THE FINNISH INSTITUTE IN JAPAN OPENS AN OFFICE IN HOKKAIDO

The Finnish Institute in Japan (FIJ), located in Tokyo, will open a new office in Hokkaido. Official opening reception will be held on March 3, 2011 in Sapporo.

The Hokkaido Office will concentrate on developing researcher career, and enhancing the researcher and professor exchange between the two countries.

The office will be founded in Hokkaido University Sapporo Campus. Hokkaido University is an excellent place to locate the new branch office as FIJ and Finnish universities have been collaborating in the field of arctic research for a long time. Hokkaido University has a high quality of research on various fields; it was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry last year.

In culture and arts FIJ Hokkaido Office will be collaborating with Finland Society in Hokkaido.

MA Martina Tyrisevä has been selected as the director of Hokkaido Office. She has studied Anthropology and Japanese in Universities in Geneve and Neuchâtel. She is writing her Doctor’s Dissertation in the field Ainu research at the Hokkaido University. Tyrisevä has also been living in Mongolia and Lapland, the northern part of Finland, for periods of different length. Besides the director, Hokkaido Office will be hiring specialists responsible for projects.

The Finnish Institute in Japan Hokkaido Office is funded by FIJ, Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland, and Universities of Helsinki, Oulu and Lapland.

The Finnish Institute in Japan

The Finnish Institute in Japan was opened in Tokyo in 1998. Its task is to promote co-operation between Finland and Japan in research, higher education and culture. Its strategic target is to build an academic bridge between Finland and Japan by supporting and enhancing activities on its main fields in a suitable ways.

There are five permanent employees (four in Tokyo and one in Hokkaido) in FIJ, and the director is Ph.D. Heikki Mäkipää.

The Finnish Institute in Japan

3-5-39 Minami-Azabu,

Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8561, Japan

Phone +81-(0)3-5447-6000

Fax +03-(0)3-5447-6041

The Finnish Institute in Japan

Hokkaido Office

Mid-Campus Open Laboratory

Hokkaido University

Kita 12, Nishi 5, Kita-ku

Sapporo 060–0812, Hokkaido, Japan

More information: Martina Tyrisevä

martina.tyriseva[at]finstitute.gr.jp