Academy of Finland Newsletter, June 2007
The Academy of Finland newsletter will keep you updated on basic research funded in Finland and on other news from the Finnish world of science and research. In case you wish us to send this to someone else in your organisation or if you do not want to receive these newsletters in the future, please let us know at viestinta@aka.fi.

Features:
Finland wants to step up student, researcher and expert mobility with Asia
Academy and Chilean CONICYT agree S&T collaboration
New Nordic Centre of Excellence Programme started
New Academy Professors appointed
Martin Scheinin appointed Professor of International Law at EUI
Brochure on FiDiPro programme has come out
Scroll down for more on these stories.

FINLAND WANTS TO STEP UP STUDENT, RESEARCHER AND EXPERT MOBILITY WITH ASIA
A new report proposes for measures with which to enhance Finnish cooperation with Asia in the field of research, education and culture. The proposal concerns cooperation with China, India, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. The rapporteur consulted by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Science proposes that mobility of students, researchers and experts be increased. The cooperation goals should also be more clearly defined.

According to the proposal, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs should join forces to coordinate their goals regarding Asia. In addition, a joint target programme of Finnish universities and polytechnics for cooperation with Asian institutions of higher education is needed. Finnish students should be provided opportunity to study in Asian institutions of higher education as part of Finnish academic degrees. In their research collaboration, Finnish universities should focus on collaboration with the best Asian universities.

The rapporteur notes that the Academy of Finland shall continue the goal-oriented and systematic cooperation it has launched with certain key science countries in Asia in order to secure increased collaboration opportunities for Finnish researchers. Systematic and long-term research collaboration should be supported in particular.

The report proposes that no new separate organisations be established in Asian countries, but instead, that the existing organisations as well as cooperation and coordination between them be further strengthened. In Japan, cooperation is carried out between the Finnish Embassy in Tokyo and the Finnish Institute in Japan as well as the Finnish organisations Tekes and Finpro. It is further proposed that no separate cultural and academic institute be established in China and India. Instead, posts for counsellors for science and cultural affairs should be created in Finnish Embassies in these countries. The report further proposes that the Academy of Finland and universities and, if needed also the Ministry of Education, could assign an official in Soul, Republic of Korea, for a fixed term with the task of building up cooperation. The report also encourages to investigate possibilities to place one official at the Finnish Embassy in Singapore through joint funding of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, who would be answerable for cooperation with South-East Asian countries.

ACADEMY AND CHILEAN CONICYT AGREE S&T COOPERATION
The Academy of Finland and Chile's National Commission for Scientific and Technological Research (CONICYT) have signed an agreement with a view to developing their scientific and technological cooperation. The agreement was signed by CONICYT President Vivian Heyl and Academy of Finland President Markku Mattila in early June. At the signing, President Mattila underlined Chile's significance as a highly interesting partner to Finnish researchers and business companies. The new agreement provides a framework for both parties to carry out joint calls for research projects and research programmes in fields and topics to be decided on at a later stage. 

Chile is host to 70 universities, seven of which are geared towards research. These research-orientated universities account for two-thirds of public research conducted in Chile. Chilean research is of a high quality, in particular in space research, mathematics, ecology, agricultural sciences and economics.
There are two main funding organisations for research in Chile, CONICYT being one of them. It provides funding for seven national Centres of Excellence, for instance. It also acts as an advisory body to the Chilean Government on matters concerning science and research. Furthermore, CONICYT has established international contacts to several countries and organisations, the most long-standing and extensive links to other Latin American countries, major EU countries and the US.
  
The Academy of Finland started negotiations with CONICYT a year ago. The Academy is currently involved in the EULARINET (European Union – Latin American Research and Innovation NETworks) INCO-NET action of the EU Seventh Framework Programme, which is a project aiming to identify mutual interest research priorities and policies between EU and Latin American countries. The Academy's role in this coordination action concerns discussions taking place with both Chile and Andean countries and Mercosur countries. 
 
One of the Academy's key objectives is to promote and renew cooperation with funding agencies worldwide. At present, the Academy carries out multilateral and bilateral cooperation with EU countries and third countries. Besides EU countries, Canada and the US, the main countries for collaboration are China, India, Japan and Russia. Closer tie-ups to funding organisations in Brazil and Chile, thus, mean more opportunities for expanding and reinforcing research collaborations. 

NEW NORDIC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAMME STARTED
The Nordic Centre of Excellence (NCoE) Programme Food, Nutrition and Health started at the beginning of June. The programme involves research institutes from all Nordic countries except Iceland. Finland is participating with the SYSDIET research team led by Professor Matti Uusitupa. The research team is investigating the genetic backgrounds of obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome and seeks to identify the nutritional factors behind diseases.

The focus of the NCoE Programme to be carried out in 2006–2011 is on the health effects of Nordic diets and lifestyle. The units will also be investigating the processes behind the consumer habits and food behaviour. The Programme is aimed at enhancing the scientific quality and international visibility of Nordic research within the field and gathering the scientific expertise in food, nutrition and health into the Nordic Centre of Excellence Programme. 

The selected NCoEs are:
HELGA: Nordic Health – Wholegrain Food. Coordinator: Anne Tjønneland, Danish Cancer Society
SYSDIET: Systems Biology in Controlled Dietary Interventions and Cohort Studies. Coordinator:  Matti Uusitupa, University of Kuopio
MitoHealth: Centre for Bioactive Food Components and Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases.   Coordinator: Rolf Kristian Berge, University of Bergen
 
NEW ACADEMY PROFESSORS APPOINTED
The Academy of Finland has appointed six new Academy Professors. The appointees are: Academy Professor Lauri Aaltonen, University of Helsinki (clinical medicine), Professor Hannu Oja, University of Tampere (statistics), Professor Anssi Paasi, University of Oulu (geography), Professor Kari Palonen, University of Jyväskylä (political science), Professor Kari Rissanen, University of Jyväskylä (organic chemistry) and Professor Jussi Taipale, National Public Health Institute (cell and molecular biology).

The five-year term of the appointed Academy Professors starts on 1 January 2008. There are in all 40 Academy Professorships. The Academy Board appoints to an Academy Professorship a person who has demonstrated skills and competencies in research and can be regarded as contributing to the progress of research within his/her field of research. The posts are intended for top-level researchers for fixed-term research work. Academy Professors carry out their own research plan; they also supervise the research of their research team in their university or research institute, and provide guidance to junior researchers.

MARTIN SCHEININ APPOINTED PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AT EUI
Doctor of Laws Martin Scheinin has been appointed Professor of International Law at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy. Scheinin is the first Finn to be appointed Professor at the EUI. The Institute is an EU-funded institute providing advanced academic training to PhD students, with departments in history and civilisation, economics, law, and political and social sciences. The Academy of Finland is the agency responsible for EUI cooperation in Finland.

Scheinin is Professor of Constitutional and International Law and Director of the Institute for Human Rights at Åbo Akademi University in Turku, Finland. He also heads the Finnish Graduate School in Human Rights Research as well as the Nordic Network in Human Rights Research. Scheinin has received international recognition as a human rights expert. He is at present Special Rapporteur for the UN Commission on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism.

BROCHURE ON FIDIPRO PROGRAMME HAS COME OUT
The Finland Distinguished Professor Programme (FiDiPro) is a funding programme led and financed by the Academy of Finland and Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. The programme enables distinguished researchers, both foreign and expatriates to work and team up with the 'best of the best' in Finnish academic research, creating long-term synergy in science and technology.  FiDiPro raises scientific and technological excellence by establishing long-term international collaboration among outstanding researchers around the world.

At present, there are in all 24 FiDiPro professors working in Finland through the Academy and Tekes.
The brochure presenting the FiDiPro programme has just come out. The brochure is available in pdf on the Academy's website at www.aka.fi/publications. You can also order it at viestinta@aka.fi.

___

Academy of Finland in brief: The Academy's objective is to promote high-level scientific research through long-term quality-based research funding, research and science policy expertise and efforts to strengthen the position of science and scientific research. The Academy makes decisions on research funding worth about 260 million euros. Each year about 5,000 people benefit from Academy research funding. For more information, go to www.aka.fi/eng or send a message to maj-lis.tanner@aka.fi.