Increasing the quality of research and expertise at the national level is of key importance for enhancing Finland's competitiveness. The Universities of Eastern Finland, Oulu, Tampere and Turku are jointly developing a model for competitive research and education, while taking into consideration the increasingly tight financial situation all Finnish universities are facing.
The Technology Research Center (TRC) of the University of Turku organises a forum on sustainable water management in a top international conference that combines science and technology. Finnish companies and experts in water sector will attend the Sustainable Water Forum which is based on international collaboration.
Relations in cross-border regions, prospects for co-operation, economic ties, and the role of media in the Baltic Sea Region were topics of the Baltic Dialogue 2015 seminar in Turku on 4–5 November. The seminar brought together Russian and Finnish experts and students of political science and international relations.
On October 27–28, the joint Finnish-Indian symposium “Future Opportunities in Health, Drug Development and Diagnostics” explored future possibilities in the fields of health, diagnostics, drug development and biomaterials.
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”India offers expanding resources and top pharmaceutical professionals to Finnish investors”, emphasized the Indian Ambassador Shri. Ashok Kumar Sharma.
The Department of Phonetics at the University of Turku is the first one in the world to combine both ultrasound technology and research on the evoked potentials of the brain in the development of language education. With the two different methods, researchers are looking for new, more effective ways to teach foreign languages. The research can also have applications in the treatment of speech disorders in the future.
A Finnish-Norwegian-Scottish research group has discovered a gene that is important in determining the size a salmon is when it returns from the sea to reproduce in its home river. Surprisingly, the same gene is also involved in regulating the timing of puberty in humans. The results have profound implications for the management and protection of wild salmon populations, and may also help study health issues related to puberty in humans.
The American Voices Seminar, held in Turku on October 9–10, invited North American Fulbright grantees to explore the kaleidoscope of American culture and to reflect on research, educational and cultural exchange between Finland and North America.
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In his keynote speech, Professor Lane Crothers from Illinois State University discussed the authenticity and manipulation of American political discourse.
The Baltic Sea has a far stronger effect on the state of the North Sea than what has been previously thought. According to a recent University of Turku study, water flowing out from the Baltic Sea affects the salinity of and the number of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the North Sea. The results also suggest that Baltic Sea waters also affect North Sea herring offspring numbers.
Senior Researcher Mari K. Niemi from the Centre for Parliamentary Studies has been chosen as the Academic of the Year. Niemi was awarded the distinction for her work both as a widely-published researcher and as an active commenter and discusser outside academia.
A ten-year development co-operation project consolidated a versatile network of research and teaching between the University of Turku and Peruvian universities. During the project, the University of Turku strengthened its position in Peru, which is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world.