AESOP is pleased to announce that Kadri Leetmaa (University of Tartu, Estonia) has been elected Secretary General of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP) for the 2027–2031 term.
Kadri Leetmaa will succeed Giancarlo Cotella (Politecnico di Torino) as AESOP Secretary General following the AESOP Annual Congress 2027.
The election took place during the Council of Representatives Meeting held in Helsinki during the 2026 AESOP Annual Congress.
Kadri Leetmaa will serve as AESOP Vice-Secretary General during 2026–2027, working alongside the current Secretary General to ensure a smooth transition before formally taking office in 2027.
An Associate Professor of Human Geography at the University of Tartu, Kadri Leetmaa brings extensive experience in planning education, research and academic leadership. Her research focuses on urban and regional development, socio-spatial inequalities, housing, governance, planning and territorial development, while her academic leadership includes several senior management roles within the University of Tartu and extensive involvement in European research and international cooperation.
Kadri has been an active member of the AESOP community for many years. She served as Vice-Chair of the Local Organising Committee of the AESOP Congress 2022 in Tartu, coordinated the AESOP PhD Workshop 2022 in Narva, is currently a member of the AESOP Best Published Paper Award Committee, and represents the University of Tartu in the AESOP Council of Representatives.
AESOP warmly congratulates Kadri Leetmaa on her election and looks forward to working with her over the coming year as Vice-Secretary General before she officially assumes the role of Secretary General in 2027.
The Association also expresses its sincere gratitude to Giancarlo Cotella for his outstanding commitment, leadership and dedicated service as AESOP Secretary General, and for his continued contribution to strengthening the Association and supporting its international community.
We wish Kadri every success in her new role and look forward to this new chapter in AESOP's development.
