The annual Atlantis meeting in Helsinki

The Atlantis is a two-year dual Master’ degree programme organised by the University of Helsinki, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Michigan Technological University (MTU) in which students spend one semester in Finland and in Sweden and two semesters in USA. 

The annual Atlantis meeting was held this year in Helsinki. In total 28 researchers, teachers and students from all the partner universities participated in the meeting.

The head of the Department of Forest Sciences, Esko Mikkonen opened the three-day meeting on Tuesday the 2nd of August. The first two days were reserved for presentations of researchers and students. Some of the research projects carried out at the Department were presented by Jaana Bäck, Ellen Eigemeier and Frank Berninger. Also Mike Starr and Bo Dahlin participated in the meeting. Furthermore, six of the current Finnish Atlantis students (Elina Inkiläinen, Petri Latva-Käyrä, Hanna-Lotta Heikkonen, Aino Virtanen, Lilli Kaarakka and Matleena Vuola) gave all nice presentations on their (future) thesis projects. All presentations (researchers and students) will be available at Atlantis webpage.

After the presentations and discussions in Viikki, the faculty members travelled to Hyytiälä Forestry Field Station on Wednesday afternoon. The weather was perfect and the guests enjoyed sauna and swimming in the lake. Next day the guests were introduced to hands-on forestry education as we visited the field course in forest and wood technology. And what would be a trip to Finland without a visit to a bog? Siikaneva welcomed the visitors with an encompassing silence and gentle wind blowing through the open areas and small forest islands.

The next Atlantis meeting will be in North Carolina in 2012. Department’s teachers and researchers are more than welcome to participate (funding available).

Text: Maija Kovanen