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A group of friends, donators and researchers of Aalto University gathered together on a stormy autumn evening at the Otaniemi campus for the President’s Autumn Seminar. During the evening the plans for the University's campus were presented along with other news, and there were presentations from Professors on research in the energy sector as well as on research in the health and well-being sectors.

Tuula Teeri, President of Aalto University, showed the visitors the view opening up from the Undergraduate Centre window which is dominated by the rapidly progressing construction site of a brand new building.
‘This construction site is a symbol of a multi-disciplinary Aalto University. In the centre the building that will house the School of Arts, Design and Architecture is being built. The University Board has decided that the School of Business will also move to the Otaniemi campus eventually. The School of Business’ building will be located at the other end of this site’, Tuula Teeri announced.

Aalto University is developing its campus to become an open meeting place where partners and companies can be invited.
‘We are not building academic silos, we want to work with our partners to build economic success in Finland together. A lively and attractive innovation ecosystem has been created in the area and our students are extremely active there. Our objective is that every student will be involved with entrepreneurship during the course of his or her studies’, Tuula Teeri explained.

During the more scientific part of the evening, Professor Sanna Syri shed light on current energy research and talked about the global energy transition, while Professor Hele Savin (pictured) considered the question “Is solar energy economical?” Professor Tomi Laurila opened up the subject of research in the health and well-being sector by explaining about the use of carbon nano-materials in health technology and Professor Tuuli Mattelmäki continued by talking about design in the health service jungle.

Professor Hele Savin leads the Electron Physics Research Group in the School of Electrical Engineering.

There was an opportunity for networking at the seminar during the break.