The Young Academy Finland can once again look back on the past year of 2024 with satisfaction. New openings were made in many directions.
The year of the Young Academy Finland has seen new openings in science education, science for policy, international activities, and open and responsible science.
The year began and ended with science for policy and science advice activities on EU level. In January, the Academy Club was visited by Stephany Mazon from SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by 
European Academies) and YASAS (Young Academies Science Advice Structure), who spoke about the opportunities for early career researchers to influence policymaking at EU level. Our member Saana Jukola, present at the Club, applied to join a high-profile working group. In November, a report on the One Health approach, commissioned by the Commission, was published, and she was involved in its preparation. In May, we organized a science policy panel at the Oodi for European parliament election candidates prior to elections, and in December, we visited Brussels to explore science advice organizations. We also co-organized a a theme afternoon focusing on impact in science at the House of Science in September. We joined the international SYNESPOD network, which aims to create a platform for science advice and science diplomacy in partnership with different institutions.
With the continuation and additional funding for the ‘Meet a Researcher’ service secured, science education activities were developed to new levels. In October, a new online science journal, Mene ja tiedä (Who knows), was launched alongside the service, offering versions of peer-reviewed articles suitable for high school students and a general overview of more general science issues. A new science education video (International Day for Women and Girls in Science and Technology) and an Expedition Mundus science education game translated into Finnish were also added to the science education material. The new bilingual coordinator also helped develop the service’s Swedish language possibilities. In the summer, the five-year anniversary of Meet a Researcher was celebrated by inviting researchers and teachers to a full-day seminar, where the service’s development possibilities were also discussed. An evaluation report showed, among other things, that the service is increasing young people’s interest in a research career, and the statistics speak for themselves: some 630 visits by researchers were arranged during the year, some 16 000 pupils were reached, and the most common rating (by students) for visits is 9/10.
International activities were also busy: in April we attended a meeting of the Nordic and Baltic Young Academies in Copenhagen, and board member Jeremias Berg was invited to present the activities of the Young Academy Finland at a joint symposium of the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, the Estonian Academy of Sciences and the Estonian and Finnish Young Academies in Tallinn. The European Young Science Academies met in Berlin in May, and at the end of November, the Young Academy Finland invited the Estonian Young Science Academy to a joint Academy Club in Helsinki (news and presentation videos coming in January).
During the year, the Young Academy Finland also commented on a number of science-related initiatives and strengthened networking among its members, for example, through themed morning coffee sessions. We also organized the first-ever Academy Club outside Helsinki in Pyynikinlinna, Tampere.
With this news, we wish all our partners a peaceful Christmas and a happy New Year!