News: Archive 2012
Aalto EE invests in the growing Taiwanese education market
02.01.2012 Aalto EE and its Asia-Pacific hub in Singapore have taken a rather radical approach to their expansion activities. This September, Aalto EE's Asia-Pacific hub signed an agreement with Pan Asia International Education Center. This agreement set forth the Aalto EE roadmap in Taiwan for the next 4 years.
School of Arts, Design and Architecture began operations at the start of the year
02.01.2012 The former Aalto University School of Art and Design and the Department of Architecture of the School of Engineering have merged to form Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The new school began operations on 1 January 2012.
Take in part in the Aalto-Gift Design Competition for product design and business
04.01.2012 In order to create a compelling and distinctive business gift as a symbol for Aalto-University and to encourage students and employees of Aalto University in establishing their own businesses, Aalto Center for Entrepreneurship proudly launches The Aalto-Gift Design Competition.
Ideas contest to improve the quality of life
10.01.2012 On the 10th of January 2012, Aalto University launched an ideas contest open to all at ideas.aalto.fi. The contest is also to invite new ideas from potential students to improve the quality of life in the urban environment, bearing in mind sustainability and the environment. There are three categories in the contest: Art & Design, Business, and Technology.
Mobile phones soon to be rolled up and wrapped around the wrist
11.01.2012 Mobile phone manufacturers have previously presented mobile phones whose display can be controlled by bending it. In these designs, the phone will only bend slightly on the edges, however.
Distinguished professionals honoured at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture
11.01.2012 The Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture started its first year with an anniversary gala where for the first time representatives of the design sectors were joined by architectural professionals. The anniversary gala continues the festive traditions of the former School of Art and Design as part of which distinguished and successful professionals are honoured for their work and new professors give their opening lectures.
Material Technology Invention Prize awarded to inventors of a new direct dissolving method of cellulose
13.01.2012 Aalto University’s Material Technology Invention prize is awarded to researchers from Tampere University of Technology (TUT) for their invention “Economical direct dissolving method of cellulose”.
Media challenge stereotypical representations of femininity
13.01.2012 Gender does not always connote stereotypical meanings in public discourse. In contrast to previous research, the dissertation shows that the media do not only reinforce existing gender stereotypes but that they also challenge stereotypical representations of femininity.
Eeva-Liisa Lehtonen, Ph.D., to head Aalto University Library
17.01.2012 Eeva-Liisa Lehtonen, Ph.D., has been invited to become Chief Librarian of Aalto University Library. She has previously worked at the Library of Helsinki School of Economics for a long period of time, between 1998 and 2009 in the post of Chief Librarian. From 2010 onwards, she has been Vice Director of Aalto University Library, and since autumn 2011 she has served as Acting Library Director.
Audio piece for Aalto University chosen
18.01.2012 A competition to find an audio piece to identify Aalto University has ended. The winning entry, ‘Knowledge Transfer', was chosen from a total of 963 entries by 264 composers from 43 different countries, including Finland, France, Italy, Spain, USA, and the UK.
A place has no spirit without the people
20.01.2012 - The idea for Genius loci book came out of a project exploring the campus identity of the School of Economics and the walking tours arranged at and around the school. A place has no spirit without the people living and working there, and making the place their own, says Docent Annukka Jyrämä. Jyrämä is the second author of the book.
Conservative investment strategy protected the Aalto University Endowment in the challenging investment environment of 2011
20.01.2012 Aalto University investment strategy emphasized securing the capital of the endowment during the first years of operations.
Timo Löyttyniemi is School of Economics Alumnus of the Year 2012
24.01.2012 D. Sc. (Econ.) Timo Löyttyniemi (b. 1961), Managing Director of the State Pension Fund, has been chosen by the Aalto University School of Economics as its Alumnus of the Year 2012.
Transparent plastic-like packing material from birch fibril pulp
24.01.2012 Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Centre have developed a method which for the first time enables manufacturing of a wood-based and plastic-like material in large scale. The method enables industrial scale roll-to-roll production of nanofibrillated cellulose film, which is suitable for e.g. food packaging to protect products from spoilage.
World fame with low temperature records and brain research
25.01.2012 The life work of famous Finnish physicist Olli Viktor Lounasmaa was a laboratory performing neuromagnetic brain research and research in low temperature physics. Today, the O.V. Lounasmaa Laboratory of Aalto University is a renowned research unit in the forefront of the international science community.
Supercomputer helps to discover new carbon structures
26.01.2012 The objective of the doctoral dissertation of researcher Timo Vehviläinen was to find a way of storing explosive hydrogen in carbon nanostructures, but Vehviläinen ended up discovering new carbon structures.
Better living environments the Aalto University theme for the World Design Capital Helsinki year 2012
27.01.2012 Aalto University’s programme for the World Design Capital year, called Living+, creates better living environments in the spirit of sustainable development. By combining art, business and technology, Aalto University has a unique ability to create new solutions for global challenges.
Dyslexia-linked genetic variant decreases midline crossing of auditory pathways
30.01.2012 Finnish scientists have found that a rare dyslexia-linked genetic variant of the ROBO1 gene decreases normal crossing of auditory pathways in the human brain. The weaker the expression of the gene is, the more abnormal is the midline crossing.
Co-operation procedures at Aalto University’s Lahti Center
30.01.2012 The co-operation negotiations at Aalto University’s Lahti center are finalized. The negotia-tions took place between 30.11.2011-18.1.2012 and concerned 23 employees.
Aalto joins the WDC open doors weekend
01.02.2012 The World Design Capital Helsinki arranges an Open Doors Weekend during February 3-5. Some 180 different events have been planned to delight the residents of Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo, Kauniainen and Lahti: these will be touching and fun meetings involving design. In addition to design, sometimes in very surprising forms and places, the events also promise to offer bread and circus games, performances, clubs, guidance for visitors, lectures, workshops and ideation projects.
Winners of the Builders of the Future design contest announced
02.02.2012 The winners of the Builders of the Future design contest, organised in order to create a monument in honour of the people who contributed to the endowment capital of Aalto University, have been revealed. The first prize was awarded to Aalto University architecture student Ossi Konttinen for his design called Noste.
Ilkka Niemelä appointed Vice President of Aalto University
03.02.2012 The Board of Aalto University has appointed Dean, Professor Ilkka Niemelä Vice President of Academic Affairs at Aalto University as of 1 March 2012. Niemelä will also be the deputy of President Tuula Teeri. He will replace vice president Heikki Mannila, who will begin his duties as President of the Academy of Finland on March 1.
Achievements in Finnish design brought Estlander medals to Aalto University professors
06.02.2012 The Estlander Silver Medals were awarded to Aalto University Professors Kalevi Ekman, Raimo Nikkanen and Markku Salimäki in recognition of significant achievement on behalf of Finnish design. The award ceremony took place at the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 gala in Lahti on 2 February 2012. The gala was one of the WDC year’s signature events.
Short film brings the 1900 Paris World Fair Finnish Pavilion to life
07.02.2012 The short film called Le Pavilion de la Finlande à l’exposition universelle de 1900 à Paris uses 3D modelling and animation and connected archival materials with computer generated imagery in order to render a simulation of the Finnish Pavilion
Academy Professor Olli Ikkala received seven-figure EU funding
07.02.2012 The European Research Council granted Aalto University’s Academy Professor Olli Ikkala funding in the amount of €2.3 million for research on biomimetic nanomaterials. Ikkala’s group specialises in the self-assembly of macromolecules and how to make use of this process when producing functional materials.
How do future antennas look like in urban environment?
14.02.2012 Aalto University and Nokia Siemens Networks to organize an active antenna design competition for students as part World Design Capital Helsinki 2012.
Kalevala Jewelry inspires textile artists
15.02.2012 Textile artist Laura Isoniemi and three textile design students from the School of Arts, Design and Architecture have created interpretations of Kalevala Jewelry in the form of textile art. Their work is on display at the Kalevala Jewelry shop on Unioninkatu in Helsinki.
Aalto University number one in higher education comparison by Talouselämä magazine
17.02.2012 In its review of higher education, Talouselämä magazine produced a ranking of Finnish university units in the fields of economics and science and technology. Aalto University reached number one in both categories.
Human Design or Evolution lecture series stirred conversation about future human bodies
23.02.2012 "Do we change the world to suit us or do we change ourselves to suit the world?" designer Fiona Raby asked during the Human Design or Evolution lecture series, held at Aalto Media Factory.
Second issue of the Aalto University Magazine has been published
24.02.2012 Second issue of the Aalto University Magazine has now been published. It is focused on the theme of wellbeing.
All-encompassing agility for organisations
27.02.2012 Before the IT frenzy at the turn of the millennium, a new ideology for project management was born from amongst programmers. Called agile development methods, they were created to make the everyday work of programmers more prolific. Customers also benefitted from rapid feedback and from the chance to follow the evolution of projects.
Designing for New Realities! seminar - follow the stream on March 6th
01.03.2012 Can socially aware design approaches really offer something meaningful that we can adopt today, and will they be relevant even tomorrow? Aalto University will strive to answer these questions in a seminar organised on the 6th of March 2012
Research presented to the supporters of Aalto University
01.03.2012 At Aalto University, high-quality research is conducted that receives highly competed funding. At the event organised in honour of the supporters of Aalto University, notable topical research was presented from the university’s strong, significant areas.
Masters of Aalto built in Jätkäsaari
02.03.2012 A window into the future will be built in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki, as new graduates present their skills and passion for innovation. The Masters of Aalto (MoA) event has expanded to cover the whole Aalto University and takes place from 9 May to 3 June 2012.
Dense urban structure does not lead to low greenhouse gas emissions
05.03.2012 Structure or type of residential area does not have a significant effect on greenhouse gas emissions by the average inhabitant, states doctoral candidate Jukka Heinonen, M. Soc. Sc., from the Aalto University School of Engineering.
Burstiness found to be distinctive for social interaction
05.03.2012 Mobile phones are everywhere, in our bags, pockets and on our tables. The calls we make and the text messages we send, however, tend to cluster into short periods of time. They appear 'bursty': short but intensive periods of communication are followed by longer inactive intermissions.
Carbon capture units can be planned more accurately with new models
07.03.2012 Carbon capture and storage is a possible solution in reducing carbon dioxide emissions: for example when carbon dioxide is captured from flue gases emitted from power plants it does not go into the atmosphere. In her doctoral dissertation Claudia Dell’Era, M.Sc., from Aalto University's School of Chemical Technology performed phase equilibrium measurements and developed models which can be exploited in the design of separation processes for carbon dioxide removal.
Application period for bachelor level from March 5 to April 3 2012
08.03.2012 The application period for Aalto University’s programmes which lead to the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science in Economics, Technology, Architecture or Landscape Architecture and the Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Business Administration has begun on 5 March 2012.
Exploring national diseases using a sample robot and high-performance computing
08.03.2012 In her doctoral dissertation, Taru Tukiainen found new associations between genetic variants and blood metabolite levels. In January 2012, the study was published in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics.
Light Pill wins Aalto Gift competition
09.03.2012 The Grand Prize winners were Lauri Lemmenlehti and Abel Groenewolt. The winning proposal is called Light Pill, a portable series of illuminators.
ELO wipes the board at Tampere’s National Competition
12.03.2012 The National Competition at Tampere’s film festival was a celebration for the Department of Motion Picture, Television and Production Design’s films. The films “Burden of My Heart”, “Hypermarket Nation”, “Korsoteoria” (So It Goes), “Äidit” (Mothers) and “Pyramidi” (Pyramid) enjoyed great success at the film festival that finished at the last weekend.
International student effort to design an energy efficient residential area in Helsinki
15.03.2012 March will see the start of an Aalto University project in which students will design a residential area based on energy efficient wooden houses in Helsinki. The NEPTUNE Network will bring together multidisciplinary research and students from different parts of Europe for the “Design for Living Environment, From Micro to Macro” event organised 9 – 17 March 2012.
At meetings, speech helps to build authority relationships
15.03.2012 Meetings are not just a forum for conveying information, but also a context for constructing authority relationships between participants. The speech of those attending meetings contains tiny linguistic signals that reveal a speaker’s attitude to the subject being discussed and what he or she assumes the others know about it.
Three-dimensional nano DNA can be used to modify light
15.03.2012 The genetic material of every living organism is encoded in a nucleic acid double helix – DNA. Using artificial DNA molecules an international team of researchers has succeeded in producing materials that can be used to modify visible light. The results of the study were published in the latest issue of the prestigious scientific journal Nature.
The Tenured Professors' Installation Lectures at Aalto University 28.3.2012
16.03.2012 Aalto University celebrates its tenured professors with lectures given by the new Associate Professors and Full Professors.
Aalto University invested in improving the quality of research and education in 2011
22.03.2012 Year 2011 was the second operating year for Aalto University and was characterised by implementation of actions to improve quality both in research and education.
Software bugs revealed in reverse
23.03.2012 Developed by researcher Jan Lönnberg of Aalto University, the Atropos programme helps easily detect bugs that disturb software optimised for new processors.
Microsoft and Nokia to Invest Up to 18 Million Euros in Mobile Application Development Program at Aalto University
26.03.2012 Mobile developers to benefit from funding, training, support and business opportunities as Microsoft and Nokia launch the AppCampus program at Aalto University.
Bachelor-level education is being transferred to Otaniemi
02.04.2012 The bachelor-level education of Aalto University is gradually being transferred to the Otaniemi main campus according to the Board decision that was made last summer. The aim is to make Otakaari 1 the lively centre of bachelor-level studies and an attractive learning environment where students from various fields can meet and study together.
Check out the Installation Lectures' by the newly tenured professors
04.04.2012 Aalto University celebrated its tenured professors with lectures given by the new Associate Professors and Full Professors in the end of March. The videos are now available on Aalto´s Youtube channel.
Open international architectural design competition at Aalto University
05.04.2012 Aalto University Properties Ltd. in Finland is arranging a competition for designing Aalto University’s Otaniemi central campus and its main buildings.
The School of Economics maintains prestigious AACSB business accreditation
11.04.2012 The School of Economics has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The School of Economics was awarded AACSB accreditation in 2007 as the first Nordic business school.
The future is presented by newly graduates at Masters of Aalto 2012
11.04.2012 MoA’12 is the year show of Aalto University. Opening on Wednesday 9 May 2012 this month long event showcases the future through theses and projects, research and study programmes.
Finland’s first computer games professor chosen
12.04.2012 Finland will see its first computer games professorship in Aalto University. As a joint Assistant Professor for the Department of Media Technology in the School of Science and for the Department of Media in the School of Art and Design, Doctor of Science and Master of Arts, Perttu Hämäläinen started his five-year appointment on March 29, 2012.
Apply to the new Aalto University mentoring programme for students and alumni
13.04.2012 The Aalto University Alumni Relations will launch a new mentoring programme for students and alumni in autumn 2012. In the programme, alumni who have already graduated from Aalto University or its predecessors will support master's degree students in matters related to working life. The mentoring programme for the academic year 2012-2013 also includes an English-speaking group aimed at international degree students.
Robot sumo wrestling: students participating in elementary school technology education
13.04.2012 Students of Aalto University run robot clubs for elementary schools' pupils. In these clubs, pupils find out about Lego robots' senses or prepare for Finnish championship matches in robot sumo wrestling. The idea behind is to bring more creativity and innovativeness into elementary school teaching with the help of technology education.
Computer uses sound recognition to teach flamenco rhythms
17.04.2012 People and computers can interact by means of rhythmic sounds, such as hand clapping. This doctoral dissertation presents new methods by which a computer can recognise and analyse a person’s sonic gestures in real time.
Number of applicants to Aalto University increased in 2012
19.04.2012 Over 16,000 applicants sought admission to Aalto University this spring. The university received over 12,000 applications to its bachelor’s degree programmes and approximately 4,000 applications to its master's degree programmes.
Millennium Technology Prize Laureates named
19.04.2012 The Millennium Technology Prize laureates for 2012 are two prominent innovators, Linus Torvalds and Dr Shinya Yamanaka. The laureates will be celebrated on 13 June, when the winner of the Grand Prize will be announced. The prize pool exceeds EUR 1 million.
Mobile communication reveals gender differences in close relationships
20.04.2012 Analysing a huge dataset of mobile phone calls and text messages has shown striking differences between women and men in their closest social relationships. A study led by researchers from Aalto University also discovered that there are gender differences in ways of finding a mate, planning reproduction and taking care of children. The research is now published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
Finnish officers fall short of being clausewitzian strategists
23.04.2012 In his doctoral dissertation, Mika Aalto, MSc (Econ.), examines the capacities of Finnish officers to occupy leading strategic roles in the national Defence Force. Vom Kriege ("On War"), the war and strategy theory of the most important war strategist of all time, Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831) forms the backdrop for the study.
Aalto University mechanical engineering alumnus receives Marcus Wallenberg Prize
23.04.2012 Aalto University mechanical engineering alumnus Mika Viljanmaa, M.Sc., has been awarded the prestigious 2012 Marcus Wallenberg Prize for his work on metal belt calendering in paper and board making. The prize sum is SEK 2 million which is 227 000 euro. Viljanmaa will receive the prize at a ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden on October 1, 2012.
Better explanations for marketing performance
24.04.2012 The foremost challenge in marketing research today is to understand how companies should allocate limited resources as well as the type of returns that can be expected from marketing investments. A better understanding of the determinants of marketing performance is a prerequisite for the development of marketing expertise both overall and on the level of individual organizations.
Learning by heart only is no good in machine learning either
25.04.2012 Intelligent algorithms and machine learning perform tasks that cannot be solved by the human brain. Statistical modelling of vast information sources is a must in decision making in numerous fields of society, from medicine to traffic planning and from analyses of stock markets to spam identification. However, to interpret and evaluate the functionality of the models, a critically-oriented human being is needed.
Companies, design and technology solve problems in South Africa
26.04.2012 South Africans Marlon Parker and Bruce Snaddon took part in the Aalto Global Impact event and explained how companies, design and technology can improve the world.
Ideas contest winners announced
26.04.2012 The three winners have been selected in the Aalto University ideas contest to improve living environments and the quality of life. Saara Järviö's idea was the best in category Arts & Design, Maarit Eskola's in Business, and Tijana Dzodzo's in Technology.
Admission results of the Master´s programmes published
27.04.2012 The admission results of the Master's programmes at Aalto University have been published on 27 April.
Check out the Aalto Mechatronic Circus video!
02.05.2012 The Aalto Mechatronic Circus is the annual exhibition of the learning environment where the students present their awe-inspiring projects.
Home care suffers from harmful routines – not from a lack of resources
02.05.2012 As our population ages, the future load of the public health care system will be lightened with home care. Efficient home care services will be of high demand. The system of home care service is already stretched to its limits though: nurses and patients are stressed due to constant hurry, and staff shortages are replenished by buying extra work from the private sector.
More than 1,500 students to participate in the international SELL Student Games in Otaniemi between May 18th and May 20th
02.05.2012 The Aalto University Otaniemi campus in Espoo will be filled with international students participating in various sports events on Friday, May 18th. Friday is the first day of the traditional SELL Student Games now being organised for the 28th time.
Design Capital Pavilion showcases high quality wooden architecture
07.05.2012 A group of students and experts from the Aalto University Wood Studio have designed the Pavilion, a temporary structure to be located on an empty plot of land between the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum.
Visualization provides decision-makers with the big picture
07.05.2012 The human brain is not very well-equipped for analysing multidimensional data. In his doctoral dissertation, Mikko Berg, M.Sc. (Tech.) examined how graphical visualizations can help people to understand complex data.
Filip Tuomisto begins work as Professor of Nuclear Engineering
08.05.2012 Filip Tuomisto, Doctor of Science (Tech.), stepped into his position as Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the School of Science on 1 May 2012.
Effective knowledge transfer and creation promote internationalisation in SMEs
08.05.2012 In small and medium-sized companies, investments in knowledge transfer and creation promote internalisation. Knowledge is transferred both through internal and external transfer, i.e. between the various actors within the company and outside it, such as customers and other companies.
Welcome to the Masters of Aalto festival to get a glimpse of the future’s professionals
08.05.2012 Masters of Aalto is now open! At the MoA’12 festival Aalto University professionals will showcase their open-minded approaches to the challenges we will face in the future during an exhibition and over 30 individual events. MoA’12 will be open in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki from 9 May to 3 June. The festival features Master’s thesis projects by over one hundred graduates.
DNA tug of war
09.05.2012 A mathematical model created by Aalto University researcher Timo Ikonen explains for the first time how the DNA chains in our genome are translocated through nanopores that are only a couple of nanometres thick.
Paid incentives have meanings beyond money
10.05.2012 The meanings of paid incentives for employees and organisations cannot only be measured in money. Anu Hakonen proposes in her dissertation for the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at Aalto University that pay motivates more through symbolic meanings rather than through plain euros.
AppCampus is now open for applications
14.05.2012 AppCampus is a unique global initiative originating from Finland. Fast-moving 18 million euro -program sets out to enable mobile app success stories.
Economic crises are managed with collective collateral
16.05.2012 Economy is often understood as a market-controlled phenomenon. When solutions are sought to economic problems, the phrase “the markets have spoken” is used as a justification for the decisions made. The markets are an important control mechanism but they alone cannot explain the functioning of the economy. In his dissertation, Pekka Piironen, M.Soc.Sc., suggests that in its present form, capitalism should be characterised as a system of economic uncertainty.
