This year RMK awards EUR 16,000 to grantees from the Estonian University of Life Sciences 13.11

The doctoral candidates who earned the scholarship are Pille Aasamets and Tauri Arumäe and the master’s candidates who receive the scholarship are Reimo Lutter and Gunnar Morozov. According to Aigar Kallas, Chairman of the Management Board of RMK, the decision to award the scholarship was based both on academic results as well as the potential of the research. “Today’s master’s and doctoral candidates create new knowledge regarding ways to manage natural resources and what technologies to employ to that end,” explained Aigar Kallas, adding, that this is precisely the reason why, for several years already, the professional activities of young scientists are being supported.

The doctoral thesis of Pille Aasamets, who received the EUR 4800 scholarship, integrates forestry and social sciences and deals with public opinion regarding silvicultural works. In her thesis, Aasamets analyses people’s opinion regarding different kinds of forest management works, the factors influencing their opinion and the bases on which it is formed. Tauri Arumäe, who received an equivalent scholarship, gives an overview of how aerial laser scanning data can be used to create topographic models, to map out areas at risk of flooding, to create three-dimensional urban models and to plan large-scale construction projects.

The EUR 4800 scholarship for doctoral candidates, which RMK has awarded for the second time now, is named after Endel Laas, the long-standing dean of the Institute of Forestry at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, professor and mentor of several generations of foresters. The EUR 3200 scholarship for master’s candidates, which is being awarded for the fifth year now, is named after the legendary forestry coryphaeus Heino Teder. RMK has also established the EUR 1917 Toomas Ehrpais scholarship at the Luua Forestry School to promote forestry related vocational education.