Scholars Programme Module 7: Lammi and Helsinki
University of Helsinki | 11-15 August 2025
The penultimate meeting for this cohort of Scholars primarily focussed on project work, more particularly finalising their policy projects and briefs. What better place to do so than in the idyllic setting of Lammi research base in rural Finland, which belongs to the University of Helsinki. We are deeply grateful to the University of Helsinki for the opportunity to work there for our project retreat.
During the day, the Scholars worked intensively to refine and polish their policy documents, and to think through their core ideas one last time before committing to a final draft. Each group had its own approach to the task. For some this involved going over every line of the documents all together multiple times; for others it was a mixture of splitting into smaller working groups before reconvening to review changes all together. On Wednesday afternoon each group had the chance to share their elevator pitch with alumni of the Programme and receive feedback from them on their core ideas. Our alumni did not disappoint, asking penetrating questions and offering useful comments.
In all cases the groups’ documents were transformed by the end of the week: while the core ideas may not have changed, the way they were expressed and the professionalism of the texts were all significantly developed through rigorous discussion and review. The Scholars also spent some time thinking about how they will present their projects to the external assessors and at our policy conference in Brussels in mid-October.
After working hard all day, the Scholars had a chance to kick back and relax in the evenings. They enjoyed the lake-side sauna, the boats, swimming in the lake, and the volleyball court, as well as the odd late night barbeque. Throughout the Programme we have arranged for short sessions where Scholars can present a brief account of their personal research and answer questions; this time we were able to do so outside in the sun.
On our final day, we returned to Helsinki, where we were fortunate to be hosted by NordicWest Office, part of the Miltton Group. The Scholars were fascinated to hear about current issues from a more business-oriented viewpoint and to learn about how organisations such as NordicWest Office consider geopolitical changes, scenario scoping, and sustainability when advising clients. Our thanks go to CEO Charly Salonius-Pasternak and sustainability expert Heidi Melkas for being so generous with their time and knowledge and to Annastina Haapasaari for arranging the visit.
Ending an intensive but thoroughly enjoyable week was a dinner with several Helsinki-based alumni of the Programme and Prof. Leena Malkki, Director of the Centre for European Studies. The current Scholars enjoyed meeting alumni from across all three previous cohorts of Scholars.
