The Council of Finnish Academies celebrated its 50th anniversary in May. For five decades, it has served as a cooperative body for the Finnish science academies and promoted international scientific collaboration, academic freedom, and evidence-based decision-making.
In the early 1970s, changes in Finland’s science administration created a need for a common body through which the country’s science academies could contribute to science policy and coordinate their international representation.
On 24 May 1976, Finland’s science academies established a joint organisation to support cooperation among the academies and strengthen their engagement in international scientific affairs. Over the following decades, the organisation evolved in response to changes in the research landscape and the growing international role of the academies.
In 2018, it became the present-day Council of Finnish Academies (CoFA), an independent cooperative body representing Finland’s four science academies: The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters (1838), Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (1908), The Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in Finland (1921), and Finnish Academy of Technical Sciences (1957).
Today, the Council’s key responsibilities include fostering international scientific relations and promoting academic freedom and the impact of science in society. The Council represents Finland in numerous international scientific organisations, supports international scientific cooperation, and advances the use of evidence-based knowledge in decision-making.