The University of Helsinki celebrates 386 years !!!

On 26 March 2026, the University of Helsinki marked its 386th anniversary with a festive celebration at the Great Hall. The ceremony was attended by O’BRAIN Lab’s Professor Annette Horstmann and doctoral researcher Arsène Kanyamibwa.

Rector’s Address — Sari Lindblom

Rector Sari Lindblom opened by acknowledging the turbulent times young people face today, from geopolitical instability to personal pressures around identity and career and reaffirmed the University’s nearly 400-year mission of research, teaching, and public engagement as a source of stability and hope. She highlighted the University’s unique strength in bridging humanities, life sciences, and social and natural sciences to address urgent societal challenges, including sustainability and AI, while calling on the government to ensure adequate public funding for universities this spring.

Our Rector’s Speech was followed by Minister Mari-Leena Talvitie before J.V. Snellman Public Information Award. The 2026 installement of the award was presented to Professor of Church History Tuomas Heikkilä in recognition of his outstanding efforts to bring scholarly knowledge to the wider public. In his acceptance speech, Heikkilä drew a striking parallel between a 15th-century Vatican Library scribe — who wrote “the hand that wrote this is rotting in the grave, but the words written will last until the end of time” — and the role of today’s academics as links in a long chain of knowledge-building across generations. He challenged the academic community to break out of its “little bubbles,” reminding colleagues that 80% of Finns trust universities and that the public, as taxpayers funding this work, rightfully expects knowledge, hope, and solutions in return. Using a memorable binoculars exercise with the audience, he illustrated how deep specialisation risks narrowing one’s view, and urged scholars to collaborate across disciplines and embrace a broader perspective. He concluded by invoking a second medieval colophon — “Opus est scriptum. Da mihi potum” (“The work is done, now I deserve a drink”) — as perhaps the wisest science policy of all: do the work well, then keep going, with more ambition and more collaboration. The speeches were followed by a relaxed dinner and cocktails.