The morning event Get to know EASSH was attended by faculty and research leadership from the fields of social sciences and humanities (SSH) of the member universities. During the event, Lombardo presented EASSH's activities, as well as current updates and issues related to ongoing political discussions shaping the EU's future research funding programs (2028–2034). The event also addressed how university leadership can influence science policy. Lombardo encouraged SSH leaders to actively participate in science policy discussions and decision-making through various methods and channels. She emphasized that science policy is a shared interest for universities and should be advanced strategically.
In the afternoon, an open event New direction for social sciences and humanities: Finnish SSH-expertise at the center of Europe was held for SSH researchers. At the beginning of the event, Lombardo introduced EASSH's activities and discussed the future prospects of SSH fields in the context of EU policy. Lombardo highlighted that a key interest for SSH fields in the ongoing planning of EU funding programs is to convince EU policymakers that the funding in the "Society" section of the planned Horizon Europe funding instrument’s Pillar 2 should be specifically allocated to SSH research. The amount of funding directed toward SSH fields during the EU’s next research funding period will significantly depend on this straightforward interpretation, which, unfortunately, is not guaranteed.
The afternoon event also featured three additional prepared speeches addressing the visibility, new initiatives, challenges, and influencing opportunities of SSH fields at the European level. Roger Norum (Professor of Cultural Anthropology, University of Oulu) presented Finnish SSH research as exotic and trendy within the European context. Maija Setälä (Professor of Political Science, University of Turku) expressed concern that SSH research in Finland is conducted on a much smaller scale compared to other Nordic countries and emphasized the need for better career paths for young researchers. Johanna Kantola (Professor of European Studies, University of Helsinki) shared her personal experience of how research can successfully influence EU policy, provided the right voice is heard in the right place. Additionally, Kantola reminded the audience of the importance of upholding and fostering European values such as gender equality and anti-racism, and she considered how the Finnish academic community could better safeguard academic freedom and the safety of researchers.
Jussi Varkemaa (Secretary General of the Scientific Council for Social Sciences and Humanities, Research Council of Finland) also gave a speech, explaining how the Research Council of Finland operates to influence EU funding policy. According to Varkemaa, for Finnish science policy to have an impact in Europe, it requires a unified voice, original contributions, and like-minded partners. On a positive note, he mentioned that research funding from the Research Council of Finland is increasing, which is significant for SSH fields, as they account for approximately 25% of the Council’s funding. However, with the increase in funding comes rising expectations and demands to demonstrate the societal impact of research. This is understandable and justified since the Research Council of Finland’s funding comes from taxpayers, Varkemaa noted. On a less positive note, he referred to the recent rise in public and hostile attacks against researchers and projects. Varkemaa emphasized that the Academy of Finland is prepared to actively defend researchers and academic freedom.
During the audience discussion, various questions, initiatives, practical strategies, and actions were raised. Some tensions were evident, such as concerns about the value of independent basic research and the diversity of perspectives within SSH fields. However, participants generally seemed to share a consensus that more active engagement in science policy is essential for SSH fields. This requires both a more unified front from SSH fields and better efforts to highlight and emphasize the societal significance of SSH research.