The opening of Tartu University - Academia Gustaviana was a momentous event in the educational and cultural history of the Estonian nation. At the opening celebration of the University in 1632 Johan Skytte, a Swedish politician and the founder of the University wished that "... even the peasants of this country could get their share of the watering springs of educational wealth." This was the beginning of agricultural education in Estonia. Other possibilities of receiving agricultural education were also created: the first agricultural higher education establishment in Russia - Vana-Kuuste Institute of Agriculture - was founded in 1834, and higher veterinary education was first provided at the Tartu Veterinary Institute in 1848. Estonian University of Life Sciences is the only university in Estonia whose priorities in academic and research activities provide the sustainable development of natural resources necessary for the existence of Man as well as the preservation of heritage and habitat. According to QS World University Rankings by Subject (2015), the Estonian University of Life Sciences is one of top 100 universities in the world in the field of agriculture and forestry, ranked 51 to 100.
