Una Europa, as a community deeply committed to long-term collaboration. The Una Europa Focus Areas represent interdisciplinary fields that unite researchers from partner institutions across a wide spectrum of disciplines.
These areas reflect some of the most pressing global and societal challenges. Simultaneously, they allow intrinsic curiosity and innovation necessary for addressing emerging challenges in the future. Each focus area has an appointed self-steering committee of academics choosing the priorities of research and education.
Una Europa supports the focus areas in developing signature formats for funding calls and activities like summer schools to make sure there are sufficient support available.
In today's world, data has transformed the way we live, work, communicate, and make decisions. The ever-evolving fields of data science and AI will have a pervasive impact on society in all aspects - technologically, legally, ethically, and democratically.
Members of the Self-Steering Committee from University of Helsinki
Jussi Kangasharju, Professor, Department of Computer Science
Jukka Nurminen, Professor, Department of Computer Science
Laura Ruotsalainen, Associate professor, Department of Computer Science
Dorota Glowacka, Associate professor, Department of Computer Science
Cultural heritage contributes to understanding identities and to promoting cohesion in communities disrupted by bewildering change and economic instability. Una Europa embraces the upstream approach, evidencing the role of culture in promoting the sustainability of various resource efforts.
Members of the Self-Steering Committee from University of Helsinki:
Rick Bonnie, University Lecturer, Department of Cultures
Jukka Kortti, University Lecturer, Political History
Kirsi Saarikangas, Professor, Department of Cultures
'Europe and the World' is a area of the 'European Studies' in the 1Europe project that aims to examine the international role of the European Union (EU) in different areas. These areas are significant due to increasing tensions globally, the demand for renewed cooperation with state and non-state actors, and the necessity for a comparative perspective to better understand diversity.
The EU and the world face the paradox of increasing polarization on the one hand and the need for deepened international cooperation on the other hand in each of these areas.
Members the Self-Steering Committee from the University of Helsinki:
David Inglis, Professor, Sociology
Johanna Kantola, Professor, Centre for European Studies
The discovery of new materials has played a significant role in shaping modern life, and the challenges of the 21st century. Una Europa is establishing a focus area dedicated to the development of novel materials with potential applications in various fields. The progress in this area will be supported by new research tools and scientific methods.
Members the Self-Steering Committee from the University of Helsinki:
Pedro Camargo, Professor, Department of Chemistry
Sami Hietala, Senior University Lecturer, Department of Chemistry
Robert Luxenhofer, Professor, Department of Chemistry
One Health is a multidisciplinary approach that addresses global health issues involving animals, plants, and humans, as well as their shared environment. By studying the health of animals, solutions for human health problems can be found, and vice versa.
One Health emphasizes the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment, and the need for collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary approaches. Una Europa aims to establish a strong One Health actor on the European stage and create links with key strategic initiatives at the EU level.
Members the Self-Steering Committee from the University of Helsinki:
Sarah Green, Professor, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Helsinki One Health (HOH)
Annamari Heikinheimo, Assistant Professor, Food Hygiene and Environmental Health
Olli Peltoniemi, Professor, Animal Reproduction Science, Helsinki One Health (HOH)
The aim of the focus area is to turn Una Europa into a single transnational campus that generates innovative cross disciplinary knowledge not only between disciplines, but also in interaction with society, to elaborate and foster the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development further scientifically.
Una Europa offers a unique opportunity to address the interrelated challenges outlined in the 2030 Agenda in an international inter-institutional context.
Members the Self-Steering Committee from the University of Helsinki:
Silvia Gaiani, Senior Researcher, Ruralia Institute
Jukka Mähönen, Professor, Faculty of Law
Laura Riuttanen, University Lecturer, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)