On January 31, 2025, Professor Hilkka Hiiop was elected as the next rector of the Estonian Academy of Arts (EKA). Hilkka has been the Dean of the Faculty of Art and Culture since 2021 and the leading force in the Department of Cultural Heritage and Conservation for more than 10 years. Since 2021, she has also been a member of the PRG 1198 project working on the development of the laser-pen probe-MS system.

Hilkka has led numerous award-winning projects, the most recent one being the recovery and restoration of the Plafond painting in the Estonian Knighthood House. In this project, assoc. prof. Signe Vahur from our chair was also involved in performing the analysis of numerous samples to help identify the materials used in this rare work of art.

For more on Hilkka, our collaboration, and the magnificent plafond, see here (in Estonian): https://jupiter.err.ee/1609565348/eesti-lood

Congratulations, Hilkka! We wish you strength and success in your new position!