MTÜ Eesti Meeleelundite
Rehabilitatsiooni Keskus AUDIERE
(MTÜ EMERK Audiere,
äriregistri kood 80200262)

2016

Third-year special education student wins Audiere scholarship for audiology studies in UK

Sandra Vill, a special education student in her third year of studies at the University of Tartu, has been awarded an Audiere scholarship to study audiology at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. The scholarship, which was established on the initiative of the NGO Audiere and with the support of the Association of Estonian Ear, Nose and Throat Doctors and the Head and Neck Surgeons Society, supports the training of audiologists in Southampton.

Hearing science is not taught in Estonia and no specialists in the field have emerged in the last twenty years. However, the need for modern audiologists in the country is constantly increasing, because the number of patients suffering from early deafness is on the rise. Audiologists also deal with the care and rehabilitation of the deaf and patients with cochlear implants.

Sandra Vill begins her studies in Southampton as the fourth Audiere scholar in autumn 2016. Master’s programmes in audiology at the University of Southampton are led by Dr Daniel Rowan.

One of the major contributors to the Audiere scholarship fund of 2016 is state operated Archimedes Foundation. Generous support from pharmaceutical company Linus Medical as well as other donations made to Audiere form the remainder of the amount. The scholarship was presented by at a special ceremony held on 4 May at the residence of the British ambassador to Estonia HE Christopher Holtby.

Avo-Rein Tereping from Tallinn University and Sandra Vill from Tartu University Hospital Ear Clinic
were awarded the Audiology Scholarship for conducting a study of the hearing acuity of Estonian schoolchildren.

The aim of the study is to get an overview of hearing acuity and possible hearing loss among

Estonian schoolchildren. For this, an audiometric screening of Estonian schoolchildren will be

conducted. The target group are 9th grade students. The test group consist of 1000 school students.

Prior to the test, students will be given a 45-minute lecture on the causes of hearing loss and the

risks of hearing loss from listening to music with headphones and loud music in general. The lecture

will also go over general hearing hygiene. All test subjects will receive a non-personalised

(anonymous) written assessment of their hearing acuity as feedback. If the hearing loss is greater

than 30 dB, the parent will be notified.

The study will follow all requirements related to human studies. The personal data of the subject will

not be recorded. Only generalised and statistically processed data will be used for publication.

Descriptive statistical methods will be used to analyse the results of the screening test. The results

will be published in the journal Eesti Arst and in some international journals.

The study has been approved by the Ministry of Education and Research.

The study has been postponed due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

6. detsembril 2012 valis Aadu Luukase SA nõukogu MTÜ EMERK Audiere kuue 2012. aasta Aadu Luukase SA missioonipreemia nominendi hulka. Sellele kõrgelt väärtustatud tunnustusele lisandub ka rahaline auhind - 6400 eurot, mille oleme otsustanud suunata audioloogia stipendiumi fondi. Missioonipreemia statuudi järgi pälvib selle isik või organisatsioon, kes paistab silma Eesti ühiskonna tasakaalustatud arengu ja meie rahva elukvaliteedi edendamisega. Just noori ärksaid audiolooge koolitades saame me preemia vääriliselt seda eesmärki täita. Täname austatud nõukogu usalduse ning tunnustuse eest, täname meie kandidatuuri esitajaid, kõiki koostööpartnereid ja kaasaelajaid jätkuva toetuse eest!