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 Eastern Finland this year, is a great occasion that brings the national geographical community together.

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 Spring 2023 the colloquium will be held in 3 MARCH, 10 MARCH, 24 MARCH, 21 APRIL & 12 MAY. The society will open the call for Autumn 2023 presentations after MAY 1. Note that the first two colloquiums are extra long.

We invite all geographers and people interested in geography 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:  www.bit.ly/Palmen2023  Full abstracts can be found here and at events (tapahtumat). Calendar invite can be downloaded here.

Schedule Spring 2023

3 MARCH

Maailma huutaa – Maantiede vastaa 1

Vainikka, Tukiainen ym., Bäcklund, Ala-Hulkko ym., Luukkonen, Vuolteenaho, Mod, Muukkonen ym., Lehtinen, Alhojärvi, Pyyry, Jokela

10 MARCH

Maailma huutaa – Maantiede vastaa 2

Tynkkynen, Lehmuskoski ym., Humalisto, Kuusisto, Hohenthal ym., Hilander, Kalliomäki ym., Pyyry &  Jäntti Virranmäki ym., Kallio ym., Bernelius, Kalliola, Alahuhta ym.

24 MARCH

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

Dr Teemu Makkonen, University of Eastern Finland

21 APRIL

Endings in refuge – time and temporality in refugee research

Camilla Marucco & Dr Eveliina Lyytinen, University of Turku & Migration Institute

12 MAY

Economic geography perspectives on internationalization, trade, and trade policy negotiations:
Asia, palm oil and multi-stakeholder bargainin

Dr Erja Kettunen-Matilainen, University of Turku