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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

What is happiness, and should it be measured? HCAS fellows Acer Chang, Amanda Lagerkvist, @boddice.bsky.social, @satuv.bsky.social, and Kristina Jacobsen approach the World Happiness Report from different disciplinary perspectives in a new blog text. Read more: blogs.helsinki.fi/hcasblog/202...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Featured in the #HCASAlumni Gallery this month is Prof. Stephen Gill. Stephen looks back on his time at the HCAS with great warmth. From football matches to symposia, he describes the year in Helsinki as a period of intellectual and social stimulation. Read more: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

Stephen Gill standing with his hands against his hips.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

”The Collegium provided something that is increasingly rare in academic life: time and freedom to think, combined with constant intellectual exchange.” Prof. William Van Andringa is featured in the #HCASAlumni Gallery for September 2026. Read more: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

William Van Andringa smiling. Behind him is a body of water and mountains.

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Reposted by Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies

Helsinki University Press @helsinkiupress.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Are you familiar with AHEAD? It's the publication series of the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, offering a platform for high-quality research in the #humanities and #socialsciences. Read more about the series at: hup.fi/books/series... @hcas.bsky.social #openaccess #scholarlypublishing

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

We’ve just opened our call for applications for fixed-term appointments starting in August 2027. We’re seeking up to 15 Core Fellows and 1–2 Postdoctoral Fellows in the Arts. For more details, please visit our website: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

helsinki.fi

Apply | Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies | University of Helsinki

Here you will find information on our application procedures

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

HCAS Core Fellows Olesya Khanina and Jitka Štollová have been awarded major grants to pursue their research at the University of Helsinki. In addition, HCAS Erkko Professor Kevin Durrheim has been appointed to a SARChI Chair funded by the National Research Foundation of South Africa.

helsinki.fi

Three HCAS Fellows awarded major research funding | Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies | University of Helsinki

HCAS Core Fellows Olesya Khanina and Jitka Štollová have been awarded major grants to pursue their research at the University of Helsinki. In addition, the current Erkko Professor at the Collegium, Ke...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

For 25 years, HCAS has brought together scholars in the social sciences and humanities to think, argue, and exchange ideas. To celebrate this milestone, we are proud to share a new video featuring interviews with current fellows and alumni. We hope you enjoy the video and have a wonderful summer!

youtu.be

Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies 25 years

YouTube video by Helsinki Collegium

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Last Friday, Collegium's founders, fellows, alumni, partners, and supporters gathered to celebrate the institute's 25th anniversary. A day of reflection, conversation, and celebration, it brought together many of the people who have shaped the Collegium over the past quarter century.

HCAS Director Hanne Appelqvist welcoming guests.

YL Male Voices Quartet performing at the dinner.

Guests chatting and laughing while seated at a long dinner table.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

The Collegium's 25th Anniversary Newsletter is hot off the press! Access the full issue as a PDF on our website: www.helsinki.fi/%E2%80%A6/he...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

“The international community must strengthen our global healthcare infrastructure in order to protect everyone's ability to live minimally good lives.” – Creative Resolve: The Future of Global Health Join us for a screening and panel discussion on the documentary with HCAS alumna Nicole Hassoun.

helsinki.fi

Documentary screening: Creative Resolve: The Future of Global Health | Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies | University of Helsinki

HCAS alumna Nicole Hassoun hosts a screening of the documentary Creative Resolve: The Future of Global Health on Tuesday, June 16, 2026 at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies (Fabianinkatu 24 ...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Last week HCAS hosted an enthusiastic group of scholars to discuss virtues and vices. In addition to historical analyses, participants reflected on the global, feminist, environmental, and political dimensions of humility, anger, love, and justice. Thank you to all who participated in this event!

Janne Mattila giving the opening words. Behind him there's a Powerpoint slide showing medieval depictions of personifications of virtues.

Professor Nancy Snow holding a microphone and discussing with the audience.

A member of the audience asking a question. Other participants have turned to look at him. At the back is a bookshelf holding academic books.

The Common Room full of people listening to the speaker, who shows a slide featuring St Augustine.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

HCAS Honorary Fellow and Distinguished Research Professor at American University, James H. Mittelman, hosts a panel discussion on his recent publication, Runaway Capitalism, on June 15 at HCAS. Read more and register: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

To celebrate the past academic year, HCAS Fellows and staff gathered in Tallinn for our annual retreat. In addition to a final common seminar on interconnections between law and fiction at Tallinn University, we toured museums and enjoyed each other’s company and talents over dinner and at karaoke.

HCAS Fellows listening to a panel discussion in a Tallinn University seminar room.

HCAS fellows and staff smiling at the camera during lunch.

HCAS fellows enjoying a guided tour at the Kumu museum.

HCAS Fellow Patrik Wikman performing at karaoke.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Registration for the HCAS Anniversary Symposium “Artifice and Its Insecurities” closes at the end of this week! Read more and register: blogs.helsinki.fi/artifice-sym...

Artifice and Its Insecurities. 9–10 June 2026. Symposium at HCAS.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Registration for the Virtue and Vice workshop closes this week! Join scholars across philosophy, political science, anthropology, and theology to examine how virtues and vices are conceptualized and used – both in history and today. Read more and register by May 24: blogs.helsinki.fi/virtue-vice/

A medieval triptych shows three allegorical figures in sculptural niches: one figure holding a cross and scroll, one seated under a gothic arch, and one holding a bowl of objects.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

What draws nearly 400,000 viewers to a conversation on Russian literary studies? Professor Oleg Lekmanov, our @koneensaatio.fi Visiting Fellow, offers compelling insights into the field in this in-depth interview with prominent Russian opposition journalist Katerina Gordeeva.

youtube.com

Олег Лекманов: большой разговор о современной литературе // «Скажи Гордеевой»

YouTube video by Скажи Гордеевой

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

During his fellowship, Anton Kotenko worked on a book about the history of the concept of modern Ukraine. “The Promise of Ukraine: A Conceptual History of Nineteenth-Century Nationalism”will be published later this month. Read more in the #HCASAlumni Gallery: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

Anton Kontenko sitting outside, hands crossed.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

“I see my periods at the Collegium as the most formative times for my career.” Virpi Mäkinen has spent a total of ten years in various roles at HCAS. The relationships she built continue to flourish to this day. Read more in the #HCASAlumni Gallery: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

Virpi Mäkinen leaning her face against her hand.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

A special coffee hour at the Collegium today: we enjoyed Finnish May Day treats and took part in a hands-on cyanotype printing session led by Kone Arts Fellow Corrie Tan. The resulting artworks will be on display at next week’s Slow Salon.

Three fellows standing outside on a sunny day. Two of the fellows are holding a cyanotype print.

A fellow holding a finished cyanotype print, smiling.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

The HCAS Anniversary Symposium “Artifice and Its Insecurities” interrogates “artifice,” the agency of human invention, and the anxieties that it provokes. June 9–10 at HCAS. Registration is now open: blogs.helsinki.fi/artifice-sym...

A painted wooden tiger automaton pinning a uniformed figure on his back, with visible keyboard-like mechanisms in the tiger’s side.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

We are pleased to share that our fellow Professor Milda Ališauskienė has been elected President of the International Study of Religion in Eastern and Central Europe Association (ISORECEA) for a four-year term. Warm congratulations on this achievement!

Portrait of Milda Ališauskienė, standing with arms crossed, smiling.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Registration for Human Interaction in the Age of the Internet closes on Sunday! Join us on May 11–12 for a meeting about the new norms of interaction that organize belonging, truth, civility, and conflict in connected worlds. Register by April 26: blogs.helsinki.fi/erkko-confer...

People exploring a white room filled with dense black strings forming large web‑like shapes.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

HCAS Workshop “Virtue and Vice – Historical, Philosophical, and Contemporary Dimensions” sheds new light on theories of human moral character. May 28–29 at the HCAS. Registration is now open: blogs.helsinki.fi/virtue-vice/...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

The HCAS is thrilled to announce its new fellows for the 2026–2027 academic year. This fall, we will welcome 21 scholars from across the humanities and social sciences to our community. Find the full list of fellows and project titles on our website: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

This conference is an experiment. Human Interaction in the Age of the Internet toys with the format, keeping the strengths of a small-group meeting while rethinking the standard model of paper delivery. Read more and register: blogs.helsinki.fi/erkko-confer...

Human Interaction in the Age of the Internet. May 11–12, 2026. Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

The Asian elephant. The Christmas Island red crab. The Finnish lattakääpä (artist’s conk, a polypore). SLOW SALON: temporal encounters between two archipelagoes, May 7 at the HCAS. Organized by @koneensaatio.fi Arts Fellow Corrie Tan. Read more: blogs.helsinki.fi/slow-salon/

SLOW SALON: temporal encounters between two archipelagoes, May 7 at HCAS.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

The 2026 Erkko Conference “Human Interaction in the Age of the Internet” brings together scholars across the social sciences, humanities, and computational research to explore how digital infrastructures are reshaping social life. Registration is now open: blogs.helsinki.fi/erkko-confer...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

“My time at the HCAS was the highlight of my scholarly career and life.” Featured in the #HCASAlumni Gallery is Professor Kirby Deater-Deckard (University of Massachusetts Amherst). Read more about Kirby’s research and time at the Collegium: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

Kirby Deater-Deckard seated on a park bench, arms resting on the backrest, wearing red glasses and a gray suit.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

“This was the first time in my career that I could do research full time, and it felt luxurious.” Annette Arlander reflects on her time as Kone Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow in the Arts. Read more in the #HCASAlumni Gallery: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

Annette Arlander standing in front of a pine tree and sniffing a branch with a curious look on her face.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

What Do You Mean by That? Methods, assumptions, and limits in archaeology and linguistics, April 17 at the HCAS. Read more and register: tapahtumat.helsinki.fi/en-FI/page/6...

Gray concrete road with painted black lines.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Last week, Intelligence³ Fellow Otto Lappi brought together his professional networks for the Speed of Sight workshop. Participants specializing in driving simulators, racing driver telemetry, and eye tracking data analysis shared their ongoing projects, plans, and ideas for future collaboration.

Juulia Grönlund and Netta Lagus showcasing the CogEyeSimLab's integrated eye tracking and driving simulator setup.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

“For me, the Collegium period was one of significant intellectual growth.” Professor Sirpa Wrede (@helsinki.fi) describes her time at the Collegium as an opportunity to broaden her work into new fields. Read more in the #HCASAlumni Gallery: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

Sirpa Wrede in a blue blazer with black dots, smiling.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

“My years at the Collegium were happy, even luxurious, academically – plenty of time for research and for forming interdisciplinary relationships in a nice and supportive atmosphere among sharp minds.” Featured as #HCASAlumni of the Month is Prof. Arto Laitinen. www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

Arto Laitinen in the HCAS Common Room, holding a coffee mug.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

We are excited to announce the launch of a new Nordic IAS fellowship program on health and sustainability. Funded by a Novo Nordisk Foundation’s grant of approx. €6.5 million, the program will offer 20 two-year fellowships over the next six years. 🔗 www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

Last week, the HCAS community grew as the @helsinki.fi PhD researchers joined us for the traditional Winter School. This year’s theme, “No Scholar Is an Island”, guided our explorations into the social dimensions of research.

HCAS Director Hanne Appelqvist opening the Winter School.

Professors Tuomas Forsberg, Johanna Sumiala, and Kevin Durrheim during Plenary 1: The Role of Communication in Research and Scholarship.

HCAS fellows and staff Otto Lappi, Hanne Appelqvist, Svetlana Vetchinnikova, Janne Mattila, Jitka Štollová, and Juhana Toivanen during the final plenary: Letters to a Young Academic: Advice We Wish We’d Had – Q&A with HCAS Fellows.

The Winter School concluded with a relaxed pizza & drinks reception.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Maria Konoshenko, Helsinki-based mezzo-soprano, pianist & composer, announces the release of Walkabout, the first official single from her forthcoming album Songs of Exile. Join us for a debut release presentation on March 6 at 5 pm in the HCAS Common Room. 🔗 tapahtumat.helsinki.fi/en-FI/page/6...

Walkabout album cover. A blurry, red‑tinted photograph of a park with trees in the foreground and an ornate, multi‑domed building in the background.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Kollegiumtutkija Annastiina Kallius käsittelee Helsingin Sanomien sunnuntaiesseessä Suomen asemoitumista kansainvälisessä politiikassa. Hän ehdottaa, että nykytilanteessa suomalaisten suhdetta länteen ja Baltian maihin olisi syytä tarkastella uudelleen.

hs.fi

Essee | Suomen paikka on myös Baltiassa

Suomalaiset ovat aina halunneet olla tunnustettu osa progressiivista länttä. Nyt Suomi kävelee unissaan kohti tulevaisuutta, jossa sitä länttä ei ehkä enää ole, kirjoittaa tutkijatohtori Annastiina Ka...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Last night our @koneensaatio.fi Fellow Tetiana Kalytenko introduced us to Ukrainian poetic cinema with a screening of Serhii Parajanov’s Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, a central work in the genre.

Tetiana Kalytenko stands in a dim room with candles while a slide about the film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is projected.

Tetiana Kalytenko points at three old black‑and‑white photographs projected on a screen in a darkened lecture room.

A dark room with candles and chairs facing a screen showing the red title card of a film in Ukrainian.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

“The interdisciplinary dialogue at the Collegium played an important role in shaping my theoretical thinking and in encouraging methodological openness.” Featured in the #HCASAlumni Gallery is Senior University Lecturer & Docent Mari Wiklund (@helsinki.fi). www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

Portrait of a person wearing glasses and a black blazer, smiling.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

”The warm feeling of companionship between fellows fostered my academic growth and continues to inspire me.” Professor of Sociology Ugo Corte (University of Stavanger) considers his fellowship at HCAS to be a foundational step in his career. #HCASAlumni Read more: www.helsinki.fi/en/helsinki-...

A person standing on a sandy beach with calm ocean water and a small, dome-shaped island in the background.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

HCAS Fellows Olesya Khanina and Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine have secured permanent academic positions. Khanina will begin a full professorship at the Univ. of Helsinki in Fall 2026, while Erlewine has taken up a permanent research position at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS).

helsinki.fi

HCAS Fellows Secure Permanent Academic Positions | Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies | University of Helsinki

HCAS Fellows Olesya Khanina and Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine have secured permanent academic positions. Khanina will begin a full professorship at the University of Helsinki in Fall 2026, while Erlewine...

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

It was a full house at the Collegium last night for the Night of Science! Warm thanks to everyone who visited us and a special thanks to all the fellows who contributed to the evening.

A panel discussion in a lecture room with HCAS Research Coordinator Juhana Toivanen standing at the front holding a microphone, while five seated panelists face an audience. A large projected slide behind them displays the title “Happiness? Politics, Promises, and Practices".

HCAS Fellows Satu Venäläinen, Acer Chang, Amanda Lagerkvist, and Olesya Khanina seated in a semicircle during a discussion, viewed from behind Rob Boddice who is gesturing while speaking.

HCAS Fellow Kristina Jacobsen playing an acoustic guitar in a dimly lit room, with audience members seated in the foreground.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 20/01/2026

Yesterday, HCAS had the distinct pleasure of hosting the Human Rights Committee of the German Bundestag, along with the representatives of the German Embassy in Helsinki. Annastiina Kallius's presentation on media-driven political influence was followed by a lively discussion among the participants.

HCAS Director Hanne Appelqvist and Fellow Annastiina Kallius with representatives of the Human Rights Committee of the German Bundestag.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Last week, the Helsinki Collegium hosted the annual meeting for the Finnish Institutes for Advanced Study. This year's theme for discussion was 'contested knowledge'.

A group of over 60 fellows from the Finnish Institutes for Advanced Study smiling at the camera.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

The Night of Science at HCAS will conclude with a musical performance by Kristina Jacobsen. Joined by Carolina Stenbäck on cello and Emma Polyakov on fiddle, Jacobsen invites listeners into the soundscape of Spain’s Camino de Santiago. 🗓️ Thursday, January 22, 7:45–8:45 pm, HCAS Common Room.

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Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies @hcas.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

“The end toward which all human acts are directed is happiness” – but what is happiness, and what does it have to do with how people feel? What does it mean to live in the ‘happiest country in the world’? 🗓️ Night of Science at the Helsinki Collegium, Thursday, January 22.

A blue-toned poster featuring the silhouette of tree. Overlayed text reads "Happiness? Politics, Promises, and Practices. 22.1.2026 at HCAS."

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