Publication series

The project will result in a book series on The History of Science in Finland in Finnish, Swedish and English. The editors-in-chief of the book series are Rector Jari Ojala (University of Jyväskylä), Professor Henrik Meinander (University of Helsinki) and Docent Heini Hakosalo (University of Oulu).

The multi-volume book series is divided into three chronological volumes. The first one examines the role of science and researchers in constructing the nation-state during its first decades (from 1918 onwards). Associating with the intellectual legacy of the victorious party of the Civil War was characteristic of the Finnish scientific community. To what degree did the scientific community support the solidification of the still fragile democracy, and, on the other hand, challenged it along with the rise of right-wing radicalism in the 1920s and 1930s? The question of maintaining international relations during a period of instability is one of the main themes. The impact of war and post-war austerity and reconstruction for the development of science is another central theme. Whereas the United States embarked on its project on Big Science with immense resources after World War II, the material conditions for conducting research were extremely limited in Finland. On the other hand, the majority of Europe found themselves in the same situation.

The second chronological part encompasses the decades of expansion of science, research and higher education from the late 1950s to the 1980s. This period has also been described as the birth of a national research framework, which was characterised, by a belief in scientific and technological progress, on one hand, and the rise of social sciences, on the other. Did Finnish science undergo similarly abrupt and systemic structural changes as the rest of society? To what degree were scientific activities built on existing networks and institutions during these decades, and to what extent were completely new ones initiated and created? Science policy brought about new universities and increased funding, but did it foster corresponding economic stability and societal status? Was the sharp increase in the number of women in Finnish higher education from the 1950s internationally exceptional?

The third volume focuses on the changes that have taken place in the academic world during the last four decades. A central theme for this period is the consolidation of the European research framework through the ESR and ERC funding schemes as well as the Bologna Process. How did the exceptionally severe Finnish recession of the 1990s impact the conduction of research and ideals associated with it? How have the economic challenges of the welfare state and the intensifying international competition influenced the researcher profession, the appreciation of science and the material preconditions for research? Have these processes had equal impacts for STEM fields as for the humanities?

In addition to the chronological structure, the publication series includes cross-cutting themes examined throughout the entire period examined. These themes are related to the practical aspects of the scientists’ profession, in particular: the establishment of scientific communities (scientific associations; disciplinary, gender, language and class boundaries), spaces and places for conducting research (laboratories, field work, lecture halls and seminars, libraries and archives), research objectives (university, i.e. basic research vs. applied, i.e. industrial research), funding sources and their impact, the meaning of scientific knowledge and the possibility of influence of scholars, the impact of technological revolutions for scientific practices (e.g. ICT), as well as how scientists have experienced these changes.