Martin Herem: A person under panic can die faster than from lack of water

Martin Herem, the former commander of the Estonian Defence Forces and major general, has taken up the position of the first holder of University of Tartu's new Future Thinking professorship. He gave an interview from Ukraine, travelling by car approximately 70 kilometres from Dnipro.

University of Tartu is launching a Future Thinking professorship this new autumn semester, with the first holder being Martin Herem, the former commander of the Estonian Defence Forces and major general. Following his military career, Herem works as an advisor in the defence technology and military industry sectors.

Herem gave the interview on the eve of the holidays from Ukraine, while travelling by car approximately 70 kilometres from Dnipro. One of his most quoted thoughts concerns human psychology in crisis situations: panic can kill a person faster than lack of water.

The Future Thinking professorship is a new initiative at University of Tartu, designed to combine practical experience and academic thinking in order to build a broader understanding of security and strategic planning.