Faculty of Social Sciences

Centres of Excellence in Research

The Academy of Finland designates national centres of excellence from among research and researcher education units that consist of one or more high-profile research groups that are either at or very close to the international cutting edge in their own field of expertise. The centres of excellence share a clear set of objectives and work under the same management. A centre of excellence may operate within a university and/or research institute.

The Research Unit on Economic Structures and Growth (RUESG)

The Research Unit on Economic Structures and Growth (RUESG), which operates under the auspices of the Department of Economics in the Faculty of Social Sciences, was established in 1995 upon the proposal of the Academy of Finland . Since then, the unit has been named twice as a centre of excellence, including for the ongoing 2002-2007 period. Both of the appointments have followed intense competition against other units for this coveted distinction.

The Research Unit on Economic Structures and Growth consists of three research groups led by Professor Erkki Koskela, Professor Pentti Saikkonen and Professor Rune Stenbacka. Professor Koskela also heads the whole unit. Other directors include one of the unit’s founders, Professor Seppo Honkapohja, who currently holds an appointment as visiting professor at the University of Cambridge . In total, the unit employs some 20 researchers.

Further information about the research unit and its research topics is available on its website and on the University website devoted to Science and Research.

Further information about the centre of excellence programme may be obtained from the website of the Academy of Finland.

The Centre of Excellence in Global Governance Research

The Centre of Excellence in Global Governance Research incorporates three disciplines: international law, international relations and social anthropology. The Centre is structured by six research ventures, each approaching the overarching theme from different, although inter-connected angles. The Centre is co-funded by the Academy of Finland during the years 2006 - 2011.

The Centre is situated at the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki. The Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Helsinki, in particular the subjects of international relations and social anthropology, are partners in the establishment of the Centre. The Faculty of Law of the University of Turku, in particular the subject of international law, is also represented in the interdisciplinary co-operation.
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The Nordic Welfare State – Historical Foundations and Future Challenges

Nordic Centre of Excellence The Nordic Welfare State – Historical Foundations and Future Challenges is a multi-disciplinary, cross-national research network of seven partner units in Nordic universities. The Centre started its activities in March 2007 as a part of NordForsk Centre of Excellence programme on welfare.

On these pages you can find information on the organisation as well as research themes of the Centre.
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