The University of Turku has decided to engage in the Climate Leadership Coalition (CLC) collaboration and has created a new initiative, U2 Zero Carbon. It is related to the thematic collaboration in biofuture defined in the University’s Strategy. A launch event for the initiative was organised on Friday, 4 May, and it brought together researchers from different faculties of the University.
The Faculty of Humanities of the University of Turku has granted the Humanist Act of the Year Award to the Aboagora symposium which has created a new type of forum between arts and science. Johanna Skurnik, who is a doctor in European and world history, was chosen as the Humanist Doctor of the Year.
The University of Turku Annual Report 2017 has been published electronically, and it contains the previous year's most central key figures and statistics on the University's activities, as well as a summary of the year's most important events.
Neuropathic pain is the chronic, pathological pain that continues even when the cause of pain is removed. Causes include damage to nerve cells and medicines used to treat cancer. A collaboration between research groups from Indiana University in Bloomington, USA and Turku Centre for Biotechnology in Finland has discovered an experimental molecule that appears to interrupt the signaling cascades in the body required for multiple forms of neuropathic pain.
Reducing carbon emissions in order to prevent climate change requires developing new technologies for sustainable and renewable biofuel production. Molecular hydrogen is regarded as one of the most promising energy carriers due to its high energy density and clean, carbon-free use. A research group from the University of Turku has discovered an efficient way for transforming solar energy into the chemical energy of biohydrogen through the photosynthesis of green algae that function as cell factories.
The University of Turku has joined forces with the City of Turku, higher education institutions in the region, and Turku Science Park Ltd to create a cluster of expertise in technology, the Technology Campus Turku (Teknologiakampus Turku). The parties have drawn up a collaboration agreement that focuses on increasing education and research in technology.
A delegation of over 50 international guests from Albania, Spain and Austria visited the University of Turku on a benchmarking visit of the Erasmus+ project TEAVET on 25–26 April. The event was organised by the Brahea Centre.
The Maritime Innovation Camp organised at Singapore in autumn 2018 is based on the concept created by Turku School of Economics of the University of Turku. The innovation camp organised together with the Singapore Maritime Institute is related to the Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Turku and the Singapore Maritime Institute.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Finland, Soo gwon Kim, visited the University of Turku on Tuesday, 3 April. The guest lecture on Finland–South Korea relations was a part of the Korea-related theme week organised by the Centre for East Asian Studies.
Ambassador Soo gwon Kim after the lecture.
Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNUHCM) has commissioned the University of Turku to deliver a three-year Bachelor's degree programme in cyber security technology and management. The degree programme in cyber security is first of its kind in Finland realised as transnational education.
CEO of Finland University Pekka Saavalainen (left) and VNUHCM Vice President Vu Hai Quan at the signing ceremony in March.