The university is a partner in three projects of the Democracy for the Future programme and one project of the Water for Welfare, Security and Peace programme.
The Strategic Research Council (SRC) established within the Research Council of Finland has granted 29 million euros to support research into the future of democracy and water security. The ten consortia of projects to be funded focus on long-term research to find solutions to key societal challenges.
Five consortia were granted funding in the SRC programme Democracy for the Future (DEMOC). Research in the programme will focus on current and future challenges of democracy in Finland and internationally. A total of 14 different research fields and 15 organisations are represented in the selected consortia. The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) is a partner in three consortia.
Overcoming Barriers to Democratic Participation with Minoritized and Marginalized Groups (OBAMA) project will co-create models for supporting democratic participation that are sensitive and anchored to experiences of belonging and social inclusion. Through co-research and co-creation, the project co-investigates and co-develops solutions to inequalities in democratic participation in the context of different marginalized and minoritized groups together with representatives of these groups and stakeholders working with them. The consortia is coordinated by the University of Helsinki. UEF’s partnership in consortia is led by Professor Kaijus Ervasti from the UEF Law School. The funding granted to UEF is 582,733 euros.
The resilience of liberal democracy in Finland (RESLIDE) consortium will evaluate the resilience of liberal democracy in Finland and present solutions for how it can be safeguarded. This involves studying commitment to democratic norms among citizens, politicians and public administrators, explore democratic discourses online and in formal political arenas, and study inequalities in political representation and participation. The consortia is coordinated by the University of Helsinki. UEF’s partnership is led by University Lecturer Kimmo Elo from the Department of Geographical and Historical Studies. The funding granted to UEF is 554,514 euros.
Reducing polarization via material participation (MaterialDemocracy) project focuses on the future of democracy by developing the knowledge base and expertise to respond to the radical societal shifts associated with climate change, urbanisation, green transition and species loss. Consortia is coordinated by the Aalto University. UEF’s partnership is led by Professor Lasse Peltonen from the Department of Geographical and Historical Studies. The funding granted to UEF is 486,841 euros.
Five consortia received funding in the SRC programme Water for Welfare, Security and Peace (WAWE) under this programme will explore water and water resources as a societal issue at both national and global level. Finland has considerable water expertise, which provides a solid foundation for developing new water-related solutions. A total of 13 research fields and 17 organisations are represented in the WaWe consortia. The UEF is a partner in one consortia.
Global connections and collaborative solutions for sustainable water security (GloWater) project tackles the dual water crisis of sustainability and security via the perspective of Finland, Finnish actors and their global connections. Consortia is led by the Finnish Environmental Institute. UEF’s partnership is led by Associate Professor Miina Porkka from the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences. The funding granted to UEF is 559,688 euros.
The SRC also selected programme directors for the two programmes. Meri Kallasvuo, Senior Scientist at Natural Resources Institute Finland, was appointed programme director of the WAWE programme, and Heidi Härkönen, DSS, from the University of Helsinki was appointed programme director of the DEMOC programme.
Source: Strategic Research Council
Further information
Contact information for the principal investigators can be found on UEF Connect.
General inquiries: strateginentutkimus(at)aka.fi