University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

People gather here at the University of Helsinki to make the world a better place. Our master’s programmes are linked to research efforts that are crucial to the future of humanity. We’ll give you the skills you need to address tomorrow’s questions today. If you want to study a Master's Degree starting autumn 2018, now it’s time to apply!

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

“It is a ridiculous amount of effort for ordinary people to try and figure out the environmental and climate impact of the things they’re buying, like food. We need legislation and proper political decision-making to fundamentally change the way we do things across society as a whole,” says professor Atte Moilanen. Moilanen was recently granted a Distinguished Service Award by the Society for Conservation Biology Europe Section and he now names an effective intervention for protecting the environment.

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

We would like to thank all the people who took part and helped to organize the Foodio Bootcamp event today at the Think Corner! Check out the Think corner website for more information about upcoming events.

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

Food for the brain: top 10 research news on the University of Helsinki website this year 10. Smiling human faces are attractive to dogs – thanks to oxytocin https://goo.gl/HjgkJK 9. What does kindergarten teach our children? https://goo.gl/62j21n 8. Researchers may have found out the meaning of ancient geometric earthworks in southwestern Amazonia https://goo.gl/k59uVZ 7. Chasing a precise pill https://goo.gl/Ma1Sr3 6. A new study confirms: pregnant women should avoid liquorice https://goo.gl/SPTSz7 5. Antibiotics – the End of the World or a Revolution? https://goo.gl/atmMkp 4. Empathetic people experience dogs’ expressions more strongly https://goo.gl/6TYDeu 3. Smallpox virus found in a child’s mummy changes our view of the history of the killer disease https://goo.gl/vsMjcf 2. A dancer’s brain develops in a unique way https://goo.gl/UdMKSf 1. Common cold duration is shortened similarly by zinc acetate and zinc gluconate lozenges https://goo.gl/6gqXQS See also top 10 in Finnish https://goo.gl/CKymvU and in Swedish https://goo.gl/Zqk8yL, the list is not the same.

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

A few decades ago in eastern Finland, too many citizens were dying of heart attacks. Public officials decided to fight the risk factors with an experiment, believing that certain diseases of public-health importance demand collective measures. Experts determined the measures required by peoples’ health and diseases, generating a hierarchical system that was managed from top down. The success of the project was the sum of many overlapping factors. However, such a project would definitely not gain similar success in contemporary Finland.

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

“It comes so easily to us to speak about other people and groups of people while not talking to them. Only through contact can we see the people behind the labels.” Bishop Emerita Irja Askola has always been a proponent of dialogue, even though during her ecclesiastical career, Askola has faced a great deal of hate speech and zealotry. After all, she was one of the first female priests, the first female bishop, she has blessed gay couples and most recently stood up for asylum seekers.

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

What do 17th century witch-hunts and slander on social media have in common? ”In the 17th century, smart people descended to persecuting others just like people do today on social media. They believed things that couldn’t possibly be true. Mass hysteria led to persecution,” says historian Mirkka Lappalainen. Research makes it possible to identify recurring mechanisms, such as miscalculations to which humans have succumbed throughout the centuries. The value of academic historical research lies in the fact that educated scholars know the importance of a critical approach. #Researchmatters #Siksitiede

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

The arrival of the Yamnaya people transformed Europe in the Bronze Age. How did a group of only some tens of thousands of people end up changing the entire continent? Professor Volker Heyd has been investigating it for more than a decade.

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

Citizen science can help us protect the environment. With GPS data collected from volunteers, Helsinki is now able to modify the routes in its Central Park according to the paths that people actually use. People will be less inclined to make pathways of their own, and not accidentally damage the forest. Continuing our open science theme for Open Access Week, we present Silviya Korpilo. With the help of her research, the urban forest ecosystem can be preserved and developed to be more enjoyable and sustainable. Similar methods could be employed for any urban forest environment!

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

Finland is challenging the entire world to understand AI by offering a completely free online course. 90 000 people from 80 countries have already enrolled. The first goal of the initiative was to educate one per cent of Finns (about 54 000 people).

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

Technology is what we make of it, says Kaiju Kangas, assistant professor of technology education. In encouraging young people to discover they can be the makers and designers themselves, Finnish schools do things differently.

University of Helsinki posted on Facebook

Climate change does not treat people equally. Sirkku Juhola, professor of urban environmental policy, studies how risks caused by climate change vary by city-dwellers’ wealth and place of residence, among other factors. Juhola is one of the newly appointed professors providing an insight into their work at Uusien professorien juhlaluennot – Inaugural lectures 29 May. Come and join us at the University Main Building or online!