ANNUAL REPORTAnnual Report of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters for 2008Matti Saarnisto The year 2008, the 101st in the history of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, was devoted very largely to celebrations of the Academy’s centenary, including special meetings of the subject groups and the publication of a history of the Academy written by Docent Jyrki Paaskoski, entitled Oppineiden yhteisö – Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia 1908–2008, and of a shortened version of this in English, A Community of Scholars – The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, 1908 - 2008. The main event in these celebrations was the Centenary Meeting, held on 9th April, which the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen honoured with her presence, and the celebrations came to an end with a commemorative meeting at the House of the Estates on 10th October, Aleksis Kivi’s Day, when exactly a hundred years to the day had elapsed since the Academy’s inaugural meeting. A full calendar of events for the Centenary Year is included in this Yearbook as an appendix. In addition to these, the Academy continued to hold its regular meetings with the presentation of papers in the traditional manner, produced its publication series and granted the customary scholarships and awards. The Vilho, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Fund, the Eino Jutikkala Fund and the Mathematics Fund continued to function under its auspices, and it was also responsible for administering the Emil Öhmann Foundation and the Hilkka and Otto Brusiin Foundation. The Mathematics Fund received a substantial bequest from the estate of Ilppo Simo Louhivaara, an Academy member who died in December 2008. A total of about two million euros was distributed in grants and awards, which sufficed, among other things, to finance work on doctoral theses to the extent of 76 student years. The Academy was represented in numerous national and international scientific and academic organizations. Governing BoardThe previous vice-chairman, Arto Mustajoki, was elected chairman at the Annual Meeting on 9th April, to replace Kari Raivio, and Sirpa Jalkanen was elected vice-chairman. Matti Saarnisto continued as secretary-general, Erkki Koskela as treasurer, Erkki Hollo as secretary to the Section of the Humanities, Olavi Nevanlinna as secretary to the Section of Science and Heikki Palva as chairman of the Publishing Committee. Olli Jänne and Lea Pulkkinen relinquished their positions as ordinary members and were replaced by Risto Nieminen and Raija-Leena Punamäki. Tuija Pulkkinen continued as an ordinary member. Arto Mustajoki chairman 2008-2010 The Governing Board held nine meetings in the course of the year. Staff and administration of assetsThe Property Management Group, consisting of the chairman, vice-chairman, treasurer and secretary-general together with Erkki Hollo and Risto Piepponen, LL.M., which monitors and plans the Academy’s financial decisions for presentation to the Governing Board, met on four occasions during the year: 28th February, 2 nd June, 25th August and 11th Novem ber. The Academy’s investment portfolio is in the hands of Pohjola Assets Management and its funds have been invested on a long-term basis chiefly in sound, Finnish listed companies. The assets of the Eino Jutikkala Fund created in 2007 are in the hands of the Nordea concern. All the Academy’s investment portfolios have decreased in value as a result of the present economic crisis. Reino Hyytiäinen, MBA, chartered accountant, and Risto Tainio acted as auditors of the Academy’s accounts and administrative procedures in 2007, with Helena Vanhala, chartered accountant, and Pertti Haaparanta as their deputies. At the Annual Meeting on 9th April Helena Vanhala and Risto Tainio were appointed as auditors, with Veli Vanhanen, chartered accountant, and Pertti Haaparanta as their deputies. The head of the Academy’s office was Eija Jussila, with Minna Isoksela as office secretary and Nina Rapelo as part-time research assistant. Property holdingsThe Academy’s office and the meeting room of its Governing Board are on the first floor at Mariankatu 5, in premises owned by the Väisälä Fund, which, together with the Kordelin Foundation, the Finnish Literature Society and the Niilo Helander Foundation, also owns the Wuorio Building at Unioninkatu 30, the premises being at present leased out on a long-term basis, mostly to Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken. The Väisälä Fund also owns, together with the Emil Öhmann Foundation, some 550 m 2 of office space in a building erected in 2001 in the Ruoholahti district of Helsinki and administered by the housing company Asunto Oy Helsingin Bulevardin-aukio. The premises have been leased on a long-term basis to the Traffic Accidents Board. The Eino Jutikkala Fund owns an apartment of 72 m 2 in Eira. Its 182 m 2 apartment in Temppelikatu was sold at the beginning of the year. The Academy is involved together with the Kordelin Foundation and the House of the Nobility in a project to build new archive space beneath the street in Hallituskatu. The building work is planned to begin in 2009 and the space will eventually be leased to the Finnish Literature Society. PublicationsThe members of the Publishing Committee continued to be Heikki Palva, chief editor of the Humaniora series, as chairman, Olli Martio, chief editor of the two Mathematica series, as vice-chairman, and Anna-Leena Siikala, chief editor of Folklore Fellows’ Communications, and Matti Saarnisto, secretary-general and editor of the Geologica-Geographica series, as members. The secretary to the Publishing Committee was Kaj Öhrnberg, Lic.Phil. The Academy continued to publish the Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae and Folklore Fellows’ Communications (FFC) series as in previous years. A total of 45 papers were published, amounting to 3010 pages, as follows:
Also published in the course of the year:
The joint publications committee of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters and the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters did not meet during the year. Prof. Jaakko Frösén of the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters continues to serve as its chairman. The Academy received 130,000 euros in government assistance for its publishing work, and incomes from the sale of publications amounted to 29,714.21 euros. Distribution of the Academy’s publications on an exchange basis took place through the Exchange Centre for Scientific Literature run by the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies. The Academy had 643 overseas exchange partners at the end of 2008. Back upThe Centenary YearThe Centenary Year of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters began on 31 st August 2007 with a meeting arranged in the Great Hall of the University of Helsinki by the physics and astronomy group entitled Energiaratkaisut – haste fysiikalle. Energy Issues – A Challenge for Physics. This was followed by a symposium Tieteen karikot – Pitfalls in Science held in the Little Hall of the University of Helsinki on 23rd November 2007, exactly a hundred years from the date of the preliminary meeting that led to the founding of the Academy. The themes discussed by the panellists, Ever tighter competition , Tensions within the academic community, Pressures from outside and Is science becoming isolated from its public?, are presented in more detail elsewhere in this Yearbook. The actual Centenary Celebration was held in the Great Hall of the University of Helsinki on 9th April 2008, Mikael Agricola’s Day. The occasion took place in the presence of the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, and a message of congratulation from the government was brought by the Minister of Education, Sari Sarkomaa. The meeting and the dinner that followed it at the Marina Congress Centre were attended by approximately 450 persons. Four new honorary members of the Academy were appointed, Paavo Seppänen, Anna-Leena Siikala, Eeva Tapio and Jarmo Visakorpi, which meant that Anna-Leena Siikala and Eeva Tapio became the first women ever to gain this distinction. The Academy Award for 2008 was presented to Keijo Kajantie, the Bernhard and Mimmi Lagus Prize to Dr. Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen and prizes for the best doctoral theses of the year to six people who had gained their doctorate in 2007. The speech of welcome at the dinner in the evening was given by the Academy’s new chairman, Arto Mustajoki, and a speech of thanks on behalf of the new honorary members was given by Eeva Tapio. The Academy’s medal and standard were presented to Thomas Roswall, director of the ICSU, and to Jüri Engelbrecht, vice-chairman of the Estonian Academy of Sciences and president of ALLEA. The diners were entertained by an extended quartet from the student choir Ylioppilaskunnan laulajat. The Academy received messages of congratulation from the following other learned societies: the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, the Estonian Academy of Sciences, the Latvian Academy of Sciences, the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, The Royal Society, Swiss Academy of Sciences, the Montenegro Academy of Sciences and Arts, the Finnish Historical Society and the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies. The Academy’s history, Oppineiden yhteisö – Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia 1908–2008, a 447-page volume written by Docent Jyrki Paaskoski and published by Otava, came out as planned, just in time for the centenary celebrations, and was distributed to all those who attended the meeting on 9th April and sent by post to those who were unable to attend. Docent Paaskoski also wrote a shorter version of the history to be translated into English by Malcolm Hicks as A Community of Scholars – The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters 1908–2008 (95 p.). This was similarly published by Otava and appeared just before Christmas for posting to all the Academy’s external members and collaborators. The illustrations for both volumes were selected by Veikko Kallio and the statistics and membership data were compiled by Nina Rapelo. The illustrated magazine Suomen Kuvalehti marked the occasion of the Academy’s centenary with a long article in its issue no. 15 for 2008 based on the newly published history and on an interview with the secretary-general, while the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat published an interview with Docent Paaskoski on 9th April. Public relations and press contacts in connection with the centenary were managed by Eila Karhu, M.A. All fifteen of the Academy’s subject groups held commemorative meetings at some time between August 2007 and September 2008, with the Academy providing financial support to the extent of 20,000 euros per group. Altogether 36 such events were arranged during that period, including the Academy’s regular monthly meetings, attracting a total attendance of almost 5000. A large number of overseas speakers were invited, so that the chemistry group’s symposium Chemistry – from atoms and molecules to new materials and nanoscience, held at The House of Sciences and Letters on 23rd May was addressed by Sir Harold Kroto, winner of a Nobel Prize for Chemistry, who is an external member of the Academy. The whole programme for the Centenary Year is included as an appendix to this Yearbook. The Academy’s Centenary Exhibition was held at the University of Helsinki museum, the Arppeanum, concurrently with an exhibition on Finnish expeditions through the ages arranged by the geosciences group. Also, a Professors’ Day Kysy mitä vain – Tiedeakatemiassa tiedetään (Ask anything you like – the Academy of Science and Letters will know the answer) was held at the Finnish Science Centre Heureka on 7th May. Although the vast majority of the centenary events took place in Helsinki, the education and psychology group did arrange a series of talks entitled Hyvinvointia kouluun (Well-being at school) in Jyväskylä on 8 th – 9th February, and a biosciences seminar on Muuttuva Suomen Luonto (The changing natural environment of Finland) was also held in conjunction with the Science Forum arranged to mark the 50 th anniversary of the University of Oulu on 15th May. The biosciences group also produced together with the Finnish Environment Institute and with financial support from the Finnish Society for Scientific Information a DVD on evolution and the speed of change in nature, called Parasta ennen (Best before), which was distributed to all the upper secondary schools in the country. The technical aspects of its production were handled by the audiovisual unit of the University of Helsinki, which also made recordings of the majority of the Academy’s centenary year events. The closing ceremony for the Centenary Year took place at the House of the Estates on 10th October, Aleksis Kivi’s Day and exactly one hundred years from the date of the Academy’s inaugural meeting. The principal speakers on this occasion were the Academy’s chairman, Arto Mustajoki, on Future challenges for science and learning in Finland , and the recipient of the year’s Academy Award, Keijo Kajantie, on Is there a Theory of Everything and can a layman understand it? Similarly Docent Maria Lähteenmäki, recipient of the first three-year research fellowship from the Eino Jutikkala Fund, made a speech of thanks. The occasion also featured the distribution of the first scholarships from the Eino Jutikkala Fund and of grants from the Emil Öhmann Foundation and the Hilkka and Otto Brusiin Foundation. Also in honour of the centenary of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, and that of Helsinki University of Technology, the minting company Rahapaja Oy issued a commemorative 5 euro coin designed by the sculptor Tapio Kettunen. One of these coins was presented to the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, at the Presidential Palace on 7th November, and coins were also sent out to all the Academy’s members. Regular monthly meetings and visitsMeetings were still held in the traditional manner on the second Monday of each month in the House of the Estates, alongside the events belonging to the Centenary programme. Attendances were good, with an average of 140 persons present. No meeting was held in January. 11th February Ageing – a goal or a problem in our society?
10th March A Community of Scholars – The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters 1908–2008
16th April
Celebration dinner at the Marina Congress Centre
8th September Welcoming of new members
10th October Closing ceremony for the Centenary Year
12th November Violence, trauma and youth
10th December Presentation of prizes and grants from the Väisälä Fund
MembershipThe Annual Meeting on 9th April elected 19 new Finnish members and 8 new external members. The new members elected to the Section of Science from Finland were Professors Mats Gyllenberg (University of Helsinki), Eero Hanski University of Oulu), Risto Ilmoniemi (Helsinki University of Technology), Jukka Jernvall (University of Helsinki), Outi Krause (Helsinki University of Technology), Marikki Laiho (University of Helsinki), Hannu Oja (University of Tampere), Vieno Piironen (University of Helsinki), Markku Savolainen (University of Oulu), Antti Valmari (Tampere University of Technology) and Yrjö Viisanen (Meteorological Institute). The new external members were Professors Raymond (Ray) Bradley (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) and Bernhard Rieger (Technical University of Munich). The new members elected to the Section of the Humanities were Professors Henry Bacon (University of Helsinki), Lauri Harvilahti (University of Helsinki), Mika Kajava (University of Helsinki), Jyrki Kalliokoski (University of Helsinki), Jukka Korpela (University of Joensuu), Christian Krötzl (University of Tampere), Aila Lauha (University of Helsinki) and Matti Sintonen (University of Tampere). The new external members to be elected were Professors Maarit Jänterä-Jareborg (University of Uppsala), Martin Kusch (University of Cambridge), April McMahon (University of Edinburgh), Margot Norris (University of California, Irvine), Harm Pinkster (University of Amsterdam) and Michael Welker (University of Heidelberg). The Academy mourned the deaths of the following Finnish members in the course of the year: Juhani Jänne, Eeva Kangasmaa-Minn, Seppo Lakovaara, Raimo Lehti, Johan Lindberg, Pertti Lipas, Ilppo Simo Louhivaara, Juhani Paatela, Niilo Peltola, Sakari Piha, Seppo Suvanto, Antti Suviranta and Marjatta Wis. News was also received of the deaths of the following external members: Anders Agell, Hans Fromm, Károly Rédei, Fredrick Seitz and Eugen Sokolov. The Academy had 606 Finnish members and 204 external members at the end of the year. Membership quotas have remained unchanged, at 189 for the Section of Science and 139 for the Section of the Humanities. Back upGrants and prizesThe Finnish Academy of Science and Letters Award for 2008, a sum of 15,000 euros, was presented to Keijo Kajantie in recognition of his significant research achievements in physics. The Bernard and Mimmi Lagus Prize, which is awarded every third year for the best research in education published in Finnish, was presented to Marja-Kristiina Lerkkanen, Ph.D.(Educ.), for her publication Lukemaan oppiminen ja opettaminen esi- ja alkuopetuksessa (Learning to read and the teaching of reading in early and pre-school education) . About 1.3 million euros was awarded in grants, prizes and expenses by the Vilho, Yrjö and Kalle Väisälä Fund, which is one of the largest distributors of awards in Finland in its own fields of interest: mathematics, physics, astronomy, geophysics and meteorology. The number of applications had again increased relative to the previous year, reaching a total of 369 and representing an overall sum of about 3.7 million euros. The proposals were of a high standard, and it was possible to make awards to just over a third of the applicants. The computerized system for handling applications that had been adopted the previous year was used again in an improved version. Scholarships amounting to a total of about 1.1 million euros were granted to 168 applicants. Post-graduate research grants of 15,000 euros each were made to 44 persons for full-time work over a period of one year leading to the production of a doctoral thesis, amounting altogether to about 720,000 euros, and half-year grants to six persons Travel grants for doctoral candidates, post-doctoral scholarships and other grants were awarded to a total of almost half a million euros. The grants and awards went to 12 universities and research institutes in Finland. As in previous years, the universities were paid a total of about 125,000 euros in overhead expenses to cover the cost of having the recipients of post-graduate research grants working in their departments. For the fifth time, the recipients of full-time grants for a whole year received social insurance coverage for the duration of their grant, including health, accident, life and incapacitation insurances, representing a total expenditure for the foundation of about 12,000 euros. The Academy awarded its Väisälä Prizes from the funds of the Väisälä Fund for the ninth time. These prizes are intended to be presented annually to 1–3 distinguished researchers in the fields supported by the foundation who are still at an active stage in their career. This time the Governing Board decided to award two such prizes, of 15,000 euros each, to Eero Hyry, professor of mathematics, University of Tampere, and The Academy marked the termination of its Centenary Year by distributing the first grants for research in the humanities to be awarded from the Eino Jutikkala Fund, including one three-year fellowship, at the meeting on 10th October 2008, amounting altogether to over 600,000 euros. The late Academician Eino Jutikkala had bequeathed the majority of his estate to the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, with the instructions that the money was to be placed in a separate fund, the proceeds from which should be used to make annual grants for research in the humanities. The first three-year research fellowship to be awarded from this fund went to Maria Lähteenmäki, docent in history at the University of Helsinki, for a project on Väinö Voionmaa and the social impact of a scholar. In addition, 26 researchers received scholarships of 15,000 euros for the production of a doctoral thesis and seven received post-doctoral grants of 10,000 euros. These awards went altogether to seven universities and research institutes in Finland and to four post-doctoral scholars intending to work in universities abroad. Applications were received in all the branches of study represented in the Academy’s Section of the Humanities, a total of 199 altogether, amounting to an overall sum of around 2.5 million euros. The same computerized system as for the Väisälä awards was also used to process these applications. Post-doctoral prizes of 5,000 euros each were awarded to six outstanding young researchers who had submitted doctoral theses in the year 2007: Tomi Huttunen, Ph.D., University of Helsinki, Russian language and literature, The Mathematics Fund distributed grants and prizes to a total of almost 26,000 euros. Other activitiesThe Governing Board appointed a working group consisting of Kari Raivio, Matti Saarnisto, Heikki Palva, Keijo Hämäläinen and Jussi Nuorteva on 3 rd March to make preparations for a series of statements of opinion from the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters. The working group proposed at its meeting on 15th October that the first stage should consist of one statement on a topic in the humanities and one in the sciences, based on proposals submitted by individual groups. The Governing Board decided, in response to a proposal made by the chairman, Arto Mustajoki, at the closing ceremony of the Centenary Year on 10th October, to begin an “Academy Club for Young Scientists” for researchers who have recently completed their doctorate. A new enquiry was made in 2008 among members of the Governing Board and at meetings of the chairmen and members of the subject groups concerning the general readiness to countenance a revision of the division of the Academy into groups. In autumn the groups were also asked about the numbers of professors in the fields that they represented, and the answers indicated fairly clearly that there was little enthusiasm for any major re-organization. The material gathered in this way nevertheless may enable the Governing Board to suggest partial revisions. The chairman of the trustees of the Mathematics Fund was Olli Martio and the other trustees Olli Lehto, Olavi Nevanlinna, Seppo Rickman and Arto Salomaa. Erkki Koskela attended the annual meeting of shareholders of Vaisala plc. on 23rd March, and the chairman and secretary-general attended the annual meeting of the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters on 29th April. The secretary-general was invited to external membership of the Estonian Academy of Sciences and received his membership diploma at that body’s 80 th anniversary meeting in Tallinn on 22nd October. The vice-chairman and secretary-general discussed EU research with Claude Allègre, special envoy of the President of France, at a luncheon given by the French Ambassador, Françoise Bourolleau, on 11th November. The embassy’s attaché for science and university affairs, Emmanuel Salmon, was also present on that occasion. Sakari Karjalainen and Anita Lehkoinen, director-general and director at the Ministry of Education, respectively, met with the chairman and secretary-general on the Academy’s premises on 17th January. The secretary-general gave a talk on Finland’s academies and learned societies at Helsinki Rotary Club on 17th November. Academician N. P. Laverov, vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Academician V. V. Kotlyakov visited Helsinki on 19th–22nd November at the invitation of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters to discuss possible cooperation with the Academy and with Finnish research organizations in general. The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters made a recommendation for the recipient of the Royal Society and Academie des Sciences Microsoft Award for 2009. The Federation of Finnish Learned Societies and other partners in FinlandThe Academy’s representatives on the board of the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies were Ilkka Niiniluoto and Tuija Pulkkinen (until 3 rd November), and their deputies Matti Saarnisto (member from 3 rd November onwards) and Olavi Nevanlinna. There were 251 societies operating in various fields affiliated to the Federation at the end of the year. The Academy was represented at the Federation’s spring meeting on 29th February by Arto Mustajoki and at the autumn meeting on 1st October by Risto Nieminen. The Academy was represented in the Federation's new Academies Section, which began operating at the beginning of 2008, by the chairman and Olavi Nevanlinna, the latter acting as its chairman. The section had been created for the purpose of looking after contacts with academic organizations in other countries and paying international membership fees. In other respects it is still searching for an appropriate role. The following members served on Academy of Finland research councils in the year 2008: Pertti Haapala and Eila Helander on the Council for Culture and Society, Helena Aksela, Jaakko Astola, Pertti Mattila, Erkki Oja and Tuija Pulkkinen on the Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering, Jorma Keski-Oja and Kalervo Väänänen on the Council for Health and Jouni Häkli on the Council for the Biosciences and the Environment. Of these, Eila Helander, Erkki Oja and Kalervo Väänänen acted in the capacity of chairman. The Academy was represented on the governing board of the Alfred Kordelin Foundation by Erkki Oja (until 7th November) and Markku Leskelä (from 7th November onwards), with Juhani Päivänen as their deputy, and by Simo Knuuttila, with Jouko Vahtola as his deputy, in the foundation’s science section by Matti Saarnisto and Marjatta Hietala, with Marja Makarow and Erkki Hollo as their deputies, respectively, in the popular education section by Pertti Kansanen, with Kari Uusikylä as his deputy, in the literature section by Hannu Riikonen, with Leila Haaparanta as his deputy, and in the arts section by Arto Haapala, with Pekka Korvenmaa as his deputy. The Academy’s representative on the board of the Sodankylä Observatory was Heikki Nevanlinna, with Matti Saarnisto as his deputy. The representative on the board of the Helsinki University Museum Foundation was Juhani U. E. Lehtonen. Satu Apo and Annikki Kaivola-Bregenhøj represented the Academy on the governing board of the Kalevala Institute, and Marja Simonsuuri-Suorsa represented it at the annual meeting of the Publications Board of the Finnish Zoological and Botanical Societies on 27th March. International ActivitiesThe annual meeting of European academies that are members of the International Council for Science was arranged at the House of the Estates in Helsinki at the Academy’s invitation on 8th April, as part of the Centenary celebrations. The Academy’s chairman at the time, Kari Raivio, acted as host for the meeting, which was attended by 30 people, representing 18 European academies, the ISCU and ALLEA. Four papers were presented on the general theme of the role of the humanities and social sciences in ICSU activities: Gudmund Hernes (ISSC): Contribution of humanities and social sciences to global change programmes – why and how? Many of the European representatives at the ISCU meeting stayed on to take part in the Academy’s centenary celebrations on 9th April. The speaker at the actual Annual Meeting that preceded the Centenary Meeting was Dr. Peter Nicholson, president of the Council of Canadian Academies, on The advisory role of academies – the Canadian experience. The Academy arranged a joint seminar with the Council of Canadian Academies at the House of the Estates on 24th–25th July to which 12 experts had been invited to draw up a report on the intensification and re-organization of scientific research in the Canadian Arctic. The Academy’s secretary-general took part in the work of the panel and in constructing the report. This occasion will serve as a model for the Academy in its efforts to strengthen its role in science policy. The Academy was represented on the board of Stiftelsen Nordisk Informationsbehandling – Tidskriften BIT’s fond by Olavi Nevanlinna.
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