Finland holds the rank of the happiest country in the world according to the UN World Happiness Report — for the fifth consecutive time. Finland is a member of the EU and (as Finnish is not the easiest language) almost everybody can speak English. Finland has beautiful nature, is the most forested country in Europe, the "Land of a Thousand Lakes" (although tens of thousands might have been more accurate), and is one of the countries with the cleanest air in the world. Finland has wonderful summers with long days and a rich culture, with many fascinating customs, traditions, events, and festivals. But come and see for yourself ...
Finland can be directly reached by plane from all bigger cities in Europe and there are also direct flights to Asia and America including the US Westcoast. For visitors from Central Europe, we also encourage taking the "scenic route" by ferry from Estonia, Germany, or Stockholm.
Helsinki is the capital of Finland. It is located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland in the south of the country. With a population of roughly 650.000 people, it is the third largest city in the Nordic countries and the most Northern Capital of the European Union. The capital region has almost 1.5 million inhabitants. Helsinki is known for its functional and stylish architecture and the natural environment with many beautiful islands, coasts, and forests it is surrounded by. Especially summers with their long days with often more than 18 hours of sunlight make Helsinki and Finland a wonderful location for our conference.
The welcome reception will be hosted by the City of Helsinki in will take place in the Helsinki City Hall directly overlooking the market square and the baltic sea. Completed in 1833 it is the seat of the city council of Helsinki and hosts the offices of the mayor.
The main venue for EED 2024 will be the main building of the University. It was completed in 1832 but will be freshly renovated in 2024. Located next to the Government's Palace and the Helsinki Cathedral it is in the middle of Helsinki's neoclassical center.
Particular exciting will be our plenary talks, not only because of the speakers that will represent the diversity and excellence of our Evo-Devo research community but also because it will be in the beautiful "Juhlasali", the festive hall of the University and one of the most exclusive venues for festive events and concerts in Helsinki.
But Helsinki does not only offer old beautiful buildings, but also exciting modern architecture as showcased by the venue of our conference dinner. The Pikku-Finlandia was designed by architecture students from Aalto University and its wooden architecture is a great example of contemporary and sustainable architecture. Located in the center of Helsinki's modern architecture and next to the Töölö bay it will be a fantastic place to end our conference with a delicious conference dinner, followed by a conference party for everyone including live music and dancing.
All locations are in the city center, close to the main railway station, and all well connected by excellent public transport. The whole conference will happen in one building, the university's main building. The city hall, where the welcome reception will happen is only a 5 min walk away. Pikku-Finlandia, our conference dinner location is only a 20 min walk (or four tram stops).