Rules

Rules governing the affairs of

THE FINNISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCE AND LETTERS

Ratified by the Finnish Patent and Registration Office on 27 May 2025

1 § Aims

(1) The aims of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (hereinafter referred to as the Academy) are to promote scientific and academic research, to serve as a bond between those engaged in such research at a high level in order to increase scholarly interaction and to encourage use of the results of this research for decision-making purposes within society at large.

(2) The Academy shall pursue these aims by arranging meetings and training courses at which papers are presented and discussions held, issuing statements of opinion and proposals for action, making its opinions known on questions concerned with research and the status and functions of research staff and on current affairs within civil society, editing, publishing and distributing scientific and other academic publications, supporting those who perform research, directing capable persons towards participation in such research and providing expert advisory services based on a broad and exhaustive overview of existing research and consultation with acknowledged experts.

(3) The Academy’s place of residence is Helsinki.

2 § Division into sections and groups

The Academy shall be divided into two sections, the Section of Science and the Section of the Humanities. These in turn shall be divided into groups according to the disciplines they represent. The names of the groups and their disciplines shall be decided on at statutory meetings of the Academy or at extraordinary meetings called for this purpose.

3 § Members

The Academy shall have ordinary members, external members and honorary members.

4 § Qualifications for membership and grounds for dismissal

(1) Ordinary members shall be of Finnish nationality or resident in Finland and external members of foreign nationality. All members shall be of proven excellence in their own field of academic research.

(2) The Academy may terminate the membership of any person who has been found guilty of acting dishonestly within the academic community.

5 § Membership numbers

The numbers of members to be elected to each section shall be decided upon at a statutory or extraordinary meeting of the Academy.

6 § Appointment of honorary members

An especially meritorious researcher or patron of academic study may be invited to be an honorary member of the Academy.

7 § Voting rights and right to attend and speak

(1) Only ordinary members and honorary members shall be entitled to vote at Academy meetings.

(2) External members and the secretary general shall have the right to attend and speak at Academy meetings.

(3) The chair of a meeting may grant other persons the right to attend and speak.

8 § Election of new members

(1) Each section shall have a Selection Committee for the election of new members. This committee shall consist of eight (8) members and shall be representative of the disciplines of the section. The committee members shall be nominated by the Academy’s statutory Autumn Meeting for a term of four (4) years so that one fourth of the members are replaced each year.

(2) A written proposal with justifications shall be submitted with respect to each proposed new ordinary or external member by at least two existing ordinary members or honorary members.

(3) The Selection Committee for each section shall consider the proposals in light of the permitted number of new members laid down for the section under §5 and submit its proposals to the sections. The members of the sections shall have the opportunity to review the Selection Committee’s proposals electronically or in writing before the section meeting. The selection of ordinary and external members of the Academy shall be discussed in the section and at the Spring Meeting. The section meeting shall be held at least two weeks before the Spring Meeting.

(4) The election of new ordinary or external members of the Academy requires the approval of at least two thirds of the ordinary members present at the meeting of the section concerned and thereafter a two-thirds majority of the votes cast at the election at the Spring Meeting.

9 § Membership fees

The Academy will not expect its members to pay any membership fee.

10 § Governing board

(1) The Academy shall have a governing board to represent it and manage its affairs.

(2) The governing board shall consist of nine (9) ordinary members of the Academy as follows: president, vice president, treasurer, secretaries of the two sections and four annual members.

(3) The governing board shall be quorate when either the president or vice president and at least four other members are present. If both the president and vice president are absent or disqualified, the meeting shall be quorate when at least six members are present.

(4) Documents may be signed on the Academy’s behalf by any two together from among the president, vice president and secretary general, or alternatively any two board members together if authorized to do so by the board of the Academy. The board may also authorize the treasurer or secretary general alone to sign documents on the Academy’s behalf.

(5) The governing board is obliged to manage the Academy’s affairs with due care and diligence and in accordance with the law, these rules and the decisions of the Academy. It shall ensure that the Academy’s accounts are kept as required by law and that its finances are organized in a reliable manner. It shall decide on any sale, exchange or mortgaging of Academy property and on the distribution of grants and scholarships in accordance with these rules and the decisions of the Academy.

11 § President and vice president of the Academy

The term of office of the president and vice president of the Academy shall be two calendar years, and they shall be elected alternately from the two sections. Each also serves as chairperson of their respective section. A member who has served as president for two calendar years cannot be immediately re-elected as president or vice president.

12 § Other elected officials

The treasurer and the secretaries of the sections shall be elected from among the ordinary members for a term of five calendar years, but no more than two consecutive terms. The term of office for annual members shall be one calendar year, and they may be elected for a maximum of three consecutive terms.

13 § Appointment of a substitute

If an elected official referred to above in § 10–12 is unable to continue until the end of their term of office, the governing board shall appoint a substitute for the elected official until the next Autumn Meeting.

14 § Secretary General

The Academy shall have a secretary general who is appointed and dismissed by the governing board. The secretary general shall be responsible for presenting matters to the governing board, implementing the board’s decisions and heading the Academy’s office.

15 § Publishing activities

(1) The Academy shall publish a Year Book and edit various series of scientific publications.

(2) The publishing committee shall be responsible for the Academy’s publishing activities under the supervision of the governing board.

(3) The publishing committee shall consist of the president and vice president of the governing board of the Academy for the duration of their term of office, together with the editors-in-chief of the Academy’s publication series and the secretary general, as well as such other members as the board may deem necessary. The treasurer may also attend the meetings of the publishing committee.

16 § Property management

(1) The Academy’s properties and assets shall be managed by the governing board and the treasurer, with a property management committee acting as an advisory body.

(2) The property management committee shall be appointed by the governing board of the Academy from among its members. In addition, the board may appoint one or more financial experts to the committee. Meetings of the property management committee may be summoned by the chair of the committee, the secretary general or the treasurer.

17 § Subject groups

(1) Each group shall elect a chairperson, vice chairperson and secretary from among its members for a term of five calendar years. A group chairperson may not be re-elected for the next five-year term.

(2) If any of the positions mentioned in clause 1 above should become vacant before the end of the five-year term of office, it shall be filled for the remainder of the term.

18 § Auditing of the accounts

(1) An auditor and deputy auditor shall be appointed to inspect the Academy’s accounts and administration for each calendar year. Both the auditor and deputy auditor must be auditors approved by the Central Chamber of Commerce.

(2) The Academy’s financial year shall be concurrent with the calendar year. A statement of accounts shall be submitted to the auditor for audit by 15 March and the auditor shall present a written auditor’s report to the Academy’s Spring Meeting.

19 § Academy meetings

(1) The Academy’s meetings are either statutory or extraordinary meetings. The statutory meetings shall be the Spring and Autumn Meetings.

(2) An extraordinary meeting of the Academy shall be held when so decided by a meeting of the Academy or its governing board, or when at least 20 ordinary members or one tenth (1/10) of the members entitled to vote request the governing board to do so for the discussion of a particular issue.

(3) The president of the Academy or, if necessary, the vice president in their stead shall act as chairperson of the statutory and extraordinary meetings of the Academy. If both are absent or disqualified, the meeting shall elect a chairperson from among the members present.

(4) Votes shall take place by secret ballot, if required. In the event of a tie, the chairperson shall have the casting vote, except in the election of persons, when the decision shall be made by drawing lots.

20 § Matters to be discussed at statutory meetings

(1) At the Spring Meeting, held in April:

1. the Academy’s annual report, the statement of accounts and the auditor’s report are presented;
2. a decision will be made on the approval of the annual report, the confirmation of the statement of accounts, the discharge from financial liability and any measures arising out of the Academy’s administration and accounts;
3. new members to the Academy are elected; and
4. other matters as detailed in the notice of meeting are discussed.

(2) At the Autumn Meeting, held in October or November:

1. the annual members of the board and the auditor and deputy auditor are elected for a term of office beginning at the start of the following calendar year, as well as the president, vice president, treasurer and secretaries of the sections at the end of their respective terms of office;
2. the budget and plan of activities for the coming calendar year are confirmed; and
3. other matters as detailed in the notice of meeting are discussed.

If any of the positions mentioned in subsection (2) paragraph 1 above become vacant before the end of the term of office, they shall be filled for the remainder of that term at the Autumn Meeting of the Academy.

21 § Notice of meeting

Meetings of the Academy are convened by a notice of meeting sent at least ten (10) days before the meeting either by letter or e-mail to the address provided by the member or by an announcement posted on the Academy’s website ten (10) days before the meeting.

22 § Amendment of the rules

Any decision to amend these rules shall be made by a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes cast at two meetings of the Academy with an interval of at least two weeks between them, with at least the second being a statutory meeting. The proposed amendment shall be specifically mentioned in the notice of the meeting.

23 § Termination of the Academy’s activities

Any decision to terminate the activities of the Academy shall be taken on the initiative of the governing board as provided in § 22, provided that there is an interval of at least two months between the two meetings. The final meeting shall decide on the disposal of the Academy’s remaining assets by donating them to a cause that promotes scientific and academic study in Finland.