Finland
The Academy of Finland is an expert organization whose objective is to promote high-level scientific research through long-term, quality-based research funding, science and science policy expertise, and efforts to strengthen the position of science and scientific research. It has an explicit interest in the link between science and policy.The responsibilities of IIASA membership are handled by the Finnish IIASA Committee.
The Chair of the Finnish IIASA Committee is Dr. Heikki Mannila, President of the Academy of Finland. Professor Mats Gyllenberg, from the University of Helsinki, represents the Finnish NMO on the IIASA Council.
Dr. Tiina Forsman, Science Adviser of the Academy’s Culture and Society Research Unit, serves as the NMO Secretary.
Dr. Lea Kauppi, from the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) is a Member of the IIASA Science Advisory Committee.
Key Relationships and Collaborations
IIASA has partnerships, or is collaborating with more than twenty Finnish organizations, including:
- The Academy of Finland
- Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy (TEM)
- Finnish Environment Institute
- Aalto University
- Itella Corporation
- University of Helsinki
- University of Turku
Select Research Highlights
Following is a selection of research highlights relating to IIASA and Finland.Fisheries and evolutionary research:
IIASA is the coordinator, or is a member of, several fisheries networks that involve, or are led by, Finnish research organizations. Select examples include:
- Finnish institutions cooperate in a number of research networks related to fisheries that are coordinated by the Evolution and Ecology Program (EEP) at IIASA. The Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute (FGFRI) participates in FINE, the Fisheries Induced Evolution networking program, which aims to understand the prevalence of fisheries induced evolution in European and North American waters. In addition, the Council member from Finland, Mats Gyllenberg, serves on the steering committee of the Frospects network, exploring the frontiers of speciation research.
Planning for extreme events:
- The IIASA Game Changers project, examined extreme events from a global economy perspective and posed the questions: What might a transformed global economic system look like in 2030? What could trigger such a transformation? Specifically, the collaboration, involving Sitra, Tekes, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy and the National Emergency Supply Agency, UPM Kymmene, Pöyry, Metso, Nokia and Itella and a research consortium of four Universities, looked at the potential transformation of the global economic/financial system, as well as its impacts on two industries, forestry and the ICT sector.
- A follow-up project, ‘Seven Shocks and Finland’, examined resilience requirements for Finland from the perspective of policy-makers, involving 20 key decision makers from the Finnish public and private sector. The report from the study was published in 2012.
Energy and climate change research:
- Finland contributes a lead analyst to the Energy End Use chapter of the Global Energy Assessment (GEA). GEA is a major initiative seeking to redefine the global energy policy agenda.
- Helping the rural poor in India move from dependence on high-polluting biomass fuels to more efficient and environmentally friendly LPG fuel was the subject of a research project carried out by IIASA and VTT Technical Research Center of Finland.
Forestry and land management:
- In February 2011, an IIASA analysis of the effects of climate change and abatement policies on the value of natural resources in Northern Europe and the Arctic Sea area was presented to the Finnish Prime Minister’s Economic Council as they deliberated on a new Arctic Strategy for Finland. The analysis urges development of policies to mitigate climate change effects which would minimize future risks due to uncertainties in climate predictions.
- Through the European Forest Institute, Finland participated in INSEA, the Integrated Sink Enhancement Assessment project. Coordinated by IIASA and financed through the EC FP6, this project developed tools to assess the economic and environmental effects of GHG and carbon abatement measures on agricultural land.
- CC-TAME: With Finnish Forest Research Institute IIASA is analyzing Climate Change - Terrestrial Adaption and Mitigation in Europe, including Finland.
Air quality and GHG mitigation:
- IIASA has applied the GAINS model to Finland (as one of the Annex 1 countries under the UNFCCC) to help inform decision makers on the priority and selection of policies for the energy and transport sector and the evaluation of environmental objectives.
- With the University of Helsinki IIASA is involved in the European Integrated project on Aerosol Cloud Climate and Air Quality interactions.
- IIASA also participates in the “Arctic Initiative” involving Finland and other Arctic countries. The initiative aims to develop mitigation options for pollutants (black carbon, ozone, halocarbons, and methane) affecting the Arctic as rapidly as possible.
Capacity Building
IIASA’s annual Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP) offers advanced level PhD candidates the opportunity to work with IIASA scientists over a 3-month period, with the explicit aim of refining or extending their research skills in the area of systems analysis. Since the first Finnish participant in 1982 a total of 116 Finnish Nationals have completed the YSSP.
Postdoctoral program
The Academy of Finland provides funding at the postdoctoral level for researchers working in the Finnish scientific community to conduct research at IIASA. The funding is usually for a minimum of a semester and a maximum of one academic year.
With support from the Finnish Academy, Finnish student Emma Terama was employed as a postdoctoral student within the IIASA Population program in 2007-2008. During this time Ms. Terama developed multi-state population projections for the future of religions worldwide.