Several International Scientific Conferences to Turku
Several international top conferences will be organised in Turku in the next few years. In collaboration with the City of Turku, the University of Turku will be hosting scientific conferences in different topics, such as plant biology and entrepreneurship.
International Top Researchers in Plant Biology Meet in Turku
The conference brings together the world’s top researchers of thale cress which is considered as a model plant in plant biology. Approximately 600 scientists will participate in the conference organised on 25–29 June 2018.
The International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR) is organised in northern Europe for the first time. The conference is organised by the Universities of Turku, Helsinki and Oulu and, in addition to the high-quality scientific programme, the international guests have the opportunity to experience the midnight sun and the beauty of the Turku Archipelago.
The theme of the conference is thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), which is a small weed often found by roadsides. Thale cress does not directly benefit, for example, agriculture, but it has a central role in plant biology research.
– Even though thale cress in itself is of no value to the economy, its small genome and the genome analysis tools openly available in different databases enable that researchers have been able to discover fundamental mechanisms related to plants’ growth, development and stress tolerance. Therefore, the research conducted on thale cress has promoted studies aiming at improving the production efficiency of valuable tree species and cultivated plants, explains University Lecturer Saijaliisa Kangasjärvi from the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Turku who has participated in organising the conference.
The City of Turku has assisted in planning and marketing the conference. 
Thale cress is used in research that aims at improving the production efficiency of valuable tree species and cultivated plants.
Europe’s Most Prestigious Conference in Entrepreneurship Research to Turku in 2021
The Entrepreneurship Unit of Turku School of Economics is organising the RENT Research in Entrepreneurship and Small Business conference in Turku in November 2021.
Ulla Hytti, Emmi Laakso and Jarna Heinonen warmly welcome European researchers in entrepreneurship to Turku. RENT has been organised in Turku once before, in 2001. Hytti and Heinonen, who participated in organising the last conference as well, say that the participants still reminisce about their previous visit to Turku. – The conference dinner at Turku Castle in a quiet snowfall left an impression on many.
Two important organisations, the European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB) and European Institute of Advanced Management Studies (EIASM), are behind the annual conference.
The European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship ECSB is responsible for the contents and scientific level of the conference together with the local organisers. The researchers of entrepreneurship at Turku School of Economics are active members of the organisation and its secretariat is located in Turku. The goal of ECSB is to support the career development and networks of European researchers and to develop research in entrepreneurship. The practical arrangements are carried out by EIASM that supports management research and postgraduate studies.
Research Director Ulla Hytti, Professor Jarna Heinonen and Project Researcher Emmi Laakso from the Entrepreneurship Unit of Turku School of Economics made the conference application with the support of the Congress Services of Visit Turku. The City of Turku supports the application and planning of scientific conferences.
– Turku was selected as the organiser of the RENT conference as we are known for our high-quality research on entrepreneurship and Turku as an organiser of first-rate conferences. RENT is known globally and organising it strengthens the recognition of our entrepreneurship research and researchers, say the organisers.
The themes of the conference are related to different models and impact of entrepreneurial universities.
– The University of Turku has a strategy for entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship training and it wants to develop entrepreneurial attitudes and practices in the entire University community by profiling itself as an entrepreneurial university. Also other European universities have the same goal, so in 2021 it will be interesting to discuss this theme on the basis of research results.
JV, TS/MR
Photos: Logomo and Moona Rahikainen, Taru Suhonen