Maria Murumaa-Mengel (PhD in media and communication) is an associate professor of media studies at University of Tartu. She is involved in research focusing mainly on young people’s use (and non-use) of social media, different literacies (e.g. digital, MIL, algorithmic, social media, porn) and various online risks (e.g. gendered online hate, online shaming, online child sexual abuse and grooming). To keep things balanced, she studies the positive sides of digital life as well, such as play and fun in online settings; influencer strategies, digital activism and changing social norms, as empowering phenomena. Maria is the recipient of 2020 National award for the Teacher of the Year and 2025 National award for the Best Communicator of Science and Technology.
Scientists on social media: risks and opportunities
Priit Värno is an active-duty Major in the Defence Forces. He holds a Master’s degree in Educational Innovation from the University of Tartu and a Master’s degree in Military Leadership from the Estonian Military Academy, and he is also a junior research fellow to Tallinn University, contributing to the Technosociology Research Group and the Cognitive Warfare Research Group. His research focuses on technology acceptance in military organisations, with particular attention to risks, trust, ethical aspects, human–machine interaction, cognitive warfare, and innovation in military contexts.
My 3rd Year as a Military Research Fellow—Proof That Chaos Can Be Academic
Eneli Kindsiko, PhD, is a foresight expert at the Estonian Foresight Centre, a think tank at the Estonian Parliament. She is also an Associate Professor of Qualitative Research at the University of Tartu. Her work focuses on futures thinking, scenario planning, and exploring how long-term societal changes shape the decisions we make today. Passionate about challenging assumptions and asking “What if?”, she helps researchers and decision-makers look beyond the obvious, question conventional wisdom, and prepare for multiple possible futures.
What if we're wrong? Challenging today's assumptions about tomorrow
During the break, Jaana Reinek from the Baltic Defence College will offer a gamified activity for the participants.
Eleri Lillemäe is a researcher and Head of Human Resources Studies at the Estonian Military Academy. Her research focuses on military conscription, the well-being of conscripts, broader societal processes related to the armed forces, and public perceptions of emerging military technologies. She represents Estonia on NATO's Science and Technology Organization Human Systems, Performance and Medicine Panel and co-chairs the NATO research group SAS-AVT-SET-HFM-205, focusing on young people's perspectives on emerging and disruptive technologies. She defended her PhD in 2025 and her doctoral dissertation on conscription in Estonia received first prize in the social sciences category of the 2025 Estonian National Student Research Competition.
The People Who Shape Our Paths: Lessons from an Academic Journey
Anne Marie Hagen (PhD English Literature, University of Edinburgh) is an associate professor at the Norwegian Defence University College (NDUC), where her teaching and research revolve around the role language plays in meaning-making, decision-making, and influencing processes. Her research interests include the use of fiction and life writing to foster professional knowledge, skills, and identity, and the representation of war and war experiences, particularly the role of literature in bridging military and civilian worlds. Hagen heads the Military Humanities (MILHUM) research group at the NDUC, a multidisciplinary initiative examining how the humanities can inform and enhance military practice and professional development. She is Head of Research at the Norwegian Military Academy (part of the NDUC) and Chair of ISMS Working Group 9 Military Education.
How scholarship travels: On life in research communities.
Eyal Ben-Ari was a professor of sociology and anthropology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is currently Senior Fellow in the Jerusalem Institute for Security and Strategy. He has carried out work in Israel, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. His research focus is on the armed forces and East Asian security. He has published about twenty-five authored and edited books about the armed forces, early childhood education, white-collar communities in Japan, the social contexts of creativity, or the spread of Japanese popular culture around the world.
A Few Rules for Studying Militaries (Without Losing Your Sanity or Ability to Speak in Full Sentences)