EU Alumni Club

LIFELONG LEARNING AND INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

Thursday 15.3.2018 at 18:00 Event on Lifelong Learning. Venue: Permanent Representation of Finland
Please register for the event with the link below.

Friday 16.3.2018 at 13.45-15.20 Information session at the European School (EEB2) for 5th to 7th graders on the opportunities to study at Helsinki University, the latest curricular changes and admission requirements. No registration needed.

If you would like to know more about the club or events don’t hesitate to get in touch with the chairman of the EU Alumni Club board Saara Harjula, saara.harjula@helsinki.fi

The alumni of the University of Helsinki gathered on the 26th of September 2017 at Bibliotheque Solvay in Brussels to hold the First General meeting of the EU Alumni Club of the University of Helsinki Alumni Association.

Over 60 alumni and friends attended.

President of the University of Helsinki Jukka Kola welcomed the participants and presented the idea for the EU Alumni Club and explained the added value that the Club would have for all parties. The strategic aim for the University is internationalization and quality thinking. The alumni are well integrated in Brussels and the University of Helsinki needs local Ambassadors to enhance the knowledge about the University of Helsinki in Brussels.

The CEO of the University of Helsinki Alumni Association Pia Österman presented the ways that alumni can engage locally giving examples from Beijing and Stockholm. After the presentation a meeting was held at 17.30 where the participants formally decided on founding the EU Alumni Club, decided on the bylaws, and elected a Board of seven people for the Club to guarantee its future success.

After official pictures of the board had been taking the participants mingled talking about their affiliation to the University of Helsinki and shared memories and stories about their experience and career.

At 18.30 the Helsinki Challenge Team joined the event.

Mark Ferguson, Member of EU High level group on Maximising the Impact of EU Research and Innovation Programmes/ Director General, Science Foundation Ireland spoke about New ways of impact – innovation as the only way to sustainable growth. 7 teams pitched about their solutions to xx problems and all the team members stayed at the event and mingled with the EU Alumni Club members.

Interaction between Science and You: Science serving the public interest & Citizen Science

A large portion of research is publicly funded in most countries around the world. This means that the tax-payers are supporting research: they are key stakeholders. The public is, almost without exception, benefitting from research outcomes. And more importantly, the public is interested in what’s going on in the laboratories, on field work expeditions and in researchers’ offices.

People’s interest towards scientific research is reflected also in the increased participation in citizen science. Whether we are talking about being better informed about science, participating in the scientific process itself by observing, gathering or processing data – citizens can play a major role in advancing science within society. There are already many successful examples of citizen science like Lake and Sea wiki, SuALT web- based service for archeological findings, Baltic App for Baltic Sea environmental observations etc.

The purpose of scientific research is to produce new information for the society’s use, but for the time being, a great deal of research data is difficult to reach by the greater audience. The aim of this event is to learn more on how the European Commission, the Universities and NGO’s make research results accessible to society at large, support the public’s engagement in scientific research and create novel ways to enhance interaction between science and society.

Programme

12:30 -13:15 Lunch and video address of Rector Jari Niemelä/University of Helsinki

13:15 Opening words Jean-Claude Burgelman/DG RTD/Open Science

13:45 -14:30 Panel Discussion – Open Science and its impact on society & citizens

Jean-Claude Burgelman/Head of Unit – Open Science/European Commission
Hilde Van Kiel, Director of KU Leuven Libraries and member of LERU’s Open Access/Open Science Policy group
Ville Nousiainen/City of Helsinki – Forum Virium – Project Officer for EU-funded HOPE project; Production of real-time and detailed air-quality information using a 5G network and by empowering citizens in Helsinki
3 May 2019 12:30-14:30, Helsinki EU Office, Rue Guimard 7, 1040 Brussels

LINKKI OHJELMAAN PUUTTUU

Syyskuussa 2017 perustettu Brysselissä toimiva EU Alumni Club on paikallisklubeista nuorin. Vuoden 2018 päätavoitteena on lisätä jäsenmäärää ja klubin tunnettuutta, mutta alku on lupaava: jo parin ensimmäisen kuukauden aikana klubiin on rekisteröitynyt yli viisikymmentä jäsentä. Toiminnan kehittyessä klubin on tarkoitus muun muassa rakentaa yliopistosta mielikuvaa vahvana kansainvälisenä toimijana ja tarjota alumnien asiantuntemusta sekä yliopiston että muiden alumnien käyttöön. Brysselin seudulla asuu paljon etenkin EU:ssa toimivia suomalaisia, joilla on paljon annettavaa paitsi yliopistolle myös toisilleen.

– Etenkin EU-tehtävissä verkostot ovat välttämätön osa työnkuvaa. Yliopistolaisten kanssa tapahtuvan verkostoitumisen hyöty ja lisäarvo on merkittävä, ja se riittäisi jo itsessään syyksi olla mukana toiminnassa, klubin puheenjohtaja Saara Harjula toteaa.

– Itse koen tärkeäksi olla mukana brändäämässä Helsingin yliopistoa Brysselissä ja houkuttelemassa niin parhaita opiskelijoita, tutkijoita kuin muitakin työntekijöitä yliopistoon. Alumnien hyödyntäminen yliopiston toiminnassa ja viestinnässä voi johtaa laajaankin näkyvyyteen Brysselissä.

EU Alumni Clubin hallituksen jäsenet kaudelle 2018-2019 ovat Saara Harjula, Virve Indren, Pekka Rislakki, Salla Saastamoinen, EmilyTullberg, Päivi Valkama, ja Minna Wilkki.

Lisätiedot:

Yhteyshenkilö Brysselissä, Saara Harjula: saara.harjula@helsinki.eu

The EU Alumni Club, based in Brussels, aims to bring together the alumni of the University of Helsinki who All alumni can join the club.

The mission of the EU Alumni Club is to create a lifelong and worldwide community of alumni through increased opportunities for meaningful engagement, in other words – Stay Connected, Continue Learning and Support Helsinki University

EU Alumni Club offers alumni meaningful opportunities in:

• Creating and strengthening connections and networks between present, former and future students and the University of Helsinki as well as building internal sense of community through various EU Alumni activities.
• Promoting and supporting Helsinki University’s research excellence and education; attracting the best students, researchers and employees to the university. Reinforcing the positive image of the University of Helsinki as an international actor.
• Developing lifelong learning in the University of Helsinki and using its possibilities for self-development and to update new professional skills. Providing one’s expertise to the University of Helsinki and the other alumni.
• Close communication and dialogue between the University of Helsinki and the Alumni communities on current affairs, especially regarding scientific studies, topical EU matters and news concerning the University of Helsinki.

How can You join?

You can easily join the EU Alumni Club either online or by sending an email to saara.harjula@helsinki.eu
Don’t forget to follow us on social media and on our website to find out more about our upcoming events

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