It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Professor Ellu Saar (08.10.1955 – 02.06.2024), a former member of the Board of the European Consortium for Sociological Research.
Ellu was a key figure in sociology in Estonia, and was affiliated with the Institute of International and Social Studies (IISS) for over 35 years. She has served as a Professor of Sociology at the School of Governance, Law and Society (SOGOLAS) at Tallinn University since 2001. From 2015 to 2021, she led the sociology programs, and from 2016 to 2023, she directed the Centre of Excellence in Life Course Studies. She also served on the editorial boards of the European Sociological Review and European Societies. In 2014, she was awarded the Estonian Research Prize in Social Sciences, and in 2022, she was elected a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences.
Ellu published 176 journal articles, monographs, books, and book chapters over the course of her career. Her research focused primarily on the life course, sociology of education, social stratification, and lifelong learning. Her internship at the Max Planck Institute for Educational Research in Berlin in the early 1990s was pivotal in establishing international collaborations and involving Estonian sociologists in international research networks. She participated in a very wide range of research collaborations. Notably, Ellu led the first European Commission Framework Programme project in the social sciences led by an Eastern European partner, titled “Lifelong Learning Policies in Europe.” She made a substantial contribution to the development of sociology in Estonia.
Ellu left us in the midst of a busy working life. She will be sadly missed.
In memoriam Professor Ellu Saar (08.10.1955 – 02.06.2024) | Tallinn University (tlu.ee)