Recipients of the 2026 University of Tartu Asia Centre Scholarship

In June 2026, the University of Tartu Asia Centre awarded three scholarships. Two scholarships were granted to graduates from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and the Faculty of Social Sciences in recognition of their outstanding master's theses, while the third scholarship was awarded to a medical student to support a study placement in Asia during the autumn semester.

FACULTY OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES
Raine Marton, Faculty of Theology, MA in Religious Studies and Theology

Raine Marton was awarded the University of Tartu Asia Centre Scholarship for the master's thesis The Gülen Movement in Estonia, supervised by Helen Haas, Middle East Coordinator at the University of Tartu Asia Centre.

In the thesis, Marton examines the organisational and community activities of the Gülen movement in Estonia and explores how the movement's religiosity is expressed through lived religion. The study investigates how the movement operates in the Estonian context, how its activities have evolved over time, and how its members understand the aims, values, and meaning of their work. The findings demonstrate that the concept of lived religion helps to identify religious expression even when it is not manifested through formal religious institutions or explicit religious self-identification.

The Estonian case suggests that a religiously inspired movement may be expressed through cultural, social, and community practices while remaining not always recognisable as religion in the public sphere. Marton argues that future research could explore how religiously motivated charitable activities help diaspora communities not only support others but also adapt to a new society, maintain continuity of identity, and find their place within it. The research suggests that activities centered on service, care, and community engagement can simultaneously foster civic participation and strengthen individuals' resilience, dignity, and sense of belonging.

Raine Marton's MA thesis

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Mst Zannatul Kobra, Institute of Social Studies, MA in Disinformation and Societal Resilience

Mst Zannatul Kobra was awarded the University of Tartu Asia Centre Scholarship for the master's thesis Navigating Information in Crisis: Youth Agency, Communication Vulnerability, and Social Cohesion in Cox's Bazar, supervised by Ragne Kõuts-Klemm, Associate Professor of Sociology of Journalism.

The thesis examines how Rohingya refugees and young people from the Bangladeshi host community navigate the complex information environment in Cox's Bazar, and how their everyday communication practices influence communication-related vulnerability, information resilience, and social cohesion. The research shows that young people play a vital role as information intermediaries within their communities. They translate between languages and generations, facilitate access to digital platforms, verify misinformation, and relay emergency information, largely through community-based networks operating without formal institutional recognition or support.

The study identifies four main categories of misinformation circulating in the Cox's Bazar refugee camps and shows that, since 2017, deliberate disinformation has increasingly replaced unintentional misinformation. It also proposes two extensions to the concept of communication-related vulnerability by highlighting young people's role in relaying emergency information and demonstrating that Rohingya youth perform these functions under considerably greater physical, legal, and reputational risks than members of the host community.

The thesis further concludes that restrictions on internet access do not prevent the spread of information but instead limit access to reliable information and contribute to the spread of misinformation. Based on these findings, the study recommends expanding regulated internet access for Rohingya refugees, strengthening digital literacy, supporting youth-led information networks, and recognising communication as an integral component of humanitarian assistance.

Zannatul Kobra's MA thesis

FACULTY OF MEDICINE
Krislin Elis Varul, Medicine

Krislin Elis Varul was awarded the University of Tartu Asia Centre Scholarship in support of a planned study placement at Hong Kong Baptist University. As a medical student, Varul will spend the autumn semester in Hong Kong to deepen preclinical medical knowledge, develop research skills, and prepare for a future academic career. During the exchange, the focus will be on pre-clinical subjects to strengthen the foundations needed for both future research and clinical practice. The study plan also includes Mandarin language courses and Asian history to gain a broader understanding of the region’s society and culture.

Research is an important part of the planned exchange, as she is currently writing a medical publication on Klinefelter syndrome for the Estonian Medical Journal. In addition to completing this work, Varul hopes to join a research group at a university in Hong Kong and gain first-hand experience in an international research environment.

Hong Kong was chosen deliberately as an opportunity to study outside the European cultural sphere and experience a different academic and social environment. Varul believes that the knowledge, research experience, and international contacts gained during the exchange will contribute both to professional development and to future contributions to medicine and medical research in Estonia.