Medical research in Finland

Want to become a researcher in Finland? Why not? At the University of Helsinki  , there are quite a few professors from German-speaking countries. Increasing the proportion of foreign researchers is an explicit goal of all Finnish universities. As far as the quality of academic research is concerned, Finland ranks in the middle of the pack in Europe. Only one of Finland’s 10 universities ranks among the world’s top 100: the University of Helsinki (74th in the 2020 Shanghai Ranking  ). In contrast, four German universities make it onto the list, which is otherwise dominated by Anglo-American institutions (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Technical University of Munich, Heidelberg University, and the University of Bonn, ranked 51st, 54th, 57th, and 87th, respectively). It should be noted, however, that these rankings represent an average across all of a university’s research fields.

When looking at individual fields of research, there are, of course, many institutes and laboratories in both Germany and Finland that are at the very forefront of global research. Because of my own work  , my perspective is heavily influenced by medicine and biology, and so all of the examples listed below are from the fields of medicine and the life sciences. When comparing academic research in Finland and Germany, one shouldn’t take university rankings too seriously. Like all metrics, these rankings have lost their significance because universities have misunderstood them as goals (loosely based on Charles Goodhard  ). For example, the New York Times university rankings  7—not just 4—German universities are among the top 100 (LMU Munich, TU Munich, Heidelberg University, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the University of Tübingen, Humboldt University of Berlin, and the University of Freiburg, ranked 32nd, 41st, 42nd, 75th, 78th, 80th, and 83rd).

Once again, this list includes only one Finnish university—the University of Helsinki—which ranks 98th. Finland’s two largest and most important universities are both located in the capital region: the University of Helsinki and Aalto University  , which was known as the “Helsinki University of Technology” prior to its renaming (and merger with two smaller universities) in 2010, even though it was already located not in Helsinki but in the neighboring city of Espoo to the west. Both universities are roughly comparable in size to Humboldt University or the University of Tübingen. Medical research and its practical application hold particular importance. Perhaps this is why the value for money of the healthcare system ranks among the best in the world ( https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/study_finlands_health_care_system_among_best_in_the_world/10276968  ). Finland spends far less on healthcare as a percentage of its gross national product than, for example, Germany, Sweden, or Denmark ( https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Healthcare_expenditure_statistics  ), yet on average, its medical care is not inferior but rather superior and more comprehensive.

The general public tends to take a very evidence-based approach to medicine, as reflected, for example, in the high vaccination rates. In cancer treatment, Finland has ranked among the world’s best for years—regardless of the type of cancer ( https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2817%2933326-3/fulltext  ). And the results of domestic clinical cancer research are trusted more worldwide than those of other countries, if one uses the number of citations as a measure. Some areas of research were, so to speak, even born here in Finland or significantly shaped by it. These include, among other things, the practical application of modern genetic linkage analysis. This method is used to identify the genes responsible for hereditary diseases. The central figure in this field was the researcher Leena Peltonen-Palotie, who passed away in 2010. Another field, established almost single-handedly by the Finnish researcher Kari Alitalo, is the molecular biology of the lymphatic system. Research into hereditary diseases in Finland had a significant head start over other countries: a very homogeneous population that existed in relative isolation from the rest of Europe for centuries and descended from a very small group of immigrants. That is why—genetically speaking—there are only two distinct groups of Europeans: Finns and non-Finns ( https://www.nature.com/articles/nature19057  ).

The rest of Europe has become so thoroughly intermingled amid the turmoil of the Migration Period, the wars of the Middle Ages, and the modern era that any form of nationalism based on ancestry can be reduced to absurdity for genetic reasons alone. This unique genetic status of the Finns means that there are certain diseases in Finland that are virtually unknown in the rest of Europe (e.g., Nordic epilepsy). Conversely, however, there are also hereditary diseases that are quite common in Europe but almost unknown among the Finnish population (e.g., phenylketonuria). For a good summary, I recommend this article (in English) in Discovery Magazine: https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/finlands-fascinating-genesDie  Hierarchies in research and teaching are flatter here in Finland than in German-speaking countries. Just as children in school are on a first-name basis with their teachers, the same is true at the university. Most lecturers and professors speak to their students as equals and are always available and approachable.

I don’t have office hours either: normally, anyone is welcome to drop by my office at any time—including you (here’s my address  )! Before COVID-19, the doors to our institute and my office were always open. Now, however, special rules apply, and visitors (but not students) must check in at the auditorium. In the program I help supervise ( TRANSMED  ), however, all lectures and seminars will once again be held online this semester. The only exceptions are the lab practicals and clinical rounds, which we’re trying to conduct as safely as possible by wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing. If you have any further questions regarding scientific research here in the far north, I’m happy to answer them at any time via email ( michael@jeltsch.org ) or Zoom, and my science blog also frequently covers topics specific to Finland: https://jeltsch.org/science .