OREANDA-NEWS. January 22, 2014. Jaan Tallinn, one of the founders of Skype and Kazaa, will donate EUR 54,000 to the Gifted and Talented Development Centre, University of Tartu this year.

This will create the basis for a scholarship named after him for financing the study tours of the young people talented in science and exact sciences. The first scholarships were given to five UT students.

“The present century is obviously largely designed by the people of science, i.e. by researchers and programmers. Therefore, the aim of my scholarship is to pave the same way for young people who are talented in science that I myself have largely stepped. To bring them together with people who are equal to them in sharing the same views, and to give them a rod for developing their intellect further,” Jaan Tallinn, a known Estonian entrepreneur and programmer, one of the founders of Skype’s technical solution, explained the background of the creation of the scholarship.

The students of the Gifted and Talented Development Centre, who have successfully participated in state and international contests in the field of natural and exact sciences and technology or who have participated in state research contests for students, can apply for the scholarship intended for increasing intellectuality and competitiveness of Estonia. The money in the scholarship fund is used for financing the study tours.

Viire Sepp, member of the Scholarship Committee, Director of the Gifted and Talented Development Centre, University of Tartu, said that the first scholars were announced at the conference. These are alumni of the Gifted and Talented Development Centre, who have represented Estonia in international pupils’ contests during the last three years and who are currently carrying on their studies at university in areas of specialisation related to science and natural sciences. The Scholarship Committee, which consists of three members, took also into account the active social participation of the students in operations of the Gifted and Talented Development Centre.

This year’s scholars of Jaan Tallinn Scholarship are:

Kristian Kuppart, 3rd year student of UT Bachelor’s Studies in Physics

Taivo Pungas, 2nd year student of UT Bachelor’s Studies in Computer Science

Madis Ollikainen, 3rd year student of UT Bachelor’s Studies in Physics

Uku-Laur Tali, 3rd year student of UT Doctoral Studies

Jaagup Repan, 2nd year student of UT Bachelor’s Studies in Physics

The first scholars will be sent to Melbourne to a popular workshop of the entrepreneurship and intellectual centre CFAR (Center for Applied Rationality) January 21-24. “It is a really terrific course, which makes you formulate your goals better and efficiently pursue them,” explained Jaan Tallinn, financer of the scholarship, who chose CFAR seminars based on his personal participation experience. Next year, participation in a CFAR seminar in the USA will be financed with the scholarship.

The scholarship named after Jaan Tallinn was established at the University of Tartu Foundation. The goal of the scholarship is to help young and capable people move on by training them in one of the world’s most important entrepreneurship and intellectual centres CFAR by creating them international connections and strengthening their connection with Jaan Tallinn himself. The scholarship has also a more general goal, which is to popularise science contests that laid the foundation for the development and popularity of Jaan Tallinn himself.