In the Spotlight: University of Helsinki Overview of the University - Throughout its history of more than 370 years the University of Helsinki has represented excellence in research and higher education.
- Today, with around 36,000 students and more than 8,500 staff and faculty, it ranks among the best comprehensive universities of Europe.
- It is a founding member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU).
- Education and research at the University of Helsinki are conducted in eleven faculties (colleges): Theology, Law, Medicine, Arts, Science, Biological and Environmental Sciences, Pharmacy, Behavioral Sciences, Social Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry and Veterinary Medicine.
- The research infrastructure at the University of Helsinki is considered to be world-class making it an excellent place for undergraduate research experience.
- The University of Helsinki currently enrolls approximately 3,000 international students, mostly at the graduate level. The University offers courses and programs in English in all its faculties.
- The University of Helsinki is located in the heart of Helsinki, the capital of Finland. The city has an on overall student population of 90,000 in higher education.
Sample Euroscholars Research Projects at University of Helsinki Metapopulation biology of the Glanville fritillary butterfly, a model system for population biology The long-term and large-scale study of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) has become a model system for the study of ecological, genetic and evolutionary consequences of habitat fragmentation. This project has also provided stimulation and rich empirical material for the development of spatially realistic modeling approaches. We are currently developing molecular biological and genomics tools to produce an increasingly mechanistic understanding of the individual processes that underpin population processes in fragmented landscapes. At the conceptual level, this project contributes to the unification of metapopulation ecology, landscape ecology, and evolutionary biology. Professor Ilkka Hanski leads to Metapopulation Research Group and he is one of the most cited scientists in his field and also an Honorary Fellow of the US National Academy of Sciences. Algorithmic Data Analysis in Bioinformatics and Neuroinformatics The project develops computational methods for discovering useful knowledge from large masses of data. In particular it uses methods employed in data mining, data analysis, and pattern matching. The work is done in close collaboration with our application partners on various fields such as molecular biology and neuroscience. The project is an activity of the Centre-of-Excellence on Algorithmic Data Analysis (Algodan), which is located at the Department of Computer Science and employs a large number of postgraduate students and research staff. Within the EuroScholars program, we offer the possibility for two promising students to join one of our teams. The detailed contents of the project will be based on the research topics of the Centre; click here for a list of the research teams and their topics.
Finland and Helsinki  Many international surveys and comparisons place Finland at the very top globally. It has even been cited as the World’s Best Country by Newsweek. One of the most important contributing factors to this success is their investment in research and education resulting in excellent environment for innovation. English is widely spoken throughout the country and especially in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Located on the Southern coast of Finland, Helsinki has very good connections to everywhere in the world by air, boat, or rail. Helsinki has a reputation of being a vibrant city for students; it has an overall population of 550,000 making it large enough to have all the attractions and services a visitor expects from a major European city. As a capital city it also has embassies, government ministries and the national parliament. International visitors consider Helsinki to one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world. Every year Helsinki welcomes international students and scholars with a wide range of events. World Design Capital  The University of Helsinki launched its participation in the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 year with a comprehensive theme “Designing society through thinking”. The aim is to communicate the actions of the university that contribute to the cultural, economic and social development of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and the living environment in general. The University of Helsinki expands the concept of design to encompass social innovations – design is seen not just in its traditional form, but as a human-oriented way of solving challenges. Follow the university’s WDC blog here. Upcoming Application Deadline The deadline for students to apply for the fall 2012 semester is April 1. Click here to learn more about the application process! |
