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Conference
Venue
The
conference will be held in the Science Park, close to the main campus of the University of Joensuu. One of the newest
universities in Finland, it celebrated its thirtieth
anniversary in 1999. The University has six faculties and a
student population of slightly over 6,000. It is situated in
Joensuu, which is the administrative centre of North Karelia,
the easternmost province of Finland. This area can be
described as a meeting point between two different cultural
traditions, one looking to the Protestant west, the other
drawing on the East Orthodox religious tradition. The latter
retains a strong presence in North Karelia and especially in
those areas of historical Karelia which are now on the Russian
side of the border. Indeed, it is the closeness of the border,
with its numerous changes over the centuries, which adds
special flavour to the cultural atmosphere and everyday life
of North Karelia. While the border was virtually closed in the
years before the collapse of the Soviet Union, access to
Russian Karelia is now relatively easy. Various kinds of
cross-border traffic connections and trade links are being
established with great vigour.
The city of
Joensuu was given its charter in 1848 by Czar Nicholas I, who
at that time was Grand Duke of Finland. From a small town of
only a couple of hundred people, the town gradually grew to be
an important trading centre for its large surrounding area.
The growth of population received a significant new impetus
from the rapid process of industrialisation in the 1950s.
Today Joensuu and its neighbouring areas have a population of
about 100,000 people. The main industries include traditional
forestry and related activities, but in recent years various
kinds of high-tech metal and plastic industries have come to
account for most of the growth in the industrial sector.
Joensuu and its environs also boast a lively cultural life,
featuring, e.g. annual folk-music and classical music
festivals.
For more
information on the places, please see the following links:
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