The University of Sopron held discussions on green innovations in Finland

During the visit to Finland, the Vice-Rector of the University of Sopron met with the Head of the Department of Forestry of the University of Helsinki, as well as the Director of Customer Service and International Relations of the Finnish Natural Resources Institute (Luke). A meeting was also held with the Head of the Department of Forestry of the Tampere University of Technology, in which potential areas of cooperation between the two universities were reviewed. Professor Lakatos also participated in the “Tree dialogue” forestry conference organized in cooperation with the Embassy of Hungary in Helsinki, the Embassy of Iceland in Helsinki and the European Forestry Institute. Here, he explained the important role of resilient forests in terms of biodiversity and species well-being, and presented the current state of European forests.

Prof. During Dr. Ferenc Lakatos’ discussions with Finnish partners, the Finnish partners showed great openness to exploring specific cooperation opportunities with the University of Sopron, including in the areas of high-tech applications, forest ecosystem research, and joint teacher and student mobility programs, – assessed the visit by Klára Breuer, Ambassador of Hungary to Finland.

“Forestry is a strategically important sector in Finland, with a high-quality research background and a recognized higher education institution system. The European Forestry Institute is headquartered in Joensuu, Eastern Finland, of which the University of Sopron is an associate member. Prof. Dr. Ferenc Lakatos also participated in the meeting in Budapest between Robert Mavsar, Director of EFI, and Péter Zambo, State Secretary for Forests and Land Affairs at the Ministry of Agriculture, during which they also discussed Hungary’s accession. Our country’s membership can further strengthen the domestic forestry professional presence and contribute to the expansion of international research and innovation cooperation”

– the ambassador emphasized, adding that both he and the Foreign Economic Attaché Anett Pintér, who helped organize the visit, remain available.

The University of Helsinki is Finland’s largest and oldest university, with approximately 30000 students and 8000 staff, and 20 forestry research groups operating in technological, ecological and business-oriented research areas.

“The Department of Forestry of the University of Helsinki During our meeting with the head of the department, Markus Holopainen, we reviewed the possibilities of future cooperation – emphasized Prof. Dr. Ferenc Lakatos, Vice-Rector of the University of Sopron. “We also discussed the launch of joint student and faculty mobility programs and research projects. The University of Helsinki’s research station in Hyytiälä offers excellent fieldwork opportunities for our students. We highlighted the areas where our institutions can work more closely together – such as artificial intelligence, data science, automation, remote sensing, and the study of forest pests, especially weevils. Another interesting point of connection is the University of British Columbia in Canada, with which the University of Helsinki operates a double degree program, and where the community of the University of Sopron is also present due to our historical traditions – since after the 1956 revolution, many students and faculty from Sopron found a new home there.”

“Luke” is the name of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry A Finnish public research institute under the Ministry, whose task is to promote competitive business based on the sustainable use of renewable natural resources, as well as the well-being and viability of rural areas. At the meeting, the parties mentioned projects within the framework of Horizon Europe, as well as wooden architecture, bio-based adhesives, forest monitoring and biodiversity issues as possible cooperation opportunities.

The possibility of establishing exchange programs between the two universities and exploring cooperation in the fields of forest pedagogy and design were also raised during the meeting held at Tampere University of Technology.