Aboagora Symposium Awarded as the Humanist Act of the Year
The Faculty of Humanities of the University of Turku has granted the Humanist Act of the Year Award to the Aboagora symposium which has created a new type of forum between arts and science. Johanna Skurnik, who is a doctor in European and world history, was chosen as the Humanist Doctor of the Year.
From the left: Humanist Doctor of the Year Johanna Skurnik, Project Researcher Malla Lehtonen and Director of the Donner Institute Ruth Illman who received the Humanist Act of the Year Award on behalf of Aboagora, and Humanist Master of the Year of the School of History, Culture and Arts Studies Saara Penttinen.
Each year, the Faculty of Humanities grants the Humanist Act of the Year Award to a person, community or activity that promotes humanistic values and methods. The Humanist Act is chosen based on suggestions from the public.
– Since 2011, the Aboagora symposium has brought together research in natural sciences, arts and humanities with an original and fresh approach. With a different theme each year, Aboagora is also an excellent example of both collaboration between universities and their societal interaction. The basis of this interaction is firmly humanistic, but open-minded towards different areas, says Dean Jaakko Suominen.
The Humanist Doctor of the Year was chosen by Professor Emeritus Luigi de Anna, and the recognition was received by Johanna Skurnik. In her dissertation on European and world history, she examines information that was produced on Australia in the mid-19th century British Empire. Skurnik demonstrates the processes of the formation and establishment of geographical knowledge with the help of archival and printed materials as well as correspondence between governors of the official establishments in the Australian colonies and the British Colonial Office.
– Johanna Skurnik’s dissertation reveals that the geographical knowledge provided of Australia served political, economic, and even colonial purposes. This study has an important message: we shouldn't blindly or without criticism believe everything we are told by the rulers or the media which they control. If a dissertation is able to offer a current message to the society, we can say that it is from a free university to free science, notes de Anna.
During the Humanist Day organised on Friday 27 April, the Faculty also awarded two Masters who graduated in 2017. The school of History, Culture and Arts Studies granted the Humanist Master of the Year award to MA Saara Penttinen who did her Master's thesis at the Department of European and World History. The School of Languages and Translation Studies granted the award to MA Olli Huhtinen who did his thesis at the Department of English.
MV/HL
Photo: Hanna Oksanen