The purpose of the Geographical Society of Finland is to bring all those interested in geographical questions together, share ideas and have a feeling of a geographical community. The Geography Days, hosted by the University of Tampere this year, is a great occasion that brings the national geographical community together. Starting this autumn, we decided to do something more, and sprinkle the spirit of the days around the year.

The Palmén Colloquium of the Geographical Society of Finland affords occasions to present and discuss fresh and contemporary research for a broad geographical crowd. Open to all, the colloquium intends to both promote geographic research and proliferate interaction within Geography. The hybrid-form colloquium is hosted by the Geographical Society of Finland and the University of Helsinki. The colloquium can also be organized in other universities.

The name for the colloquium comes from J.A. Palmén, who helped to establish the Geographical Society of Finland in 1888. For Palmén, geography was the science that summoned different disciplines together and for whom space was a bundle of interactions of different processes. Palmén was a leading ornithologist and a biologist curious of all things living, always looking to the horizon, and pushing geographers to make connections. In addition, Johan Axel, was the subject of the Society’s first medal.

Historically the Society held meetings on Friday afternoons. Following this tradition, the colloquium will be held mainly on Friday lunchtime between 12 noon and 1 pm. In Autumn 2022 the colloquium will be held in 16 SEPT, 30 SEPT, 14 OCT, 18 NOV, 16 DEC & 20 JAN. The society will open the call for Spring 2023 presentations after the Geography Days in Tampere early November. The first set of presentations are all invited talks.

We invite all geographers to take part in this hybrid colloquium either online, or when the occasion comes live. 

Location for live meeting and online will be published closer to events at www.geography.fi/ajankohtaista/tapahtumat , for online: Teams-link. Full abstracts can be found here and at events (tapahtumat). 

                                                                                                                                Autumn schedule is as follows 

16 SEPT

Traces of Linné: The genealogies of Finnish geographers

Dr Joni Vainikka, University of Helsinki

30 SEPT 

Human geographical perspectives on knowledge creation and 

creativity in the era of AI

Dr Johanna Hautala, University of Vaasa

14 OCT

Exploring the geographies of interest in sustainability topics 

using digital data

Dr Ricardo Correia, University of Helsinki

3–4 NOV

Geography Days, University of Tampere

18 NOV

Sensing place-based landscape values for more inclusive, resilient and sustainable urban development

Dr Nora Fagerholm, University of Turku

16 DEC

The (changing) geography of innovation in times of the COVID-19 crisis

Dr Teemu Makkonen, University of Eastern Finland

20 JAN

Adaptation and migration in times of environmental change:

Evidence from Bangladesh

Dr Helena Tukiainen, University of Oulu