Tallinn University (TLÜ) will not admit Russian students next academic year, the university's rector Tõnu Viik announced Monday. The bar also applies to Belarusian students, and follows similar decisions from Tartu university and Tallinn University of Technology.
Viik told ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK) that the decision was not his own, but rather that of the university senate.
He said: "I have expressed the contra-wise opinion on this issue, but the decision of the senate is the law so far as Tallinn University goes."
The senate found that in the current situation and following Ukrainian students first and foremost, and Viik added that students from Ukraine will be exempt from tuition fees both this spring semester and in the next academic year.
The ruling means all those who lack an Estonian or EU residence permit for work or study, or a long-term visa, and who are not under international protection cannot apply to study at TLÜ from next academic year, AK reported.
The bar applies to bachelor's and master's students.
The ruling was supported by a two-thirds majority on the senate, and issues including the application of academic freedoms and of collective responsibility were taken into consideration, AK said, while the senate ultimately found that the positive arguments on the barring of Russian and Belarusian students for the next academic year outweighed the negative ones.
The University of Tartu announced around a month ago that it would not be taking on Russian and Belarusian students for the next academic year, with Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) following suit later on in March, ERR reports.
