Four Companies Announce New Scholarships for Estonian University of Life Sciences Students

This autumn, 600 first-year students enrolled at the university, all engaged in fields crucial to the development of society, ranging from food production to circular bioeconomy. This importance has been recognized by companies and organizations eager to support young specialists shaping a better future. As a result, the new supporters have established four new scholarships within the Joosep Toots Foundation to foster the next generation of experts in the fields taught at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.

At the initiative of Farmers’ Cooperative KEVILI, a scholarship named after Madis Ajaots—former director of Rannu Seeme OÜ and the university’s Alumnus of the Year (2017)—has been created for students specializing in agriculture. “Madis Ajaots was an excellent example throughout his life of how dedication, innovative thinking, and cooperative collaboration can advance an entire sector. Through this scholarship, we want to inspire young people to follow a similar path—connecting science with practical agriculture, seeking new solutions, and preserving a cooperative mindset. This is our way to contribute to sectoral development and keep Madis’s memory alive,” said Hannes Prits, Director of Farmers’ Cooperative KEVILI.

New specialists are also needed in egg production. “We prioritize improving animal welfare. Over the next ten years, Estonia will transition from traditional caged hen farming to alternative methods. This presents new challenges—different feed formulations, training and retraining of poultry workers and other specialists, raising young birds, and creating a supportive environment for poultry. Environmental protection and many other topics must also be considered,” commented Allan Tohver, Board Member of DAVA Foods.

The Rural Development Foundation aims to promote entrepreneurship and improve the quality of life in rural areas. “For us, it is important to support students who come from outside major cities, to enhance access to education and motivate young people to contribute to the future of rural regions,” said Meelis Annus, Board Member of the Rural Development Foundation.

Skilled specialists open to new technologies are needed across all sectors. Valio Estonia AS supports both bachelor’s and master’s students who will contribute to the dairy industry in the future. According to Moonika Melts, HR Director at Valio Estonia AS, the future dairy sector will likely require fewer employees, but those remaining will need to be competent and versatile. “The biggest challenge is to identify young people who are technically savvy and strategic thinkers, capable of managing robots and analyzing data,” Melts explained.

Altogether, students at the Estonian University of Life Sciences can apply for scholarships from 14 partners via the Joosep Toots Foundation this fall. Silja Kana, Board Member of the Joosep Toots Foundation, explained that the scholarship competition gives companies a good overview of which young talents will soon enter the labour market from the university. “Through the competition, companies can also guide young researchers’ work. Both the students and companies benefit from this, so all organizations are welcome to support young talents at the Estonian University of Life Sciences by establishing named scholarships,” said Silja Kana.

Applications for Joosep Toots Foundation scholarships are open until October 15. Each scholarship committee will make decisions by November 1, and scholarships will be awarded at the academic ceremony in November. In addition to the Joosep Toots Foundation, the Artur Nilson Foundation also facilitates scholarships from companies and organizations to support young talents’ studies at the Estonian University of Life Sciences.