, • Still, considering Estonia’s resources and previous background the development of IR research community has been quite good.