Eva Piirimäe

Eva Piirimäe is a Professor of Political Theory at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge (2006) and has held visiting positions at Harvard and Yale. Her research focuses on Enlightenment political thought, self-determination of peoples, and intellectual history, with a particular emphasis on Herder’s philosophy and nationalism theories.

Education:

• Ph.D. in History, University of Cambridge (2006)
• MPhil in History of Political Thought, University of Cambridge (2000)
• MA in History, University of Tartu (1999)
• BA in History, University of Tartu (1997)

Research Interests:

• Enlightenment moral and political thought
• History of self-determination and human rights
• Patriotism, nationalism, and cosmopolitanism
• Estonian intellectual history

Awards:

• István Hont Book Prize (2024)
• Constance Blackwell Book Prize (2024)
• Nomination for Estonian National Research Award (2024)
• Finalist for Best University Teacher (2019)

Key Projects:

• Principal Investigator of “Self-Determination of Peoples in Historical Perspective” (2020–2024)
• Co-organizer of international workshops on self-determination and intellectual history

Labs & Teams: Leads the Political Science doctoral program at the Johan Skytte Institute and collaborates with institutions such as the Max Kade Center and Brill Publishers.