Jyväskylä On the Move 2/2015 (english)

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JYVÄSKYLÄVRT Finland:

Below thesurface

Jyväskylä swimmers aim

for the Olympics

Jyväskylä Festival

turns sixty

SUMMER/AUTUMN 2015On the Move

Focus on Finland’s top-flight education system

EARLY IDENTIFICATION MEANS EASIER TREATMENT

Brain research:

2 J Y VÄ S K Y L Ä O N T H E M O V E

ISSN 1795-3146 (Print)ISSN 2342-1002 (Online)Editorial Office in this issueJyväskylä Educational Consortium

Viitaniementie 1 A, P.O.Box 472, FI-40101 Jyväskylä

[email protected], www.jao.fi

Editor-in-chief Niina Luttinen

Jyväskylä Educational Consortium

Editorial staff and layoutViestintä-Paprico Oy, www.paprico.fi

THIS PUBLICATION IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY

The City of Jyväskylä, with a population of 136 000, is

one of Finland’s centres of growth. Recognised as a city

of high-quality education, Jyväskylä is also internation-

ally known for the architecture of Alvar Aalto.

www.jyvaskyla.fi

Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes Ltd.

is a business promotion and development company

owned by the four municipalities in the Jyväskylä

Region. The aim of Jykes is to create a favourable

business environment. By offering expertise, support

and various networks for companies, Jykes creates

opportunities and conditions for profitable business

operations.

www.jykes.fi

The University of Jyväskylä is one of the largest, most

attractive and dynamic research universities in Finland,

with about 15 000 students, including international

students from some 90 countries.

www.jyu.fi

JAMK University of Applied Sciences is a multidisci-

plinary institution of higher education with a strong

international orientation and a student enrolment of

8 000. Our strengths are workplace-driven learning,

close cooperation with the labour market and busi-

ness, as well as extensive international contacts.

www.jamk.fi

Jyväskylä Educational Consortium provides vocational

and general upper secondary education to young

people and adults. The consortium’s educational insti-

tutions are attended by over 22 000 students.

www.jao.fi

Printed by Kirjapaino Kari Ky Circulation 5 300

Cover photo by Petteri Kivimäki

Editorial board Satu Heikkinen (City of Jyväskylä), Miikka Kimari

(University of Jyväskylä), Taija Lappeteläinen

(Jyväskylä Regional Development Company Jykes

Ltd.), Niina Luttinen (Jyväskylä Educational Consortium),

Pauliina Hietalahti (JAMK University of Applied

Sciences)

English translation Peter Gregory

and Tony Melville

CONTENTS

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Published twice yearly, Jyväskylä On the Move magazine showcases the expertise, culture and people to be found in the Jyväskylä Region.

4 TOP CLASS BY WORLD STANDARDS

6 WHAT DOES PISA MEASURE?

8 FINNISH VOCATIONAL EDUCATION GOES GLOBAL

9 EDUCLUSTER FINLAND EXPORTS KNOWHOW

10 EYES OPEN FAR FROM HOME

12 JYVÄSKYLÄ SINFONIA: 60 YEARS AND NO LIMITS

14 LAND OF GREEN GOLD

16 INTERDISCIPLINARY BRAIN RESEARCH

18 BELOW THE SURFACE

20 JYVÄSKYLÄ SWIMMERS AIM FOR THE OLYMPICS

22 COST SAVINGS BEAR OUT CLAIMS

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JYVÄSKYLÄSUMMER/AUTUMN 2015City On the Move

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what kind of edu

cation and training

is arranged here in

Finland. In China

questions associat

ed with the promo

tion of entrepren

eurship have also

come to the fore as

the country’s eco

nomic growth has

shown signs of

weakening.

Where interna

tional education

ex port projects are

concerned a solutioncentred approach based on dialogue plays

a key role. We do not attempt to dictate any absolute truths,

rather we seek to develop education in the target country with

due regard for local realities.

FINLAND, TOO, IS FACED WITH major change. Multicul

turalism and urbanisation are having a strong shaping effect

on our society. In the latest PISA study Finland’s results fell

away slightly, which provides grounds for analysing carefully

the reas ons for this change and putting the necessary counter

measures in place.

Industry is also on the brink of a new era. In future we need

companies whose business is predicated on new innovations

and highlevel expertise. The major industrial players have al

ready acknowledged the extensive opportunities presented by

the bioeconomy. The rise of the bioeconomy is inevitable as fos

sil fuels gradually run out. n

Vesa Saarikoski

CEO

Jyväskylä Educational Consortium

FIRST WORDS

JUNE 2015

THE FINNISH EDUCATION SYSTEM enjoys a firstclass inter

national reputation. Our highcalibre system of education not

only generates equality and wellbeing but provides the busi

ness sphere with the foundation on which to build success in

the global competition.

Jyväskylä is known first and foremost as a city of education.

The level of interest in our expertise, for instance, is revealed

by the fact that virtually every week pedagogues and represent

atives of educational administrations from different countries

visit the city’s colleges and institutions of higher education.

These international visitors want to make their acquaintance

with a system whose 15 year olds have achieved top results in

all the PISA studies conducted since the beginning of the 2000s.

Teacher education has attracted particular attention. In Fin

land the work of a teacher is highly appreciated at all levels,

from early education right through to university level. In many

developing economies teachers are unfortunately in a weaker

position, which in vocational education, for example, may be an

obstacle to interactive cooperation with businesses.

JYVÄSKYLÄ’S SPECIAL STRENGTH when it comes to export

ing education and expertise is that the major providers of edu

cation, JAMK University of Applied Sciences, the University of

Jyväskylä and Jyväskylä Educational Consortium, are engaged

in close cooperation. The knowhow possessed by these organ

isations is brought to the international market with the help of

a jointly owned expert company, EduCluster Finland Ltd. What

is more, Jyväskylä has a large number of small and medium

sized firms whose expertise is regularly made use of in interna

tional projects.

Experts from Jyväskylä Educational Consortium, for instance,

have been involved in an educational export project which cov

ered implementation of continuing education for vocational

teachers in Shanghai. China, which is conducting a major over

haul of its vocational education, wishes to boost the pedagogic

and vocational expertise of its vocational teachers as well as the

match between education and working life needs. Finland has

long traditions of giving education a working life orientation.

The needs of industry and commerce have a strong influence on

Education generates equality and wellbeing

MIKA JUHANI LUOMANSIVU


TOP CLASS

Almost three-quarters of Finns aged 25–64 have at least successfully completed

secondary education, in other words they have passed the matriculation

examination or obtained a vocational qualification, while a third have gone on to

higher education. The Finnish education system is considered one of the world’s

best. Finland’s success is largely down to a highly uniform system of comprehensive

education offered to the whole age cohort, well-trained teachers and a large degree

by world standards



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TOP CLASS

by world standards

of independence for schools. The solid reputation of the comprehensive school

is based to no small extent on excellent PISA results. Secondary-level vocational

education, in turn, enjoys greater appeal in Finland than in the other Nordic countries

according to a recent study conducted by the University of Jyväskylä.

This is exceptional, since elsewhere in Europe vocational education often struggles

for appreciation.

Class 6A at Jyväskylä’s Tikka

primary school learn mathematics

and other school subjects chiefly from textbooks,

but apps and games are used

alongside them.

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At school my favourite subject is textiles. It’s really

nice to work with different kinds of fabrics, for

example, right now we’re making a hoodie. My other

favourite subject is history. When I’m older I want to

become a writer or graphic designer. In my free time

I like to read and write stories as well as draw and

design my own things.”

Heta Parikka, 12

”

PROFESSOR JOUNI VÄLIJÄRVI from the University of Jyväsky

lä’s Finnish Institute for Educational Research considers that

the reason for Finland’s PISA success is the homogeneity of the

education on offer. Differences between schools and areas are

small, while differences within age groups are also minor.

“The good results are also explained by teacher education,

which is of high quality and distributed around different parts

of the country. In many western countries appreciation of the

work done by teachers has fallen in recent years, but in Finland

this trend has not been noticeable,” says Valijärvi, who coordin

ates the PISA study.

Välijärvi believes that the high regard in which a teacher’s

work is held can be traced to Finland’s history. The central

building block of Finnishlanguage culture and the identity of

the nation as a whole has always been egalitarian basic educa

tion.

Urbanization and population concentration can be observed

in the PISA results both in Finland and in other countries that

are rapidly becoming urbanized.

“Although in Finland the effect of one’s home background is

still one of the smallest among the countries studied, its impor

tance has grown from 2003 onwards. Differences between areas

are visible to the extent that especially the results of boys who

remain in declining rural areas are weaker than those of girls.”

WHAT DOES PISA MEASURE?Finland’s impressive success in the PISA study measuring the knowledge and skills of 15 year old pupils

has continued for over a decade, a phenomenon which has sparked international interest in the Finnish

education system. For the countries participating PISA generates valuable information that serves as a

basis for educational development.

Words by Timo Sillanpää Photo by Petteri Kivimäki

It is precisely on phenomena like these – brought about by

societal change – that PISA offers valuable information. When

a developmental trend has been identified, the curriculum can

be changed.

Mathematics, science and reading

PISA’s most important research question can be put like this:

what is the level of scholastic performance in different coun

tries and how evenly is this distributed between pupils, schools

and different parts of the school system?

“The study has three main domains, reading, mathematics

and science, which alternate at three year intervals. In addition

we focus on young people’s attitudes and beliefs concerning the

topics being studied,” Välijärvi explains.

PISA, which was introduced at the start of the 2000s, was

originally a testing tool intended solely for the use of OECD

countries. Today roughly 50 per cent of the countries participat

ing in the PISA study come from outside the OECD.

The reason why the OECD countries originally engaged in

the PISA study was the question of whether the education sys

tem produced suitably skilled people for the labour market and

competencies for a decent life as a citizen of the modern world.

“At the turn of the millennium it was thought that the coun

tries of the west were successful in the global competition only

Words by Pia Tervoja Photos by Petteri Kivimäki

GALLUP: PUPILS IN CLASS 6 A, TIKKA PRIMARY SCHOOL



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I like physics and chemistry, because in those you

can carry out different experiments and test various

phenomena. Not too long ago we experimented with

series connection of lamps and making a lamp light

up with a battery. I’m also interested in history, at

least on those occasions when we deal with wars and

revolutions. I don’t yet have any dream profession, but

I like to do up old cars with my dad.”

Joni Flyktman, 13

”

because of the high level of education and expertise. At that

time the process of shifting production to countries with low la

bour costs had already begun. In Finland we take the view that

in addition education is a key tool in producing societal equali

ty,” Välijärvi continues.

The PISA studies have also shown that in Finland in the

same age cohort there may be a gap of 6–7 years in terms of ex

pertise between the strongest and weakest tenth of pupils. In

most other countries the gap is bigger still.

“What disturbs me most is if pupils who require special sup

port are seen as problem cases. In many countries the differ

ences between schools have become exacerbated precisely for

these reasons.”

Information technology a part of the 2015 study

Mathematics was the major domain of the studies conducted

in 2003 and 2012, reading in 2000 and 2009. In the study to be

carried out in 2015 science is the major domain for the second

time.

In 2015 PISA will be conducted with the help of information

technology. The point of departure is that expertise will be best

revealed in tasks that are as authentic as possible and mimic

real life situations.

“The use of information technology in teaching is increasing

all the time. Information technology permits tasks in PISA that

correspond to today’s knowhow demands and produce fresh

ele ments for the study. These, for example, include finding in

formation and navigation,” Välijärvi suggests.

The rapid development of technology has given rise to new

questions. In Finland too basic education has relied on school

like study. Abundant use of technology, however, seems to em

phasize skills of a different kind.

“There are grounds for asking whether PISA measures young

people’s new skills adequately enough, such as networking tak

ing place in the mobile world,” Välijärvi points out. n

PISA AND PIAAC

• PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) is an OECD study of 15 year old pupils’ scholastic performance which is conducted every three years. PISA studies were carried out in 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012. The results of the PISA study to be conducted in 2015 will be published towards the end of 2016.

• PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Compet-encies) is an international study of adult competencies launched by the OECD in which the basic skills of the adult population (16–65 year olds) are assessed as well as use of the same both in the workplace and everyday life. The average literacy and numeracy skills of Finnish adults are excellent by international standards, but the differences between age groups are large.

“In many western countries appreciation of the work done by teachers has fallen in recent years, but in Finland this trend has not been noticeable,” says Professor Jouni Välijärvi. Pictured here, teacher Sanna Paananen.


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FINNISH VOCATIONAL EDUCATION has special characteris

tics which are also of interest in the international sphere. Work

life orientation is one of the most important cornerstones of

vocational education. Study content is formulated in close dia

logue with enterprises in the area and workplace learning is a

central feature of the educational process.

“Workplace learning lasts for at least half a year, but should

he or she so wish a student can learn to become a profession

al almost entirely in a genuine work environment”, states Kirsti

Kosonen, Principal of Jyväskylä College.

The aim of studying is to encourage the construction of indi

vidual career paths. The range of study options also boosts stu

dents’ motivation. According to Kosonen students can choose,

for example, parts of different vocational qualifications and also

take upper secondary school courses.

In Finland all vocational upper secondary qualifications are

broadranging and provide general eligibility for further stud

ies in higher education. More and more young people indeed

want to learn a practical trade before entering higher education.

In Jyväskylä a special local characteristic could also be list

ed among the strengths of vocational education. At Jyväskylä

College a strong effort has been made to develop entrepreneur

ship studies.

“Students have the opportunity to set up their own coop

erative businesses for the duration of their studies. There are

over a hundred of these socalled Young Entrepreneurship (in

Finnish Nuori Yrittäjyys, NY) businesses each year.”

Important opening in Shanghai

The developing countries have been quick to recognise the

strengths of Finnish vocational education. China, for instance,

wishes to improve the level of the country’s vocational educa

tion by making use of Finnish expertise.

Jyväskylä Educational Consortium, to which Jyväskylä Col

lege also belongs, is involved in a groundbreaking vocational

education export project which is of national significance. At

the end of 2014 the ChinaFinland Center of Excellence in Vo

cational Education was opened in Shanghai. Its purpose is to in

crease the quality and worklife orientation of vocational educa

tion in China.

“We have committed ourselves to longterm educational de

velopment in Shanghai. In 2014 we already arranged a pilot

training programme in vocational teacher training for almost 60

vocational teachers. In April 2015 a new programme began in

FINNISH VOCATIONAL EDUCATION GOES GLOBALKirsti Kosonen, Principal of Jyväskylä College, crystallizes the strengths of Finnish vocational education

into three things: worklife orientation, study options and flexibility.

Words and photo by Pia Tervoja

which local teachers are trained as trainers”, says Project Man

ager Kirsi Koivunen.

In addition to Jyväskylä Educational Consortium the Finnish

consortium includes EduCluster Finland Ltd, HaagaHelia Uni

versity of Applied Sciences and Omnia, the Joint Authority of

Education in the Espoo Region.

Kirsti Kosonen emphasizes that Finnish education cannot be

exported as it stands; rather the needs of the export country

take pride of place. Where educational exports are concerned

one also has to be prepared for the long haul.

“It is important to operate in different international forums,

since it is through these that new contacts are made. We are in

volved, for instance, in WorldSkills competitions. One of our

teachers is responsible among other things for arranging the

whole Print Media Technology competition as competition dir

ector and chief judge”, explains Kirsti Kosonen.

“Where the export of vocational education is concerned there

is less global competition than in university education, for ex

ample. Finnish educational expertise interests the developing

countries from a variety of perspectives”, Kosonen states. n

“FINNISH EDUCATIONAL EXPERTISE INTERESTS THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES FROMA VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES.”KIRSTI KOSONEN


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SEPTEMBER 2014 WITNESSED the startup in Doha, the Qatar

capital, of an international school whose establishment and op

erations are the responsibility of Finnish experts from EduClus

ter Finland. The school forms part of the Qatar Supreme Edu

cation Council’s Outstanding Schools Program, the purpose of

which is to boost the quality of education in the gulf state.

Two model schools in Abu Dhabi function on virtually the

same principle. In addition Finnish teachers and experts are in

volved in numerous other projects concerned with education

al development. In the Chinese metropolis Shanghai, in turn, a

major development assignment in vocational education extend

ing over a number of years is in progress.

Statelevel reform projects in which complete education sys

tems and largescale entities are overhauled constitute the core

expertise of Central Finlandbased EduCluster’s knowhow

driven business.

”For us these kinds of direct agreements are strategically im

portant, but we also implement development cooperation pro

jects, funding for which comes, for example, from Finland’s

Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the European Union or develop

ment banks,” explains EduCluster Finland’s Managing Director

JanMarkus Holm.

In Central Finland the points of departure for business in

volving professional services are good. The University of Jy

väskylä is wellknown in particular for the expertise to be found

in the Faculty of Education.

EduCluster Finland

EduCluster Finland exports Central Finnish educational expertise to the developing countries. Extensive

educational development projects are currently under way in the Arabian Peninsula and China.

Words by Pia Tervoja Photo by Petteri Kivimäki

Vocational education, in turn, has been developed purpose

fully over many years and there is a clear demand for expertise

of this sort in the developing countries.

”Central Finland has been blessed with foresight in that edu

cation has always been regarded here as one of our spearheads.

Enterprisedriven professional services business, on the other

hand, is relatively new,” JanMarkus Holm points out.

Demand all over the world

EduCluster Finland Ltd – jointly owned by the University of

Jyväskylä, JAMK University of Applied Sciences and Jyväskylä

Educational Consortium – is responsible for the commercializa

tion of educational exports and matters of a contractual nature,

tailors the development project in partnership with the client

and hunts for the bestqualified experts.

At present its international clients are to be found chiefly in

the Arabian Peninsula, next comes Asia, with South America in

third position.

”We have a solid number of projects of varying scale under

negotiation. The expectation is that the company will record

growth of almost one hundred per cent this year.”

In the near future the company will have more feet on the

ground closer to its clients since it is in the process of estab

lishing a subsidiary in Doha, Qatar. Holm believes that before

too long the same need will arise in China’s most populous city,

Shanghai. n

“CENTRAL FINLAND HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH FORESIGHT IN THAT EDUCATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN REGARDED HERE AS ONE OF OUR SPEARHEADS. ENTERPRISE-DRIVEN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES BUSINESS, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS RELATIVELY NEW.”JAN-MARKUS HOLM

EXPORTS KNOWHOW


FINNISH MODELS OF NURSING higher education have been

disseminated in China, with that employed in Jyväskylä being

particularly sought after. Last autumn 81 Chinese bachelor’s

level students of nursing started a programme at Beihua Univer

sity, China, known as the Joint Nursing Programme of Beihua

and JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Finland.

A key element of this programme is for teaching in Beihua to

be conducted by teachers from JAMK University of Applied Sci

ences. In addition the educational cooperation agreement will

bring teachers of nursing from China to Jyväskylä for onthejob

training, in order to promote implementation of the joint pro

gramme and assure programme quality.

”My goal is to develop myself as a teacher by means of new

European methods. We can take novel forms of education back

to China and test how well they work there,” says Ling Gong,

who arrived in Jyväskylä at the beginning of March.

She arrived at JAMK University of Applied Sciences for a

threemonth training period with another Chinese teacher, Wei

Liu.

Ling Gong has worked in China as a teacher for ten years and

Wei Liu for five. The two women, who are from the city of Jilin

in northeast China, undergo training in Jyväskylä, follow lec

tures and conduct discussions with Finnish experts.

Finland makes use of new technology

Ling Gong hopes that the training period in Jyväskylä will open

her eyes still further from an educational point of view.

EYES OPEN FAR FROM HOMEChinese teachers of nursing plan to take the strengths of the Finnish training model from Jyväskylä back

to their home university.

Words by Tommi Salo Photo by Petteri Kivimäki

”In Finland students use a lot of new technology as part of

their studies and are highly motivated where online teaching,

for instance, is concerned. Finnish students may also already

possess working life experience, whereas in China students are

generally fairly young when they start university.”

”In China organising smallgroup discussions is frequently

difficult due to the large number of students. A lecture may well

be attended by over a hundred people,” Ling Gong continues.

She says that she has noticed that study in Finland is strong

ly expertisedriven and always focuses on particular areas of

knowhow.

Ling Gong explains that together with Wei Liu they made an

effort in advance to familiarize themselves with nursing cur

ricula at JAMK as well as pedagogical methods.

”It would be good for our own students to come to study and

work in Europe. Here the conditions for living and working are

firstclass,” Ling Gong says enthusiastically.

The threemonth period in Jyväskylä has provided an excel

lent opportunity to get to know not only nursing higher educa

tion but also local people, their culture and way of life. n


My favourite subject in school is PE, because during

the lessons you get to move and try out different

disciplines. The most recent thing we had was

apparatus gymnastics. In my spare time I go riding

and I could imagine becoming a riding teacher, for

instance. My other dream is linked to medicine. I

would like to become a vet or an ordinary doctor, who

helps other people.”

Elsa Parikka, 12

”

Words by Pia Tervoja Photos by Petteri Kivimäki


u In Jyväskylä Chinese teachers Ling Gong (2nd left) and Wei Liu (centre) have acquainted themselves with models of Finnish nursing higher educa-tion, including the practices employed by Meini Korpela (left), Emmi Jääske-läinen (right) and Tuuli Saarivaara (2nd right), students at JAMK University of Applied Sciences.


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LEGACY OF UNO CYGNAEUS AND WOLMAR SCHILDT

• Clergyman Uno Cygnaeus (1810–1888) is considered the father of the Finnish element-ary school which provided the model for today’s comprehen-sive school system. In 1860 he published a proposal for the introduction of public education in Finland. Cygnaeus’ pro-posal included the creation of a Finnish-language training col-lege for primary school teachers in Jyväskylä, which became a reality in 1863.

• Jyväskylä district physician Wolmar Schildt (1810–1893) had a major influence on getting his student fraternity friend Uno Cygnaeus to set up the teacher training college in Jyväskylä rather than elsewhere. Thanks to Schildt’s activity the first Finnish-language grammar school, Jyväskylä Lyseo, was also established in Jyväskylä in 1858. He was also the first to put forward the idea of founding a Finnish-language university in Jyväskylä. The university envisioned by Schildt did not become a reality until significantly later, in 1966.

Sources: Wikipedia, Jyväskylä University Museum, www.finnica.fi

Of all my school subjects my favourite is technical

work, because we get to do different things in every

class. The latest thing we did was making a lamp

tester, which you can use to test whether a material

conducts electricity. In the future I would like to

do something connected with music. During piano

lessons I play classical music, but otherwise in my free

time I do beats for hiphop.”

Viljami Sillanpää, 12

”GALLUP: PUPILS IN CLASS 6 A, TIKKA PRIMARY SCHOOL

11


JYVÄSKYLÄ SINFONIA CELEBRATES its 60th anniversary in

2015. The Finnish classical music scene also has other reasons

to celebrate in 2015, because this year marks 150 years since

the birth of composer Jean Sibelius, and Aulis Sallinen – a com

poser known for his operas – celebrates his 80th year.

Jyväskylä Sinfonia was founded in 1955 and consists of 38

musicians. Known for its bold and versatile repertoire, the or

chestra is especially popular with audiences in Central Finland

but also has devoted fans outside its own region. Its Wednes

day concerts are usually held in Jyväskylä City Theatre, and the

550 seats are generally almost sold out. The average seat occu

pancy rate for the orchestra’s concerts at this venue, which was

designed by Alvar Aalto, is around 95 per cent.

“Combining different musical styles, performing film scores

and popular music, and blending different art forms have in

creased the orchestra’s popularity, especially during the 2000s.

JYVÄSKYLÄ SINFONIA: 60 YEARS AND NO LIMITSFounded 60 years ago, Jyväskylä Sinfonia is an

adventurous city orchestra which crosses both

artistic and geographic boundaries. Its spirited

performances, which blend different art forms,

have brought international fame.

Words by Timo Sillanpää Photos by Petteri Kivimäki

The popularity resulting from this broadened repertoire shows

that Jyväskylä Sinfonia has to keep reinventing itself – like

other orchestras, it must find ways to positively surprise the

audi ence at every concert,” says Kristiina Itäranta, Jyväskylä

Sinfonia’s General Manager.

An example of the way the orchestra brings together various

art forms is the Action Painting concert held with artist Tiina

Osara in 2011. Osara painted a work at the same time as the or

chestra performed music by Edward Elgar, Domenico Cimarosa

and Richard Strauss. During the performance her brush strokes

were projected onto the wall of the concert hall.

“Events like these have helped to raise our profile both within

Finland and internationally. In particular, our critically ac

claimed recordings have brought the orchestra to the attention

of international audiences,” Itäranta states.

The orchestra crossed another artistic boundary in April

when Markku Andersson, who had recently retired from his

post as Mayor of Jyväskylä, took the speaking role in a perform

ance of “Yllätysjuhlat” (The Surprise Party).

Music knows no boundaries

There’s no doubt that Jyväskylä Sinfonia is the city’s most inter

national place of work.

“Music knows no boundaries. The musicians in our orchestra

are from more than eleven different countries: Ukraine, France,

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JYVÄSKYLÄ SINFONIA: 60 YEARS AND NO LIMITSJapan, Poland... Many originally came as visiting musicians but

then fell in love with the city and settled down permanently,”

Kristiina Itäranta says.

International collaboration also extends to Jyväskylä Sinfo

nia’s recordings, where it works with companies like Naxos,

which specialises in classical music.

The orchestra has ongoing cooperation with a worldwide net

work of agents, one purpose being to attract visiting musicians.

“Musicians from all over the world come to our auditions. Re

cruitment is always based on artistic merit, and the judges only

listen to the music – they don’t know who is playing. Our re

cruitment process supports the formation of an international

working community.”

Performances near and far

Jyväskylä Sinfonia rapidly grew much more international dur

ing the period 2003–2012, when Frenchman Patrick Gallois

was Chief Conductor. During his period at the helm, the orches

tra undertook concert tours to a number of countries includ

ing Spain, France, and Japan. The current Chief Conductor Ville

Matvejeff has maintained the international focus with concerts

featuring world renowned soloists.

At the same time as the orchestra looks for new internation

al dimensions, the musicians have to serve the audience in their

home city in ever more versatile ways.

“In addition to its regular concerts, nowadays the orches

tra has to go out and bring its music to places where the audi

ences are. Our smaller ensembles have brought the joy of music

to audi ences in places like shopping centres, mobile libraries,

schools and old people’s homes. We occasionally perform con

certs of light music with famous Finnish artists as soloists.”

A lot of background work has to be done to organise a con

cert featuring international soloists, and this work starts at least

half a year before the concert. This time is needed because top

soloists have full diaries and a few days have to be reserved for

rehearsals. Travel tickets and accommodation also have to be

booked in good time.

Jyväskylä Sinfonia’s Chief Conductor is contracted to lead

eight concerts in Jyväskylä each year, as well as recordings and

tours. Metvejeff was appointed Chief Conductor in 2014 and

his contract runs until the end of 2019. The orchestra’s Prin

cipal Guest Conductor, Moshe Atzmon, has a contract until at

least the end of 2016. n

Jyväskylä Sinfonia’s Easter Concert was Bach’s St John Passion performed in Taulumäki Church with top international soloists. The concert was led by Chief Conductor Ville Metvejeff and featured solos from Ida Falk Winland (soprano), Diana Haller (mezzo-soprano), Joshua Owen Mills (tenor), Leon Kosavic (bari-tone), Juha Kotilainen (Jesus) and Simo Mäkinen (Evangelist).

JYVÄSKYLÄ SINFONIA• In 2014 the orchestra performed at a total of 108 musical events, includ-

ing 62 concerts. The events were enjoyed by a total of 28 003 listeners during the year. The orchestra’s discography consists of almost 40 record-ings. Recording companies it has worked with include Naxos.

• www.jyvaskylasinfonia.fi


FINLAND HAS BEEN CALLED the land of green gold, and this

will continue to be an appropriate description in future, too.

The bioeconomy is regarded as one of Finland’s success factors,

and in this country it is strongly based on wood. There is no

shortage of wood in Finland, because more wood grows than is

used. Annual growth is slightly over 100 million cubic metres

while industrial utilisation is currently around 60 million cu

bic metres per year. Utilisation could be increased to 70–75 mil

lion cubic metres while remaining within the limits of sustain

able forestry.

Finland has the raw material, and it also has almost unlimit

ed scope for processing it. Wood biomass could be used to man

ufacture food, fibres, cosmetics, chemicals, energy, pharma

ceuticals and material composites.

“Nowadays the technology exists to manufacture almost any

thing from biomass. The real questions concern what products

it would be economically viable to make, and what products

there would be viable markets for,” says Raimo Alén, Professor

of Applied Chemistry at the University of Jyväskylä.

Using wood in composites

Central Finland has knowhow and a long track record in wood

processing, so Alén sees cellulose derivatives as a possible addi

tional local success factor.

LAND OF GREEN GOLDEvery year more wood grows in Finland’s forests than is used. In terms of the bioeconomy this provides

a vast raw material resource for innovation of completely new types of products and services.

Words by Tommi Salo Photos by Petteri Kivimäki and Tommi Salo

“We used to make pulp and paper before. Now wood material

is being increasingly used to produce energy and chemicals, for

example. Someone could start manufacturing composites that

combine wood and plastic,” Alén states.

“In Central Finland we have a major competitive advantage

in the forest bioeconomy. We also understand agricultural food

chain models and we know how to manage the nutrient cycle

in nature,” says Pekka Äänismaa, Director, Institute of Bioeco

nomy at JAMK University of Applied Sciences.

Work at the Institute of Bioeconomy has included research

into new types of processing method for forest chips, and rais

ing competence levels in areas like wastewater and water man

agement, and in realtime monitoring of waterway emissions

on fields, in forests and at peat production sites.

Bioeconomy is such a broad concept that it cannot be de

fined in simple terms. As an example, bioeconomy covers pro

duction that utilises natural, renewable materials by adopting

and developing new innovations and technologies. Bio economy

means an economy that uses renewable natural resources to

produce food, energy, products and services.

Converting plans into action

Potential does not automatically mean a successful outcome.

As elsewhere, the bioeconomy in Finland needs more entre

For the bioeconomy to achieve its growth potential, people will need to be educated and trained. One of the University of Jyväskylä’s research strengths in applied chemistry has been renewable natural resources and the chemistry of the living environment. In all, students in applied chem-istry have graduated with over 200 Master’s and almost 70 higher degrees.

“This is a growth area and we need more new people. Wood chemistry is an example of a field where Finland does not have enough experts,” Profes-sor Raimo Alén states.

JAMK University of Applied Sciences has trained new bioeconomy ex-perts by offering targeted bioenergy courses to unemployed graduates. In 2016 the University of Applied Sciences will launch a new Master’s degree programme with a focus on bioeconomy.

EDUCATING NEW PROFESSIONALS

Professor Raimo Alén u


15

preneurial activity and people with the right skills.

The objective of Finland’s bioeconomy strategy is to increase

the nation’s bioeconomy output to 100 billion euros by 2025

and to create 100 000 new jobs.

It has been calculated that in Central Finland the bioeconomy

will produce more than 2 000 new jobs in the next few years,

after which the sector will account for almost 15 percent of all

employment in the region.

A new bioproduct plant is to be built in Äänekoski, north

of Jyväskylä, and it is predicted that when production starts

this plant will provide more than 2 500 jobs over the entire

value chain. The plant is the largest investment in the history of

Finland’s forest industry and will also require more than 6 000

manyears of work during the construction stage.

“In Central Finland the bioeconomy is being developed in a

companyoriented way. We don’t simply want to plan things,

we also want to pilot and test new solutions,” Äänismaa points

out.

“SMEs require a broad mix of skills, from bio economy

professionals to IT specialists,” Alén states. n

“WE DON’T SIMPLY WANT TO PLAN THINGS, WE ALSO WANT TO PILOT AND TEST NEW SOLUTIONS.”PEKKA ÄÄNISMAA

15


TIINA PARVIAINEN, DIRECTOR OF THE Jyväskylä Centre

for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, has a busy schedule. The

Centre , which was established around three years ago, is now

getting its MEG laboratory ready for use, and negotiations are

ongoing with representatives of both the scientific and health

care communities on how the facility will be utilised.

“The MEG instrument cost three million euros, so it’s rather

like an aircraft. We have to ensure its utilisation rate is as high

as possible,” Parviainen says.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a research method that

uses sensors around the subject’s head to measure weak mag

netic fields created by the electric currents involved in commu

nication between neurons. MEG is very accurate and enables

areas of brain activity to be located within a few millimetres.

“Clinical uses of MEG have included localising areas of epi

leptic activity. New hopes for the clinical application of MEG in

clude verifying road accident victims’ whiplash injuries. Even

though structural changes might not be visible in magnetic

ima ging, MEG could show abnormalities caused by accidents,”

Parviainen explains.

She goes on to say that the objectives for brain research at

the Jyväskylä Centre are high. It is intended that the laborat

ories will be equipped with worldclass technology. In addition

to MEG scans, researchers can also perform EEG or TMS studies

at the Centre. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) activ

ates neurons in the brain with a magnetic field near to the sub

ject’s skull. One of its uses is to determine which areas of the

brain are linked to body functions.

“In addition we are negotiating with Central Finland Central

Hospital about the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in

brain research,” Parviainen says.

Collaboration between scientific disciplines

The University of Jyväskylä can apply its strong expertise in hu

man sciences to the study of various processes of change. The

INTERDISCIPLINARY BRAIN RESEARCHStudying the human brain is like studying space,

as it constantly offers researchers opportunities for

new observations. With its interdisciplinary ap

proach and worldclass technology, the Univer

sity of Jyväskylä’s Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain

Research is aiming to be among the foremost in

stitutes in the field. Its latest acquisition is an in

strument for conducting MEG research, one of only

about two hundred units in the whole world.

Words by Timo Sillanpää Photos by Petteri Kivimäki and Mika Mäki

research is related to development and learning, or to treatment

of undesirable states using, for example, music therapy, exer

cise, or psychotherapy.

Parviainen stresses that in addition to having access to cut

tingedge equipment, it is important that researchers in differ

ent scientific disciplines such as psychology, sport science and

music, join forces to work together.

“Changes in the way the brain functions represent one impor

tant research area. These changes are related to learning, cogni

tive, linguistic and social development, and aging, for example.

Longitudinal studies have been carried out in Jyväskylä in psy

chological, pedagogical and other fields of research. The brain

In MEG research the subject is exposed to different stimuli such as images or sounds that activate different areas of the brain. In this photo the subject is researcher Jarno Mikkonen, and Tiina Parviainen, Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Research, is preparing the equip-ment to take a scan.

17

INTERDISCIPLINARY BRAIN RESEARCH

“BRAIN RESEARCH CAN

HELP US TO IDENTIFY THE

PROCESSES THAT LIE BEHIND

DEPRESSION AND COMPARE

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF

DIFFERENT THERAPIES IN THE

TREATMENT OF DEPRESSION.” TIINA PARVIAINEN

EARLY IDENTIFICATION MEANS EASIER TREATMENT

research centre offers new possibilities for

these research areas,” says Parviainen, who is

presently conducting research into the effects

of exercise on children’s brains.

Once it is in full operation in autumn, 2015

the brain research centre will be able to pro

duce big data on the human brain, and its

data analysis work will be supported by ICT

and statistics resources within the University.

Parviainen believes it is important that brain

research brings together specialists in both

content and methodology. n

The development of Jyväskylä into a cen-tre for brain research is also furthered by the study module in cognitive neuro science, which was launched in autumn 2014 and incorporates study units from a number of faculties.

“We are educating a new generation who will be able to flexibly combine different dis-ciplines,” Parviainen says.

Parviainen’s visions for the next few years cover a broad range of subjects. Research topics include the effects of physical activity on the brain basis of attention and learning. Learning difficulties have long been one of the university’s areas of strength, particu-larly research into the neural basis of dys-lexia, which is now also being studied from the perspective of the internet in a project headed by Professor Paavo Leppänen. The neural basis for memory and learning is also at the forefront in the Department of Psychology’s brain research. Additionally, the list includes research projects linked to depression.

“Brain research can help us to identify the processes that lie behind depression and compare the effectiveness of different ther-apies in the treatment of depression.”

Treatment for many of the problems that originate in the brain is easier when they are identified at the earliest possible stage. For example, early identification of increasingly common memory disorders would enable treatment to be started at an early stage, even in advance. n


AROUND 71 PER CENT of the world’s surface is covered by wa

ter. There are vast numbers of structures below the water’s sur

face: the bases and foundations of bridges, dams and canals,

and quay walls, embankments, pipelines and power plant struc

tures. The value of this infrastructure is immense: a onekilo

metrelong harbour structure alone can cost hundreds of mil

lions of euros.

“With our methods customers can see precisely what condi

tion their structures are in. It’s estimated that around five per

cent of all underwater structures are defective due to erosion

caused by water and water traffic,” says Niko Tuominen, CEO

of VRT Finland.

The company’s potential customers include all organisations

which own or maintain structures that are partially or com

pletely underwater, including port and city authorities, indus

trial and utility companies.

“Disruptions caused by structural damage – for example in

power plants and ports – are expensive. So the organisations

responsible for the structures want to use the best possible in

spection technology,” Tuominen points out.

Video is simply not enough

VRT Finland was established by two construction engineers,

Kirsi Hänninen and Olli Auer, in 2010. They were faced with

the challenge of inspecting underwater structures of bridges.

VRT FINLAND

BELOW THE SURFACE Jyväskyläbased VRT Finland Oy has developed a method of providing accurate information about

the condition of underwater structures. There is huge worldwide market potential for its structural

inspections, which are based on sonar and 3Dmodelling.

Words by Timo Sillanpää Photos by VRT Finland and Timo Sillanpää

Because videos shot by divers in murky waters did not provide

sufficiently high quality data, they started to develop an inspec

tion method based on sonar.

“Multibeam and sonar technology have been used to survey

the seabed, but applying them in the inspection of underwater

structures is new,” Tuominen says.

For its first few years VRT Finland focused on refining its

business idea and developing the software needed for process

ing sonar survey data. To enable structures to be visualised ac

curately, the data has to be cleaned to remove interference that

arises during the measurement process.

Rapid international growth

The company has carried out a large number of projects in

different parts of Europe. In particular, the northern parts of

Sweden and Norway offer great potential due to major invest

ments in the oil and mining sectors.

“We’ve done surveys to assess the condition of several har

bours in north Norway. There’s also market potential in the

region’s offshore sector, which includes wind turbines and oil

fields.”

An important customer in Finland is the Finnish Transport

Agency, which utilises VRT Finland’s method to survey under

water structures for bridges and canals. VRT Finland also works

with Fugro, a publicly quoted company that is the world’s

19

u “Inspecting structures by sonar requires world-class technology. The multi-beam technology used by VRT sends and receives a fan-shaped burst of 256 sound pulses, producing accurate measurement points from the structure under investigation. The points are processed using the method developed by VRT to produce visualisation images or data models. VRT’s method is a unique combination of high technology and software, and the sonar unit alone costs around EUR 300 000,” explain CTO Kirsi Hänninen and CEO Niko Tuominen.

THE CHALLENGE OF RAPID GROWTHVRT Finland’s innovative technology has launched the company on a strong growth track. In 2014 its turnover was EUR 330 000, and the es-timate for 2015 is more than one million.

“During the year we’ve created our own sales organisation as well as extensive distributor and customer networks in Europe,” explains Niko Tuominen, CEO.

Tuominen believes that during the early stages of a growth venture it is important for the company to receive sparring from external ex-perts. The potential for VRT Finland’s business idea was recognised in 2013 at the Kasvu Open competition for growth companies, where it won the award for best company.

In 2014 the company set out to rapidly grow its business when it re-ceived venture financing for international growth and Niko Tuominen was appointed CEO. Now it is participating in the Young Innovative Companies programme run by Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation, which is also a source of business development funding.

“Before you can establish business activities in a new country you have to do about half a year’s worth of ground work,” Tuominen says. n

19

largest provider of maritime surveying services. It is also work

ing with a port operator to establish a joint venture in Germany.

“There are prospects for strong business growth in Germany

during 2016,” Tuominen states.

So far the company’s own employees have also handled in

ternational projects. Now, however, there are plans to look for

partners to do the fieldwork.

“That would enable VRT Finland to focus on data analysis

and on work to further develop the analysis methods.” n

www.vrt.fi


Jyväskylä swimmers aim for the Olympics

RIO AHOY! Ari-Pekka Liukkonen and Mimosa Jallow are hoping to make a big

splash at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Totally committed to taking

their swimming careers as far as they can, they are also great role

models and a source of inspiration for young athletes.Words by Tommi Salo Photos by Jouni Kallio

TWO TOP SWIMMERS from Jyväskylä are planning to spend

August 2016 far away from their home city. AriPekka Liuk

konen and Mimosa Jallow want to compete at Rio de Janeiro’s

Olympic swimming stadium, the Estádio Olímpico de Desp.

Aquáticos.

Liukkonen (26) has already beaten the Olympic qualifying

time in the 50metre freestyle. Jallow, who is 20, has a more

than realistic chance of beating her qualifying time during 2015.

”And then the Olympics will show who’s best, when all the

swimmers will be there who’ve made a real effort to train for

the competition,” Jallow says.

”I want to be in great condition in Rio. For me, qualifying

doesn’t feel like such a big thing because I competed in the Lon

don Olympics,” says Liukkonen, who came 25th in the 50 metre

freestyle in London.

Before they could even dream about taking part in the Olym

pics the two swimmers from Jyväskylä spent a lot of time at the

city’s AaltoAlvari Aquatic Centre. Jallow currently trains 8–10

times a week, Liukkonen 7–9 times a week.

”We’ve got great training facilities at AaltoAlvari. We can use

both the 50 and 25metre pools. And there’s also a fitness room

and big gym. And of course there’s also the spa,” Jallow ex

plains, glancing towards the jacuzzi.

Liukkonen agrees that in Jyväskylä they have all the facili

ties they need to be successful. The pools are available for train

ing at reasonable times, so there is no need to train early in the

morning or late at night.

”There’s a lot of differences around the world in training

facilities. Some swimmers never get the chance to train in a

50 metre pool, others have exclusive use of a fullsized pool all

the time,” Liukkonen says.

Supported by scientific research

Jyväskylä offers top athletes more than just training facilities.

The University of Jyväskylä’s Faculty of Sport and Health Sci

“YES, FOR ME JYVÄSKYLÄ IS A REAL SPORTS CITY.”MIMOSA JALLOW


21

Jyväskylä swimmers aim for the Olympics

ences is Finland’s only universitylevel institute of its kind.

In addition, a stone’s throw from the Aquatic Centre, are the

premises of KIHU – The Research Institute for Olympic Sports.

”KIHU and the University’s research projects have given ath

letes information about themselves that they might never get

anywhere else. Two examples of areas where KIHU has provid

ed help are in monitoring recovery and mental training,” Liuk

konen states.

He also points out that worldclass

coaching for swimmers is available in

Jyväskylä. Liukkonen and Jallow are

coached by Marko Malvela, who has

taken more than ten swimmers to top

level international competitions. Many

of the swimmers previously coached by

Malvela are now themselves helping

the stars of tomorrow to train.

Like Liukkonen, Jallow is a fulltime

swimmer, but she also coaches juniors.

Young swimmers born between 2002

and 2005 look to professional swim

mers for a role model and want to

achieve the same.

”Younger juniors ask a lot about

training. I can put them straight, tell

them what they’ll need to do to get to

the top,” Jallow reflects.

Liukkonen also knows a lot about

acting as a role model – he was named Sports Role Model of the

Year at the 2015 Finnish Sports Gala.

Relaxing with cycling and beach volley

The two swimmers say they are looking forward to the coming

year leading up to the Olympics. Liukkonen and Jallow train in

a closeknit sprint stable of about ten swimmers, of whom three

may go to Rio de Janeiro with coach Marko Malvela.

”The results speak for themselves, when you think about

what’s been achieved here,” Liukkonen says.

Swimmers aiming for the Olympics train and rest, and then

train some more. When Liukkonen gets a free moment he of

ten jumps onto his bike and rides around the lake in the cen

tre of Jyväskylä.

”On a sunny day cycling is more like mental relaxation than

training.”

Jallow says that she also likes the track around the shore of

Lake Jyväsjärvi. Playing beach volley on the shore of Lake Tuo

miojärvi is also a good way of relaxing from competitive swim

ming.

”Yes, for me Jyväskylä is a real sports city,” Jallow smiles. n

21


TALKING ABOUT THE WISE USE of re

sources is easy. But how can we demon

strate that good intentions have indeed

been implemented?

In Jyväskylä one concrete example of

resource wisdom being put into practice

is the environmental statement which

is drawn up each year. This details en

vironmental income and expenditure

together with investments in straight

forward euro terms.

The environmental statement pro

vides comparable data with respect to

the city’s own operations as well as of

ficial tasks.

”The environmental statement is a

management and decisionmaking tool.

Resource wisdom going strong in Jyväskylä

COST SAVINGS BEAR OUT CLAIMSIf the resources assigned to environmental education or waste management counselling are increased,

do we need to spend less money on keeping public areas clean? Each year Jyväskylä produces an

environmental statement which reveals how much time and money are devoted to the environment.

Words by Tommi Salo Photo by Merja Huovelin

It can be used to demonstrate whether

the measures we have taken support the

implementation of resource wisdom. At

the same time we can ponder how re

source wisdom should best be moved

forward,” says Mervi Saukko, the City of

Jyväskylä’s Environmental Expert.

Individual years can be compared

Saukko points out that the environ

mental statement puts opinions and

framework policies into concrete form.

If an issue has been defined by the city

as important, then the intention is also

there to commit money and resources.

”The statement provides an immedi

ate indication of the investments made

and the amount that has been spent on

environmental protection, for instance.”

In addition to providing hard numbers

the environmental statement encourages

interpretations. If more money has been

spent on counselling and education, is

this reflected in cost reductions, for ex

ample, in the amount of money needed

to keep public areas clean? Or can the de

cline in revenue from the waste tax be

considered a sign that recycling is work

ing well, since this tax has to be paid on

material that ends up in a landfill?

”In this manner environmental mat

ters can be brought to the table for polit

ical decisionmaking. The environmen

The green “Linkki” busses take care of the local transporta-tion in Jyväskylä. Ways have also been sought in Jyväskylä to boost the number of people using public transport

23

IN BRIEF

By Tommi Salo

The Finnish round of the 2015 World Rally Championship, Neste Oil Rally Finland, serves up some familiar and well-proven elements as well as something completely new.

The rally gets under way on the evening of Thursday 30.7. with the Harju special stage run right in the centre of Jyväskylä. The 2.27 kilometre long special stage on city streets – always a major crowd-puller – is given a reprise on rally Friday.

In addition to the classic Harju sprint one high point of this year’s route is the fabled Ounin-pohja special stage, which makes a welcome return to the rally itinerary at its full length. Fre-quently singled out as the world’s best special stage, Ouninpohja once again includes the famous “Yellow House Jump”.

Rally Finland 2015 also features a completely new special stage, Horkka, which is run twice in the course of Saturday. Friday is the longest day of the rally. Drivers will cover nine special stages to the south of Jyväskylä with a total length of 157.63 kilometres – and this year without breaks for servicing.

On rally Saturday eight special stages totalling 130.68 kilometres await the competitors. With the podium beckoning, the programme for Sunday takes in the legendary Myhinpää special stage, which is run twice as the day unfolds.

The Finnish round of the World Rally Championship this year gets its very own music festival. The three-day Rally Zone event provides the perfect complement to this tradition-rich rally spec-tacle. Rally Zone runs from 30.7.–1.8.

The festival area will be located right next to the Paviljonki service park. A variety of artists, Finnish and international, will appear at the Jyväskylä harbour venue on three rally evenings. n

www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi/en/

RALLY FINLAND AGAIN SET FOR BIG JUMPS

RESOURCE-WISE JYVÄSKYLÄ

• The aim of the joint project involving the City of Jyväskylä and Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, is to promote the wiser use of resources and to reduce environmental impacts in cooperation with local residents, businesses and organisations.

• The depletion of natural resources, population growth and climate change are forcing societies around the world to become more efficient and cut emissions.

• According to one study by embracing measures to reduce both emissions and the use of natural resources an urban region the size of Jyväskylä could create employment for a thousand people and bring about positive economic impacts worth a hundred million euro each year.

• Trials have already been conducted in Jyväskylä on how the share of local food in public-sector kitchens could be increased and what form resource-wise living might take in the future as more strategies to reduce our material footprint are employed.

• Ways have also been sought in Jyväskylä to boost the number of people using public transport, cut carbon dioxide emissions and fuel consumption as well as create a scalable, resource-saving model for making journeys to and from work.

• The leftover food experiment which originated in Jyväskylä has now spread all over Finland.

tal statement for its part assists strategic

planning in Jyväskylä,” Saukko emphas

izes.

The City of Jyväskylä’s environmental

statement contains details of income and

expenditure related to waste manage

ment, actions that boost ecoefficiency,

environmental taxes, water protection

and waste water treatment, environ

mental administration, the sanitation of

public areas as well as nature and land

scape conservation among others.

In Jyväskylä the environmental state

ment has been presented as part of the

city’s annual financial report proper from

the2009 financial year onward. Informa

tion was gathered separately from the

city’s annual financial report as long ago

as in 2005.

”Compiling the data each year makes

it possible to compare individual years.

The information reveals in which direc

tion we are heading,” Saukko states. n

MIKA MÄKI/AKK SPORTS

•Thisyear’sNesteOilRallyFinland (30.7.–2.8.) will have a total length of 1 270.83 kilometres, including 319.38 kilometres of special stages.•20specialstagesintotal.•Asinpreviousyearstheevent revolves around Jyväskylä, with rally HQ and the service park located conveniently at Jyväskylä Paviljonki congress centre.


IN BRIEF ARCHITECTURE • ART • CULTURE • DESIGN • ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE • EVENTS • NEWS • SPORT • LIFE • EDUCATION

Inspiring ideas from TEDx JyväskyläEDBy Pia Tervoja

What’s the best way to present good ideas and practices to an international audience? The an-swer has to be the Internet. US non-profit or-ganisation TED has been arranging TEDx confer-ences since 2007, and the talks are streamed live on the Internet.

The talks can also be watched later on the organisation’s website. Each month as many as

By Tommi Salo

Timo Koivisto, Jyväskylä’s recently appointed Mayor, promises new initiatives in the city’s busi-ness policy. He says that new growth can be cre-ated by getting the main forces behind business in the Jyväskylä urban region – such as compan-ies, business associations, educational institu-tions and state regional administrative bodies – working together more effectively.

”We need challenging targets that we’ve agreed on together, and we need concrete pro-jects. The city’s new business development unit brings together the main business policy pro-jects and employment-related issues,” Koivisto says.

”The city promises more business meet-ups, smooth permit processes, attractive urban development platforms for company partner-ships, commercial areas and networks, as well as company location services and active marketing. Business policy will be a central aspect of my work as Mayor,” he adds.

Timo Koivisto was appointed Mayor of Jy-väskylä in November, 2014. He took up the post on 1st May, 2015. Koivisto was previously Jy-väskylä’s Deputy Mayor.

His predecessor, Markku Andersson, was Mayor of Jyväskylä for more than ten years be-fore he retired. n

17 million people around the world watch the videos. The first TEDx event in Jyväskylä was held in March, 2015. The theme was “Navigating the Horizon through Flexible Learning Paths”.

“We wanted a theme that would spotlight Central Finland’s educational expertise, ideas and thoughts about learning, education and learning paths. The Finnish education system emphasises flexibility, which enables individual career paths to be realised,” says Project Man-

ager Kirsi Koivunen of Jyväskylä Educational Consortium.

The idea of TEDx events is that the talks are compressed into just 18 minutes. The Jyväskylä event featured ten talks, of which some were personal recollections and some described the results of recent research in education. n

Videos of the Jyväskylä event can be watched at www.tedxjyvaskylaed.com

NEW MAYOR AIMS TO BOOST CITY’S BUSINESS POLICY

Timo Koivisto previously served as Deputy Mayor of the City of Jyväskylä for ten years.

PETTERI KIVIMÄKI

25

CITY OF LIGHT EVENT 1.–3.10. 2015 has been officially proclaimed by the UN as the International Year of Light, to be coordinated by the UN’s specialised agency for education, science and culture Unesco. The aim of the theme year is to bring out the importance of light and light technologies in people’s everyday lives and for mankind as a whole.

By Timo Sillanpää

The University of Jyväskylä’s Department of Mathematical Information Technology has re-ceived European Commission funding for its par-ticipation in an extensive project aimed at devel-oping innovative, fast-response protection and rescue practices for deployment after attacks and major disasters involving materials that cause mass destruction.

With eight countries and 19 partners taking part, the research project will particularly focus on the destructive effects of CBRNE materials. These include toxic industrial chemicals, chem-ical and biological weapons, and radioactive materials and explosives.

The project will begin in mid-2015 and last four years. The budget is approximately EUR 12 million. In addition to the University of Jy-väskylä, three other organisations in the protec-tion, rescue and safety fields are involved from Finland.

“Our task is to develop a method using hyper-spectral technology to analyse dangerous ma-terials and determine their area of distribution,

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ INVOLVED IN EUROPEAN COMMISSION’S CBRNE RESEARCH

particularly in incidents caused by toxic chem-icals. When a disaster occurs, it is essential that the material in question is detected and identi-fied in order to enable rescue work to be carried out in the appropriate way. In many cases these incidents involve chemicals that are explosive or otherwise pose a danger to rescuers and other people nearby. It’s safer to study these chem-icals with a hyperspectral camera than by other methods,” states Project Manager Jaana Kuula of the University of Jyväskylä.

She says that there was tough competition for the project’s funding, with defence research establishments and other organisations taking part from around Europe.

“We were previously involved in a Finnish security-related project with support from Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation, and to secure a follow-on international project is an important recognition of our security-related research and hyperspectral expertise,” Kuula explains.

The project is being coordinated from the UK, and most other participants are based in central and southern Europe. n

By Pia Tervoja

Seventeen year old Hanna Lehmonen, a pupil at Jyväskylän Lyseo Upper Secondary School, has won the European Commission’s Juvenes Translatores translation competition. Over 3 000 young people of upper secondary school age from a total of 740 schools took part in the competition. One winner was chosen from each European Union country.

The aim of the translation competition is to encourage young people’s interest in languages and give them an opportunity to try their hand at translating. On this occasion the texts used in the competition dealt with the European identity.

Upper secondary school students from Jyväskylä were also victorious in the Ambas-sador’s Entrepreneurial Challenge business

UPPER SECONDARY STUDENTS SUCCESSFUL IN TRANSLATION AND BUSINESS IDEA COMPETITIONS

idea competition arranged by the United States embassy. The winning team was made up of Matias Mäkitalo, Marikka Goyal, Sandra Telinen and Ilari Miettunen, all of whom at-tend Schildt Upper Secondary School.

Their business idea is an online service called Nuoriosaa.fi, the aim of which is to give every young person their first contact with working life. Nuoriosaa.fi maintains regional Facebook groups, where employers and young workers meet.

As a result of the competition the US Am-bassador to Finland Bruce Oreck was given an invitation to Jyväskylä.

At the meeting between Ambassador Oreck and the students concerned the discussion ranged over a variety of issues including entrepreneurship and future chal-lenges. n

By Tommi Salo

Jyväskylä and its most important urban de-velopment platforms were in the spotlight at the MIPIM exhibition, which was held in March 2015 in Cannes, France. The Kangas and Hippos areas , Sairaalanmäki (Hospital hill) and the de-velopment of the city centre were on display to around 20 000 real-estate and investment pro-fessionals.

“The MIPIM exhibition in Cannes was an important opportunity to meet real-estate pro-fessionals. We got great new contacts from our pre-booked meetings and people we met at the exhibition. They have already led to some sur-prisingly good follow-up discussions,” says Anne Sandelin, Director of Business Development and Urban Planning Projects, City of Jyväskylä.

This was Jyväskylä’s first time at the Cannes exhibition. Jyväskylä participated with other large Finnish cities on a stand organised by the City of Helsinki.

Cyber security partnerships from BarcelonaJyväskylä based companies and local cyber secu-rity expertise were on show in March at the Mo-bile World Congress in Barcelona. The companies were looking for contacts and new customers at the world’s largest congress in the mobile sec-tor. At the same time the Jyväskylä Region’s high level of cyber security expertise was on display.

“Feedback from the companies confirms that they got real contacts from the congress. And on the cyber security front we found new operating practices and collaboration models,” says Taija Lappeteläinen, Marketing Manager, Jyväskylä Regional Development Company, Jykes Ltd. n

EXPERTISE FROM JYVÄSKYLÄ ON SHOW AT MAJOR EXHIBITIONS

The Kangas project is the main urban develop-ment project in Jyväskylä for the next several decades.

PHOTO: TOUHO HÄKKINEN


By Pia Tervoja

Jyväskylä Festival is the oldest festival in the Nor-dic countries with an unbroken history. The six-tieth staging of the festival in sunny July again offers a rich palette of non-verbal theatre, world music, special happenings for kids as well as a number of free events.

Of the festival’s international guests perhaps the best known is England’s Chris Lynam, a vet-eran of non-verbal theatre, whose EricTheFred performance is a synopsis of the artist’s long career.

”The story told by the charismatic Chris Lynam is fable-like and in places bordering on the fantastic. The performance contains impress-

Jyväskylä Festival

A FESTIVAL WITH LONG TRADITIONS

• The first Jyväskylä Festival, with a focus on music culture, was staged in 1956.

• Over the years the festival’s emphases have changed. Nowadays the festival is known for its offering of high-quality non-verbal theatre and world music.

• The festival comprises almost a hundred dif-ferent events, half of which are free.

• Jyväskylä Festival extends beyond the city’s boundaries, for instance, the opening concert has regularly been held in neighbouring municipalities.

• In 2009 the festival attracted a record audi-ence, almost 40 000 visitors.

ive shifts from darkness back into the light,” says Festival Manager Tanja Rasi.

Another larger than life character is New Zealander Trygve Wakenshaw, who in turn rep-resents the new generation of mime artists. Also guaranteed to cause a stir is Finding Joy by the UK’s Vamos Theatre, in which the stories of three generations intertwine in a piece of masked theatre.

World music at the festival is provided by Malta’s Tribali and the Tuvan throat singing en-semble Huun-Huur-Tu. Also at Jyväskylä Festival there is a chance to see The New Rope String Band – currently on their farewell tour – who combine music with their own brand of side-splitting comedy. n

TURNS SIXTY

MIKKO VÄHÄNIITTY

MATTI SALMI

MIKKO VÄHÄNIITTY

IN BRIEF ARCHITECTURE • ART • CULTURE • DESIGN • ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE • EVENTS • NEWS • SPORT • LIFE • EDUCATION

60th Jyväskylä Festival 7.–12.7.2015, www.jyvaskylankesa.fi


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KIHVELI SOIKOON SKIFFLE FESTIVAL 17.–19.7. Hankasalmi railway station in Central Finland is the venue for the world’s only regular international skiffle music festival. “Skiffle music has its origins in jazz, blues and coun-try,” says the festival’s artistic director Jari Tuukkanen.

EVENTS1.–5.6. Neutrinos and Dark Matter in Nuclear Physics – NDM’15 congressVenue: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Physicswww.jyu.fi/en/congress/ndm15

5.–7.6. The Good, the One, and the Many – The 1st Conference of the Nordic Network for the History of PhilosophyVenue: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy philevents.org/event/show/16266

8.–11.6. Meeting of the Nordic Microscopy Society – SCANDEM 2015University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biological and Environmental Science and the Nanoscience Centerwww.jyu.fi/en/congress/scandem2015

10.–12.6. XIII Kustaw Wasa seminarium: Nobility Reconsidered: New Perspectives on the European AristocracyUniversity of Jyväskylä, Department of History and Ethnologynobility2015.blogspot.fi

7.–12.7. Jyväskylä FestivalVenue: Jyväskylä and surroundingswww.jyvaskylankesa.fi

9.–11.7. SuomiPop festivalVenue: Lutakonaukiowww.suomipopfestivaali.fi

17.–19.7. Kihveli Soikoon skiffle festivalVenue: Hankasalmi stationwww.kihvelisoikoon.com

30.7.–2.8. Neste Oil Rally Finland 2015Venue: Jyväskylä and surroundings www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi

7.–9.8. Alvar Aalto SymposiumVenue: Alvar Aalto Academy, Jyväskylä City Theatrewww.alvaraaltosymposium.fi

9.–14.8. Meeting of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement – PIRLSVenue: University of Jyväskylä, Finnish Institute for Educational Research

19.–21.8. 14th NORDCODE Seminar and WorkshopVenue: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Computer Science and Information Systemswww.nordcode.net/?page_id=1083

2.–4.9. Bioenergy 2015Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centrewww.bioenergiamessut.fi

7.–12.9. Athenis Finlandiae 2015www.athenisfinlandiae.com

23.–25.9. 16th International Symposium ”Combined Endurance and Strength Training for Physical Fitness and Sports Performance: From Science to Practice”Venue: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Biology of Physical Activitywww.jyu.fi/sport/laitokset/liikuntabiologia/en/congresses/intl_symposium_2015

23.–25.9. FinnGraf 2015Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centrefinngrafmessut.fi

23.–25.9. Cybersecurity & ICT 2015Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centrewww.kyberturvallisuusmessut.fi

1.–2.10. Nordic Business ForumLive Stream 2015Venue: Jyväskylä Paviljonki – International Congress and Trade Fair Centrewww.nbforum.com

1.–3.10. City of Light eventvalonkaupunki.jyvaskyla.fi

15.–16.10. Svenskan i Finland 16Venue: University of Jyväskylä, Department of Languageswww.jyu.fi/hum/laitokset/kielet/oppiaineet_kls/ruotsi/tutkimus/sif16/svenskan-i-finland

10.–12.11. Systech Conference – Systematic Learning Solutions Conference & ExpoVenue: University of Jyväskylä

24.–26.11. European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN) CongressVenue: University of Jyväskyläwww.elgpn.eu

ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST INNOVATIVE LEADERS WORKS AT TIIMIAKATEMIA

By Tommi Salo

Tiimiakatemia’s Head Coach Ulla Luukas has been named as one of the world’s 50 most in-novative leaders. The award was made by World CSR Day, an organisation that operates world-wide and specialises in themes related to corpor-ate social responsibility.

The judges making the selection based their choice on the following criteria: the solution of social, economic and environment related problems, the introduction of new approaches into organisational thinking, and the creation, development and adoption of new concepts. At Tiimiakatemia, the entrepreneurship centre of excellence at JAMK University of Applied Sci-ences, the judges were particularly impressed by the level of adaptability and the ability to ‘live the vision’.

A thousand people visit Tiimiakatemia every year. Unknown to Luukas, representatives of World CSR Day had been among the visitors. They were impressed by the innovative team entrepreneurship learning methods, as a result of which Luukas was able to receive her prize in February 2015 at the World CSR Day conference in Mumbai, India.

”It was a great experience to receive the prize at an event attended by delegates from more than 80 countries. People are interested in the Tiimi akatemia story and the way we operate, and this trip will have helped to make Tiimi-akatemia a little more well-known around the world,” Luukas says. n

PETTERI KIVIMÄKI

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www.cyberfinland.fi @cyberfinland

Documents

Jyväskylä On the Move 2/2015 (english)