Structure of Institute

Administration

Laboratory of Laser Spectroscopy
Laboratory of Physics of Ionic Crystals
Laboratory of Physics of Nanostructures together with the Research group of Material Technologies
Laboratory of Sensor Technologies
Laboratory of Thin-Film Technology
Laboratory of X-Ray Spectroscopy

Laboratory of Physical Optics
Laboratory of Plasma Physics
Workgroup of Neutron Scattering Techniques

Laboratory of Solid State Theory
Laboratory of Theoretical Physics

Centre for Climate Research
Laboratory of Biophysics
Laboratory of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences

Department of Physics Education together with the Education Centre for School Physics

History of the Institute of Physics, University of Tartu

• In 1946 its first predecessor, the Institute of Physics, Mathematics and Mechanics, the Academy of Sciences of the Estonian SSR was established by a decree of the Council of the People's Commissars of the Estonian SSR.
• In 1952 the Institute was reorganised into the Institute of Physics and Astronomy.
• 1973 - the Institute has been split into the Institute of Astrophysics and Atmospheric Physics, Tõravere (the present-day Tartu Observatory), and the Institute of Physics, Tartu.
• 1975 marked the completion of the building of the laboratories of the Institute (the present-day main building of the Institute).
• In 1975-92 the Chair of the Physics of Solids/Laser Optics of the University of Tartu was active at the Institute (more than 80 specialists trained). The years 1976-90 marked the activities of the special Scientific Council at the Institute which conferred the doctor's degree on 28 and the Ph.D. on 77 persons.
• 1995 - Institute was given the status of a state scientific institution, which as a legal body of the public law was brought under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education.
• To realise the aims of the newly independent Estonia with regard to science and education, and to merge effectively research and teaching, the Institute was incorporated into the University of Tartu in 1997. It is now a highly autonomous research establishment - the Institute of Physics, University of Tartu. Thus, Institute has been rather dynamically reshaped according to the development of public demands and the development of the scientific atmosphere in the region.
• 2008 - Institute is part of the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu.

Statutes of the Institute of Physics

I. General provisions
1. The Institute of Physics (‘institute’) is an institute in the Faculty of Science and Technology of
the University of Tartu (‘university’), operating under the Higher Education Act, the University
of Tartu Act, the statutes of the university, the statutes of the institute and other legislation.
[effective as of 1 January 2021]
2. The main task of the institute is to conduct teaching, research and development and provide
services for society in the field of physics, materials science, and the related disciplines.
3. To perform its main task, the institute
3.1. organises and conducts research and development;
3.2. participates in research and development projects and programmes between institutes as
well as on national and international level;
3.3. compiles curricula and conducts teaching and studies based on approved curricula;
3.4. participates in the education of physics teachers;
3.5. conducts continuing education and gives consultations in its disciplines;
3.6. performs other tasks in accordance with the rules established at the university.
4. The name of the institute in English is Institute of Physics.
II. Governance
5. The highest decision-making body of the institute is the institute council (‘council’), the
composition of which is approved by the dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology
(‘dean’) on the proposal of the director of institute. The council chair is the director of institute.
6. The council comprises 15 members. The council comprises the director, three student
representatives, and one member appointed by the director. Ten council members are elected
from among the full-time academic staff of the institute.
7. All members of the academic staff of the institute elect the academic staff representatives. The
election is held by secret vote and takes place every third year in May. The director of institute
announces the election at least two weeks before the election. Candidates may be submitted by
the director of institute, ordinary professors of the institute and jointly by at least three full-time
academic staff members of the institute. Each voter has as many votes as there are vacant places
to be filled by election. [effective as of 14 May 2018]
7¹. Election results are approved in the form of a ranking list. If multiple candidates receive an
equal number of votes and, based on the ranking list, more persons would be elected to the
council than there are vacant places, a new round of voting is organised among these candidates,
in which each voter has one vote. If multiple candidates also receive an equal number of votes
in the new voting round, the council members are determined by drawing lots. If multiple
candidates receive an equal number of votes, and it is necessary to determine the ranking of substitute members, the ranking of the candidates is determined by drawing lots. [effective as

of 14 May 2018]
8. Academic staff representatives are elected for the term of three years. The mandate of the
elected representatives starts on 1 July. The mandate of the representatives of academic staff
runs until new representatives take office. If a council member who is an academic staff
representative is unable to participate in the work of the council, the dean, on the proposal of
the director of institute, may appoint the next candidate in the ranking list to substitute for the
withdrawn council member until the withdrawn member returns but no longer than until the
next election.
9. The conditions and procedure of electing or appointing student representatives are provided in
the Statutes of the Student Body, taking into account that student representatives must be
students of curricula managed by the institute and that students of all levels of study are
represented. The mandate of student representatives starts on 1 July and is effective until the
new representatives take office.
10. The council
10.1. determines the development priorities of the institute;
10.2. makes decisions on matters related to teaching, research and development activities in
the institute;
10.3. initiates the opening, changing and closing of curricula;
10.4. approves the budget of the institute and monitors the implementation of the budget;
10.5. elects the vice chair of the council from among council members;
10.6. makes proposals to the dean to appoint programme directors of curricula managed by
the institute;
10.7. elects research fellows, lecturers, junior research fellows, junior lecturers and teachers
of the institute;
[effective as of 1 January 2021]
10.8. forms an opinion on candidates to the positions of professors and associate professors
of the institute;
[effective as of 1 January 2021]
10.9. is responsible for implementing the quality management principles in teaching, research
and development and submits necessary reports to the council of the Faculty of Science
and Technology;
10.10. approves the forming and reorganisation of work organisation units in the institute on
the proposal of the director;
10.11. decides the awarding of doctoral degrees based on the curricula approved by the senate
following the rules established by the university;
10.12. forms committees for matters related to the organisation of studies and research, if
necessary;
10.13. hears and approves the annual report presented by the director of institute;
10.14. establishes its rules of procedure;
10.15. forms an opinion on matters raised by the rector, members of the university council, the
senate, the council of the Faculty of Science and Technology and the institute council;
10.16. may submit proposals for amendment of the statutes of the institute to the council of the
Faculty of Science and Technology;
10.17. decides other matters placed in the competence of the council by the statutes of the
university or other bylaws.
11. Council meetings are held as needed but at least six times per academic year. The council
meeting of the institute is convened and chaired by the council chair or, during the absence of
the latter, by vice chair. The director of the institute must also convene a council meeting at the
request of at least a third of the council members. To decide urgent matters, the council may
hold an electronic meeting in accordance with the procedure provided in the rules of procedure
of the council.

12. The chair may invite individuals who are not members of the council to take part in council
meetings with the right to speak but without the right to vote. For council meetings where the
awarding of doctoral degrees is decided, the council may involve one-time members with the
right to vote from among experts holding a doctoral degree, in accordance with the procedure
established at the university. When the awarding of doctoral degrees is decided, the council
members who do not hold a doctoral degree have no right to vote.
13. The council adopts resolutions within its competence. The council has a quorum if at least 9
council members are present, incl. the council chair or, in the absence of the chair, the vice
chair. A decision of the council is adopted if more than half of the council members present at
the meeting vote in favour, unless these statutes require a higher majority. In case of an
electronic meeting, the council decision is adopted if more than half of the council members
vote in favour, unless these statutes require a higher majority.
14. The institute is managed by the director, who is elected for a term of three years by the institute
council by secret vote according to the university’s Regulations for Secret Votes from among
the institute staff who hold a doctoral degree or an equivalent qualification. The director of
institute performs the duties of the head of institute as an additional assignment.
15. The dean announces the election of the director at least two weeks before the elections.
Candidates may be submitted by the dean, jointly by at least five academic staff members of
the institute, and by the student council of the Faculty of Science and Technology. A person
cannot be elected as the director for more than three consecutive terms of office. The results of
the election of the director are approved by the dean.
16. The director is elected, if at least 8 members of the institute council have voted in favour. If
none of the submitted candidates receive the required amount of votes, all candidates who have
not received any votes and the candidate with the least votes, or if there are more such
candidates, the one determined by drawing lots, are eliminated from the pool of candidates and
a new voting round is organised. Voting rounds are held until one candidate is elected or until
there are no candidates left.
17. If no eligible candidates have been submitted to the position of the director of institute or if the
none of the candidates is elected the director, the dean appoints an acting director of institute
until the election of the director but for no longer than one year.
18. The director
18.1. manages the institute and ensures that its activities are in accordance with the
development priorities of the institute, the statutes of the institute, the statutes of the
university, laws and other legislation;
18.2. chairs the institute council;
18.3. determines the composition and heads of work organisation units and supervises their
work;
18.4. is responsible for the lawful and proper use of the funds and other assets allocated to the
institute;
18.5. organises the election of research fellows, lecturers, junior research fellows, junior
lecturers and teachers; [effective as of 1 January 2021]
18.6. establishes the prices of paid services provided by the institute;
18.7. reports to the institute council about the state of affairs in the institute and his/her work
at least once a year;
18.8. appoints the assistant director(s) of the institute, releases them from office, and
determines their duties;
18.9. resolves other matters placed within his/her competence by legislation and matters related
to the institute that have not been placed within the competence of anyone else by
legislation.
19. The director has the right to sign the following on behalf of the university, within the limits of
the budget of the institute and for the purpose of performing the main task of the institute, taking
into consideration the terms and procedure established by the university:

19.1. contracts for the supply of services with natural persons;
[effective as of 1 January 2021]
19.2. [repealed as of 14 May 2018]
19.3. [repealed as of 14 May 2018]
19.4. contracts for use for taking movable property into use;
19.5. licence agreements to take into use intellectual property that is protected by copyright;
19.6. practical training agreements to organise practical training in the curricula managed by
the institute; [effective as of 14 May 2018]
19.7. learning agreements with students going to study abroad, and with foreign universities;
[effective as of 14 May 2018]
19.8. grant agreements with the Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, local
governments and associations of local governments, and to sign applications, reports and
other documents in connection with these agreements; [effective as of 1 January 2021]
19.9. confidentiality agreements and personal data processing agreements related to the
teaching and research activities of the institute.
[effective as of 1 January 2021]
191
. The director’s right to sign contracts on behalf of the university for buying movables and
ordering services that are necessary for the institute is provided in the Procurement Rules.
[effective as of 14 May 2018]
20. The institute council may express no confidence in the director if the director violates the law,
the statutes of the institute or university, or other legislation governing the activities of the
university, or is unable to perform the duties of the director. A motion of no confidence in the
director may be submitted to the institute council by at least six members of the institute council
in a joint statement, or by the dean in an address. The vote of no confidence is decided by the
institute council by secret vote by a majority of at least 10 members. If the vote of no confidence
has been decided, the dean releases the director from office and appoints an acting director until
the election of a director, but for no longer than one year.
21. If the position of the director of institute becomes vacant before the end of the director’s term
of office, the dean appoints an acting director of institute until the election of the director of
institute.
22. During his/her absence, the director is substituted by the assistant director based on the directive
of the dean on the proposal of the director.
III. Implementing provisions
23. The current director continues as the director of the Institute of Physics on the current basis
until the end of the election period, i.e. until 31 December 2017, unless other circumstances
require earlier termination of the employment contract. The election of the director of institute
takes place in December 2017 at the latest. After these statutes take effect, a university
employee who is the director of the University of Tartu Institute of Physics as at 31 December
2015 can be re-elected as the director of institute for two consecutive terms of office.
24. Mandate of the elected members of the research council of the University of Tartu Institute of
Physics ends on 31 December 2015.
25. Election of the representatives of academic staff to the institute council takes place on 30
October 2015 at the latest. The mandate of elected academic staff representatives starts on 1
January 2016 and is effective until 30 June 2018. Student representatives are appointed by the
student council of the Faculty of Science and Technology by 30 November 2015 at the latest,
making sure that students of all levels of study are represented. The mandate of student
representatives starts on 1 January 2016 and is effective until 30 June 2016.
26. Academic staff members of the University of Tartu Institute of Physics as at 15 October 2015
participate in the election of academic staff representatives. The election is announced by the
director of the University of Tartu Institute of Physics and the election takes place pursuant to
the procedure provided in the statutes.

27. The Statutes of the University of Tartu Institute of Physics adopted by the Council of the
University of Tartu Regulation no. 20 of 22 June 2007 and amended by the Council Regulation
no. 13 of 30 October 2009 and the Rector’s Decree no. 18 of 14 June 2012 and no. 23 of 4
September 2012 are repealed.
28. The statutes take effect on 1 January 2016.

------------------------------------------------

APPROVED by the Rector of the University of Tartu
Decree no. 43 of 21 September 2015
(effective as of 1 January 2016)

AMENDED by the Rector of the University of Tartu
decree no. 14 of 14 May 2018
(effective as of 14 May 2018)

AMENDED by the Rector of the University of Tartu
decree no. 4 of 15 March 2021
(effective as of 1 January 2021)