Doctoral Programme in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sustainability in Society

The Doctoral Programme in Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Sustainability in Society (ELOISA) builds on the strengths of world-leading ecological and evolutionary research, and advanced interdisciplinary approaches to environmental challenges.

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This multidisciplinary research community is based at the Faculty of Biological and Environmental sciences. The programme conducts both basic and applied research that addresses the societally relevant challenges found in ecology, evolutionary biology, environmental sciences, sustainability sciences and social-ecological systems.

Research in the fields of the programme is highly internationally networked, but it also has strong local connections, including research focusing on ecosystems in Finnish nature and links to national policymakers on issues such as the ecological impact of climate change, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability.

The doctoral programme offers advanced training to support projects that range from focused disciplinary studies in ecology and evolution to integrative research on socio-ecological systems and sustainability transitions.

We are building on strong disciplinary and interdisciplinary legacies, and both will continue to thrive. I am proud of the proactivity and engagement already shown by our doctoral researchers; their energy is shaping the programme from the ground up.

Key Research Areas

Focus areas covered by the programme include:

Ecology
Biodiversity
Conservation biology
Conservation genetics
Community ecology
Population biology
Macroecology
Biogeography
Biological aspects of environmental change, including climate change
Evolutionary biology
Population genetics
Evolutionary ecology
Evolutionary genetics
Phylogenetics, systematics, comparative biology
Molecular ecology
Behavioral ecology
Microbial ecology
Disease ecology
Theoretical ecology
Statistical ecology
Ecophysiology
Ecology and sustainability
Ecosystem functioning and resilience
Marine and freshwater ecosystems
Arctic ecosystems
Effects of human activity on ecosystems
Urban ecology
Environmental social sciences
Environmental policy
Environmental governance
Human-nature interactions
Multispecies studies
Ethnoecology
Social-ecological systems
Political ecology
Environment and human wellbeing
Societal impact of environmental and climate change
Sustainability and environmental education research

Events & Activities

The annual three-day conference called Spring symposium is always organised in March. Please read more about Spring symposium on the .

The annual writing retreats are organised at some of the of the University of Helsinki.

Courses & studying

ELOISA doctoral programme organises theoretical, methodological and statistical courses annually. You can find the updated .

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