University of Eastern Finland launches new Institute of Photonics

29 May 2013

Institute is a network organization seeking to enhance UEF's research and education in photonics.

A new Institute of Photonics has been established at the Faculty of Science and Forestry of the University of Eastern Finland, (UEF), based in Joensuu and Kuopio.


The Institute of Photonics at the UEF is a network organization, which is seeking to enhance the university's research and education in photonics and to bring together the field's research projects, researchers and students. The Institute of Photonics is also intending to promote international cooperation, transfer of research knowledge, and societal impact in the field of photonics.

Professor Pasi Vahimaa, the newly appointed Director of the Institute of Photonics, commented, "The objective of UEF’s Institute of Photonics is to bring together and enhance cooperation between different fields of photonics at the university. In the future, the institute's Board of Directors will define the strategic outlines of the university's photonics research.

Seeking partners

"We are seeking to create a distinct and a tight package. Having a distinct brand will also make it easier for us to find new Finnish and international partners. Our name, the Institute of Photonics, tells more about our activities than, for example, the name Department of Physics and Mathematics."

According to Professor Vahimaa, the Institute of Photonics seeks to spread the established good reputation of the University of Eastern Finland globally in order to ensure and enhance the recruitment of good students in both Master's and doctoral level programmes in photonics.

Another goal of the Institute is to promote the reputation of the university and its photonics research domestically.
 Professor Vahimaa added, "The fact that we are an international player with a high standard of research is the best asset we can offer companies, as our research can be the source of a new business.

“Although we are based in eastern Finland, our activities are not limited to that region alone. Instead, we wish to help Finnish companies at large to better exploit the opportunities offered by optics at the level that is necessary in the global markets."

The Chair of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Photonics is Professor Timo Jääskeläinen, the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Forestry. The other key members are Professors Jyrki Saarinen, Seppo Honkanen, Markku Hauta-Kasari, and Markku Kuittinen.

Advisory Group members include Executive Vice President Antti Vasara of Tieto Plc., Director Eero Salmelin of Nokia, Vice-President Jari Kervinen of Abloy Plc., Director Pekka Savolainen of Tampere University of Technology, Professor Harri Lipsanen of Aalto University, and Professor Pentti Karioja of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

About the Author

Matthew Peach is a contributing editor to optics.org.