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Societas Scientiarum Fennica - The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters
Founded in 1838 in order
to promote discussion and publishing in the disciplines of science and
the humanities. The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters is an independent society for researchers from all fields of research. It works to promote science and the humanities by arranging public lectures,
seminars and symposia and debates on topical themes,
ORGANIZATION The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters is a scientific academy to which researchers are invited because of their academic merits. The Society is divided into four sections: I: mathematics and physics, II: biosciences, III: the humanities, IV: social sciences. Thirty lifetime members belong to each section. When a member is 67 years old his/her seat becomes vacant, but these members still retain their full rights. The number of ordinary members is thus 120. At the moment (2010), there are 121 senior members. There are currently 119 foreign members The affairs of the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters are taken care of by its board. The members of the board are: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Permanent Secretary, one representative of each section and his or her deputy and a ninth member. The execution of the decisions of the board is supervised by the Permanent Secretary and the Treasurer (for financial matters), both chosen for unspecified periods of time. They are assisted by a secretary. There is a committee of experts for the financial management. The ordinary monthly meetings have a central role in decision making.
FOUNDATIONS, PRIZES AND
GRANTS
The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters administers a considerable capital invested in real estate, bonds and shares. The profit is mainly used for awarding grants and prizes. The Society is also responsible for the awarding of grants from the Magnus Ehrnrooth foundation to the disciplines of astronomy, mathematics, physics and chemistry. Members and even other researchers, with the recommendation of two members of the Society, may apply for grants from the Society’s funds, for example, for congress trips. The period for application is at the beginning of the year. The prizes are: The E.J. Nyström
Prize, 25 000 € at present. The prize is awarded for academic merits.
PUBLICATIONS The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters publishes a yearbook , with the texts of lectures and commemorative words. The Society has published 25 volumes in a series on the history of the various fields of science and letters in Finland from 1828-1918. It is now published in cooperation with The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, as are a series on mathematics, two on the humanities, one on social science, and two series on folklore and on ethnography. The publishing activity is subsidized by the state.
ORGANS OF COOPERATION Our two scientific academies, The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters and The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, have founded a joint organ, The Delegation of the Finnish Academies of Science and Letters, in which the technical academies are also represented. The Delegation attends to a great part of the academies’ contacts with the public authorities and the international scientific community. The Society has two representatives in the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies.
THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION The annual celebration of the Society is by tradition on April 29, the birthday of czar Alexander II. The grants and prizes are awarded during this celebration. Chairman: Professor Pekka Pyykkö |