Millennium Youth Camp brings future experts from 22 countries to Finland

The second Millennium Youth Camp for talented young people aged 16-19 will start on 11 June and run until 17 June. MY Campers will be introduced to a number of Finnish companies and higher educational institutions. The MY Camp programme includes project work carried out in small multi-national groups and the opportunity to meet Stephen Furber, one of the 2010 Millennium Technology Prize Laureates. Millennium Youth Camp is a unique happening. Its aims are to increase interest in mathematics, science and technology among young people, to raise awareness of the educational and working opportunities available in Finland and to help students network with each other and with top scientists.

 “As technological progress accelerates, it is natural for future scientists and technological experts to network at an early age,” says Ainomaija Haarla, President and CEO of Technology Academy Finland, one of MY Camp’s main organisers. ”Finnish engineers have always been keen to learn about what is going on elsewhere, and this has had a significant impact on Finland’s pioneering role in many technological fields."

This year’s MY Campers come from all continents. Female participants are in the majority, clear evidence that interest in science and technology is not restricted to young men. This year's MY Campers come from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nepal, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine and the United States.

Viime vuoden leiriläisiä tekemässä projektityötään. Kuva: Veli-Matti Vesterinen Last year's participants doing their project assignment. Photo: Veli-Matti Vesterinen

Everyone is looking forward to the MY Campers’ arrival

Both the organisers and the MY Campers have high hopes. “The success of last year's camp exceeded all expectations,” says Professor Maija Aksela from the University of Helsinki, chair of the steering group and representative of Finland's LUMA Centre, the second main organiser. “It's fascinating to observe talented young people experience the joy of discovery, to hear their searching questions and their innovative solutions to global challenges, and to witness how they actively network with experts and each other.” Professor Aksela is confident that this year’s camp will be as good as the first one.

Young people are also counting the days until MY Camp begins. The talented participants are especially interested in having the opportunity to share ideas and experiences with their like-minded peers. ”Meeting people from so many countries and working with them isn’t something you get to do every day,” says Nyyti Kinnunen from Finland.

During the MY Camp week, participants complete the project work they began in the spring. The project themes are climate change, renewable natural resources and energy, water, ICT and digitalisation, and applied mathematics. Project results will be presented by each of the project teams at the MY Camp Gala to be held at Design Factory in Espoo on Thursday 16 June.

Even with a fairly packed schedule, MY Campers will be able to relax from time to time. They will visit Helsinki, and during the week they will have the opportunity to experience Finnish sauna. ”I think Finland is a very interesting place, certainly somewhere you should be sure to visit once in your life,” says Dušan Krstić from Serbia, who will be here for the first time.

Media representatives are welcome to attend both the lecture being given by Stephen Furber at Kiljava in Nurmijärvi on Wednesday 15 June at 9 am and the MY Camp Gala at Design Factory in Otaniemi on Thursday 16 June at 5 pm.

The main organisers of MY Camp are Technology Academy Finland(Link to another website.) and the Finnish Science Education Centre LUMA(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window). MY Camp has more than 20 partners.

The official Millennium Youth Camp website can be found at:

 http://www.technologyacademy.fi/millennium-youth-camp-fi.html(Link to another website.)

The MyScience webzine:

 http://www.myscience.fi(Link to another website.)

Further information:

Ainomaija Haarla, President and CEO, Chair of the Millennium Youth Camp
Technology Academy Finland
Tel. +358 40 716 0703, firstname.lastname (at) technologyacademy.fi

Maija Aksela, Professor, Chair of the Millennium Youth Camp Steering Group
The Finnish LUMA Centre, University of Helsinki
firstname.lastname (at) helsinki.fi, tel. +358 50 514 1450

Media contact:

Communications Officer Riina Vänttinen, Technology Academy Finland
firstname.lastname (at)technologyacademy.fi, tel. +358 40 042 0922

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