A broad coalition of organizations across the research community are calling on political parties and candidates to explain how they will safeguard the conditions for freedom and independence of research. Young Academy Finland is one of the fourteen organizations involved in the initiative.
Finland’s position as a leading country in freedom of research and academic freedom has weakened. Researchers face more harassment and online bullying than before, and the political and economic influence over research has strengthened. At the same time, the ecological crisis and other security threats, economic uncertainty and disinformation are increasing the need for independent, evidence-based knowledge.
In Finland’s Parliamentary Elections in spring 2027, voters will choose decision-makers who determine the conditions under which research and new scientific knowledge will be created. Voters have the right to demand clear answers from candidates: How will they defend the freedom and independence of research and researchers? How will they secure long-term funding for research and strengthen the role of research-based knowledge in decision-making?
A broad coalition of organizations from across the research and science community will bring these questions into the election debate through the Freedom to Research campaign.
The campaign highlights the importance of safeguarding freedom of research and ensuring adequate resources for research in an era marked by multiple, overlapping crises.
The 2027 Parliamentary Elections – A Possibility to Set the Course
The coming electoral term presents a clear choice: do we strengthen the conditions for free and independent research, or do we allow them to erode further?
“In the midst of crises, we cannot know in advance which scientific field will provide the knowledge we will need next. The freedom of research makes it possible to find answers to questions that we do not yet even know we will need to ask,” says Sanna Selinheimo, Chair of the Young Academy Finland and Principal Research Scientist at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health.
Freedom of research is guaranteed by the Constitution of Finland. Research is guided by ethical principles, peer review and good scientific practice. The entire research community, together with every individual researcher, shares responsibility for upholding high standards of research integrity.
Free and Independent Research Opens New Horizons
When freedom of research and sufficient resources are guaranteed, significant breakthroughs emerge, from renewable energy solutions to research that transforms mental healthcare. In this way, research renews and strengthens society, the economy, security and people’s everyday lives.
Research is characterized by openness, critical debate and a self-correcting nature. Knowledge is refined, and accumulates and develops over time, deepening our understanding. Research findings are published and increasingly made openly available so that society can benefit from them as widely as possible. Young researchers face particularly intense competition for funding, which can also influence the kinds of topics that ultimately get studied.
“Academic freedom can only be fully realized when researchers have the opportunity to make long-term plans without the constant concern of securing their next funding decision,” says Veera Ehrlén, Vice Chair of Young Academy Finland, Docent in field of Media Studies of Physical Activity and Sport at the University of Jyväskylä and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Turku.
Freedom to Research campaign is backed by a broad coalition of organizations from across the research community: Maj ja Tor Nesslingin säätiö, Nuorten Tiedeakatemia, Professoriliitto, Sivistysala ry Sivista, Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura (SKS), Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, Suomen kulttuuri- ja tiedeinstituutit ry, Suomen Tiedeseura, Suomen yliopistojen rehtorineuvosto UNIFI ry, Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland, Svenska tekniska vetenskapsakademien i Finland, Säätiöt ja rahastot ry, Tieteellisten seurain valtuuskunta ja Tieteentekijät.
Throughout the autumn and winter, the campaign will be visible in the communications of participating organizations and in their meetings with policymakers.
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