Programme continuously updated

Last update 8 August

EXCELLENCE STEMS FROM PEOPLE -

RESEARCH POLICY CONFERENCE IN TURKU, FINLAND 27-28 AUGUST 2007

Venue: University of Turku, Educarium Building, Edu 1, Assistentinkatu 5

Sunday, August 26th: Arrival and get-together

Monday, August 27th

8.30 Registration starts at the congress venue

9.30 Coffee

10.00 Opening of the Conference

· Chair and Introduction: Secretary General Halldór Ásgrímsson, Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM)

· Welcome: Finnish Minister of Culture and Sport Stefan Wallin

· Keynote speech: Director General Petri Peltonen, Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI)

10.40 Orientation: Excellence in Research – European and Nordic Perspective

· Keynote speech: Professor Fotis Kafatos, President, European Research Council (ERC)

· Keynote speech: Professor Liselotte Højgaard, Chair of the Standing Committee of the European Medical Research Councils (EMRC)

11.30 Coffee

12.00 Session 1: Identifying Excellence

Chair of session: Director Liisa Hakamies-Blomqvist, NordForsk

· Criteria and indicators for evaluating excellence: Dr William Cannell, Head of Unit, European Research Council (ERC)

· Experiences from Nordic Centre of Excellence and associated graduate school: Professor Markku Kulmala, University of Helsinki

· Comparative perspective; Identifying various forms of excellence: Professor Gretty Mirdal, University of Copenhagen

13.15 Lunch

14.15 Session 2: Attracting, Building and Maintaining Excellence

Chair of session: President Markku Mattila, Academy of Finland

· Creative research environments, infrastructure and the human potential: Deputy Director General Anneli Pauli, DG Joint Research Centre

· Views of young talents and established top researchers: Eurodoc President Koen H. van Dam

· The research career and mobility of excellence: Professor Alexandre Quintanilha, University of Porto

· Excellence from an enterprise’s perspective: Vice President Ann-Christine Sundell, PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences

16.00 Optional programme: Site visits to excellent research sites at the universities in Turku; short presentation by the researchers – 7 sites in different research areas or visit to the Aboa Vetus Museum (archaeological history of Turku)

19.30 Dinner at the Castle of Turku

Tuesday, August 28th

09.00 Session 3: Balance between Stability and Mobility of Excellence

Chair of session: Secretary-General Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker, European Research Council (ERC)

· Career and mobility of researchers: new EU perspectives: Cornelis-Mario Vis, European Commission, DG Research

· Excellence and competitive niches in Nordic research collaborations: Challenges and bottlenecks: Professor Leena Peltonen, Finnish National Public Health Institute

· Bridging as a strategy for creating excellence in research
-bridging between disciplines, sectors and cultures: Professor Lene Lange, University of Copenhagen

· Career, age and gender perspectives in researcher mobility: Dr. Anne Ephrussi, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

10.45 Coffee

11.15 Session 4: Strengthening and Improving Life-long Excellence

Chair of session: Director General Sakari Karjalainen, Ministry of Education

Panel Discussion

Chair of the panel discussion: Chancellor Eero Vuorio, University of Turku

Panellist’s: Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker, Leena Peltonen, Anne Ephrussi, Anneli Pauli & Lene Lange

· Excellence at different stages, the life span of excellence

· Research environments and excellence

· Research careers: researcher profiles, also with a gender perspective: Careers of men and women

· Excellence in the course of my life

12.45 Closing of Conference by Sakari Karjalainen & Eero Vuorio

· Closing words – Chair of session

· Conclusions, outcome

13.15 Lunch