Founded in 1982, the Faculty of Forest Sciences at the University of Joensuu is an international research and education centre, providing the highest level of expertise in forestry and related sciences.

OUR GOALS

Our goal is to provide high quality research and teaching. The Faculty conducts internationally distinguished forest research and produces professionals with a multitude of skills for forest and environment related fields in Finland and abroad.

RESOURCES

• 14 professors
• 3 co-professors
• 8 senior assistants
• 48 project researchers
• 13 laboratory and office staff

The faculty has

• over 300 undergraduates and
• approximately 80 post-graduate students

Foreign students:

• 13 undergraduates
• 14 post-graduates
• approximately 70 exchange students

Each autumn about 45 new forestry students, "forstis", begin their studies, while roughly 400 MSc degrees and 50 DSc degrees have already been completed in our Faculty.

RESEARCH AND POST-GRADUATE STUDIES

Our Faculty coordinates several EU research projects and participates in more than ten EU projects. We also carry out research and development cooperation with dozens of business enterprises.

Our Faculty coordinates the Graduate School in Forest Sciences.

In addition, during years 2000-2005 the Ministry of Education recognised our research work in Forest Ecology and Silviculture as a Centre of Excellence, which promotes multi-objective research of boreal forest ecosystems and outlines the prerequisites for sustainable management and use of forests.

RESEARCH PRIORITIES

Effects of climate change on forests
Forest ecology and biodiversity
Multi-objective and participatory forest planning
Wood science
Wood procurement
Forest resource inventory and GIS
Economic evaluation of forest benefits
Forest economy and marketing
Forest energy and its procurement

TEACHING

Developments in the field of education and new, innovative teaching methods offer another challenge to our staff. The Faculty uses a quality control system in teaching, which provides a framework and continuity for the development work carried out interactively and in cooperation with our students.

MAJORS

Forestry students have a choice of three majors.

Management of Forest Ecosystems
This programme provides the student with an understanding of the functioning and structure of forest ecosystems, and looks for solutions for sustainable management, protection and use of forests.

Forest Planning and Economics
The student becomes familiar with multi-objective forest planning, the compilation of nature resources data and development of information systems, economic analysis and forest policy.

Forest Engineering and Forest Products Technology
Provides the student with a knowledge of the technology, planning and management involved in wood procurement and silviculture, and the qualities of wood as raw material and how these can be used to benefit customised wood industries.

European Forestry (www.joensuu.fi/metsatdk/mscef)
The University of Joensuu in conjunction with five other European Universities is offering this programme with the aim of providing the students with the knowledge required to undertake the management and strategic planning of the European forest resource.

In addition, the Faculty offers non-degree study programmes in Multidisciplinary Studies in Environmental Management, Multiple-use of Forests and Forestry in Russia.

The Finnish-Russian Cross-Border University CBU’s Master’s degree programme in Forestry and Environmental Engineering is coordinated at the Faculty of Forest Sciences.

INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES

The Faculty of Forest Sciences is an international education and research centre. The non-degree study programme Environmental Science and Forestry is particularly aimed at exchange students and conducted entirely in English. The Faculty participates in the Socrates/Erasmus and ISEP programmes and is a member of the SILVA Network, a Network of forestry universities in Europe. In addition, the Faculty coordinates the ASEFOREP forestry exchange programme between Asia and Europe, and the "Human Dimensions in 21st Century Forestry" cooperation programme based on an agreement between the EU and Canada. The latest international action is participating in International Partnership for Forestry Education (IPFE). Our foreign students have already completed their Bachelor's degrees and are currently studying towards their Master's or Doctoral degrees. Over one third of our Finnish student body incorporate studies from foreign universities into their degrees.

We also have on-going research projects related to tropical forests in South-East Asia and Africa. In addition, forestry education and research cooperation related to Russian Forestry is carried out with, for example, the St. Petersburg Forest Technical Academy and the Forest Engineering Faculty of the University of Petrozavodsk. The Faculty also participates in the EU "Northern dimension" forest cooperation.

top of page