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President Ilves acknowledged young scientist Verionika Kalmus

08.12.2008

On Friday in Kadriorg, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves presented the Young Scientist Award of the President of the Republic’s Cultural Foundation to sociologist and media scholar, Veronika Kalmus. This year, six scientists applied for the award.

“Your first important study dealt with changes in the value structure of our first textbook—our ABC’s—during the 20th century. That is, how the understandings and value judgments of society are reflected in the primer,” President Ilves said.

“As a logical progression, you went from the first textbook to the most contemporary one. To the virtual textbook entitled “The Internet” or more exactly to how the information flow that reaches us affects the behavior and value judgments of young people.”

According to President Ilves, Veronika Kalmus’s work deserves recognition as an instructor of future scientists and teacher of future journalists.

President quoted Professor Marju Lauristin, “Veronika Kalmus can be considered one of Estonia’s most brilliant and substantive social scientists of the younger generation. The international and national dimensions characteristic of social science are superbly united in her work.”

In 2003, Kalmus defended her doctoral thesis in sociology entitled “School Textbooks in the Field of Socialization” that focused on the connections between socio-cultural changes and textbook discourse on the one hand, and the role of school textbooks in the socialization process on the other hand.

After her doctoral thesis, she has focused on two principal directions: changing value judgments in the cultural context of Estonia’s transition period and children and young people in the developing information and consumer society. Veronika Kalmus also participates as the leader of Estonia’s research group in the international EU Kids Online research network, which comprises scientists from 21 European countries.

The President of the Republic’s Cultural Foundation has presented the Young Scientist’s Award since 2000. The 75,000-kroon award is is financed by Toomas Luman, a member of the Foundation’s Supervisory Board. Last year, chemist Ivari Kaljurand received the award.

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