Current affairs

Find out about the strengths and highlights of Finland’s internationally renowned, award-winning education system.

Technology Academy Finland has declared Linus Torvalds and Dr Shinya Yamanaka, laureates of the 2012 Millennium Technology Prize, an award for technological innovation. The laureates will be celebrated at a ceremony in Helsinki, Finland, on Wednesday 13 June, when the winner of the Grand Prize will be announced. The prize pool exceeds EUR 1 Million.

Find out about the strengths and highlights of Finland’s internationally renowned, award-winning education system.

Helsinki World Design Capital 2012: Put sustainability to the test in a city of the future at Heureka Science Centre.

Finland’s indigenous Sámi celebrate the unique new Sajos cultural and political centre (see Northern Lights video).

President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö and his spouse will be travelling to Estonia on an official visit on Wednesday 25 April. President Niinistö will be having bilateral discussions with the President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, at the Presidential Palace in Kadriorg. He will also be meeting Ene Ergma, Speaker of the Estonian Parliament, and Prime Minister Andrus Ansip.

Aspirations to increase cooperation in Finland's and Estonia's diplomatic mission network were brought up when the Foreign Ministers of the two countries met in Helsinki on 30 March. Foreign Minister Tuomioja and Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet agreed on placing a Finnish diplomat in the Estonian Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Urmas Paet will visit Finland on Friday 30 March at the invitation of Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. He will also meet President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö and Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb.

Helsinki’s wooden Chapel of Silence, designed to promote wellbeing, attracts attention in the 2012 World Design Capital.

Director Aku Louhimies offers a grimy view of Finland, yet says his film Naked Harbour is more about hope than despair.