At the KAUS event in May, doctoral researchers in mathematics met and connected with recently graduated young researchers. KAUS was part of the Nordic Nordan conference focused on complex analysis, which was organized for the first time in mainland Finland.
- Text Marianne Mustonen
- Photos Niko Jouhkimainen, Jani Virtanen and Mostphotos
“We were positively surprised by the large number of participants at the KAUS & Nordan 2026 event, as well as by how high-level the mathematical program ultimately turned out to be,“ said University Lecturer Janne Gröhn from the University of Eastern Finland's Department of Physics and Mathematics.
The KAUS day and the actual Nordan 2026 conference were held on the Joensuu campus. The event also included an excursion to Koli.
“The participants' enthusiasm was clearly conveyed: the scientific program, the Joensuu environment, and the trip to the peak of Koli received plenty of praise,“ Gröhn stated.
From the University of Eastern Finland's Department of Physics and Mathematics, doctoral researcher Atte Pennanen and Siyu Wang, who had just completed her doctorate in complex analysis, participated in the event.
“I think KAUS is a really good idea. At the beginning of a research career, conferences can be a bit intimidating for many, so an event for young researchers before the actual conference is indeed welcome,“ Pennanen said.
“KAUS offers young researchers a great opportunity to communicate and present their research to their peers in a supportive environment. I also found it interesting to hear other presentations and how people from different fields think,“ Wang added.
According to Pennanen, the event is certainly the first time for many to speak to an audience outside their own university. In that case, an audience consisting of other young researchers certainly makes speaking easier.
“I had attended the KAUS event the previous year as well, so I already knew to expect nice activities in the company of other young researchers.“
According to Pennanen and Wang, mathematics researchers have a strong and encouraging international community.
“People are very nice! I've had a really good time and these events are actually the highlights of my work year – it's always nice to meet new people, see old acquaintances, and catch up,“ Pennanen said.
“People have a strong interest in mathematics and enjoy discussing with each other,“ stated Wang.
Mathematics was compelling already during school years
The academic careers of Pennanen and Wang are progressing at a good pace. Pennanen's articles to be included in his dissertation are already ready, while Wang just defended her thesis on the topic Bergman kernel estimates and fractional derivatives with applications to operator theory.
Pennanen researches operator theory in weighted Bergman spaces, more precisely, the research is based on a situation where the weights are doubling.
“The biggest task still required for graduation is actually writing the dissertation itself, which is intended to be completed in the coming months,“ he said.
Pennanen has always been interested in mathematics in some way, so studying mathematics after high school was a natural choice. However, it wasn't really until after his Bachelor's studies that he began to consider mathematical research as a job that would interest him.
Currently, the dream would be to continue in academia and continue working in research.
Atte Pennanen
Doctoral Researcher
"Regarding research, the plan is to stay within the same thematic environment, but while trying to expand it a bit, constantly learning something new,“ he pondered.
Wang is particularly interested in operator theory in function spaces. She has liked mathematics since her school days.
“I've liked mathematics since school, because it gave me a sense of clarity. In mathematics, something is either right or wrong. If it is right, there must be a rigorous proof; if it is wrong, there must be a counterexample,” she said.
“Later, when I encountered more advanced theory, the deep structure of function spaces and the interesting phenomena there really attracted me."
I intend to deepen my research in my current field, but also to broaden my mathematical background.
Siyu Wang
Postdoctoral Researcher
Ideally, I would like to combine ideas from different fields and build a much broader understanding.”
A good work atmosphere and nice colleagues are an important part of a researcher's daily life
Pennanen and Wang have been very happy at the University of Eastern Finland's Department of Physics and Mathematics.
“I have been very happy at the University of Eastern Finland right from the start. A good aspect of a small department is that I got to know the staff already during my basic degree studies. As a work environment, the department is also very good, the staff is really nice, and you can always get help with anything if needed,” Pennanen said.
“The atmosphere at the department is friendly, peaceful and academic. It is a calm and focused environment where one can simply work and think about mathematics,” Wang added.
They have lunch with colleagues in Joensuu city center and also spend free time together.
“I have made several friends from the Department of Physics and Mathematics, and with them, we have, for example, gone to do sports or gone out to eat. Often, we also go for lunch in the city center in a small group on Fridays,” Pennanen said.
