UEF water research brings together researchers and research groups from various fields of science. UEF water research conducts research on a high international level and educates water experts. We provide interdisciplinary solutions for sustainable, responsible and integrated utilization of the aquatic resources by combining expertise from various scientific disciplines.
We develop trailblazing technologies for water monitoring and treatment as well as recognition of aquatic pollutants. We provide interdisciplinary solutions for protecting aquatic biodiversity and for managing the resilience of freshwater aquatic ecosystems effectively. In addition, we aim to create sustainable well-being from water resources and nature tourism and develop adaptive and transformative governance tools for a science-based, effective and equitable management of waters. Furthermore, we are building an open innovation ecosystem, where stakeholders from universities, national research institutes, and water related businesses can meet and establish collaborative networks.
Interdisciplinary and systemic orientation is key so that our focus on one challenge does not create challenges elsewhere. This applies to water management but also to research and societal decision-making.
Niko Soininen
Professor
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The sustainable use of aquatic environments as an accelerator for research, wealth, and well-being
UEF Water research community aims to be the most internationally recognized Finnish water research organization in ten years (goal). The strategy for reaching this goal research community has interdisciplinary missions for three pillars:
- Research: Practical innovative solutions stemming from internationally high-level research.
- Education: Provide high-quality and timely information for future and existing experts in the water rated fields.
- Impact: To be a trusted source of information and a provider of science-based knowledge to support decision making.
These pillars create the basis for an open innovation ecosystem that collects key stakeholders and collaborating institutes for collaborative water-related activities (vision). The strategy is based on integrity, high-quality & open research, and equality (values). The open innovation ecosystem will create a solid basis for high-impact research. The ecosystem is coordinated by the UEF water research.
All the activities of the multidisciplinary water research community will be reflected on the functioning of the new innovation ecosystem. Also, a new problem-based multidisciplinary training program to support continuous learning of professionals in water-related fields will be developed in collaboration with Savonia University of Applied Sciences and the Finnish sector research institutes (eg., LUKE, SYKE, GTK, THL, VTT) as well as with the private and public authorities.
UEF water research brings together researchers and research groups from various fields of science. UEF water research aims to conduct research on a high international level and educate experts for water related fields. Furthermore, we aim to create an open innovation ecosystem, where stakeholders from the university, national research institutes, and water related businesses can meet and establish collaborative networks. By doing this, we aim to increase the impact of water related research and promote the sustainable use of water resources.
- Improvement of sustainable, responsible and integrated utilization of the aquatic resources (interdisciplinary approach).
- Development of new sustainable water monitoring and treatment techniques going beyond the state-of-art technologies.
- Creation of novel advanced analytical and assessment tools to enable the understanding and recognition of the effects of the emerging pollutants.
- Development of interdisciplinary solutions to protect biodiversity and improve resilience of freshwater aquatic ecosystems.
- Create sustainable well-being concept from water resources and nature tourism.
- Recognize the shortcomings in the present multi-level regulatory framework and develop new adaptive and transformative governance tools for a science-based, effective and equitable management of social-ecological resilience in aquatic systems.
The UEF water research programme has a board of directors.
Members of the board
- Dean Kari Lehtinen (Chair of the board, Faculty of Science and Forestry)
- Dean Sari Rissanen (Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies)
- Dean Jussi Pihlajamäki (Faculty of Health Sciences)
- Professor Jonne Naarala (Head of the Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences)
- Professor Matti Turtiainen (Head of the UEF Law School)
- Professor Jussi Kukkonen (Leader of the WATER Research Community)
- Professor Niko Soininen (Leader of the WATER Research Community)
WATER Researchers
Water research related groups and projects
- Aquatic ecotoxicology
- Water Law Research Group
- LYY Institute for Natural resources, environment and society
- Environmental Law Research Group
- The research group of Aquatic Ecology and Behavioural Ecology
- CCEEL - The Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law
- Biorefining
- Applied chemistry
- Environmental informatics
- Tourism Business
- Responsive Natural Resources Governance Research Group
- Social Scientific Biosociety Research Network (SOBIO)
- SERM - Research Center for Socially and Environmentally Responsible Mining
- Fine particle and aerosol technology laboratory
- Microplastic research
- SIB Labs infrastructure unit
- Water Chemistry and Microbiology Research Group
- Digital Geosciences
- Saimaa ringed seal research
- Food Research
- Innovative water protection methods
- Biogeochemistry research group
- FishEDU- Capacity building for fisheries and aquaculture education in Kyrgyzstan
