Challenge
In honour of its 60th anniversary, the Finnish Institute in Rome wanted to generate discussion on the value of humanities research to Finnish society and to raise humanities researchers’ self-esteem.
Solution
We edited a book written by the director of the Finnish Institute in Rome, Tuomas Heikkilä, and chancellor emeritus of the University of Helsinki, Ilkka Niiniluoto, titled Humanistisen tutkimuksen arvo (The Value of Humanities Research).
We organised a publication event for the book where business leaders, among others, professed their love for humanities research. Thanks to our media work, Yle’s Aamu-tv and Helsingin Sanomat’s culture section brought the subject into the public spotlight. We also created and executed the #humanistijalustalle social media campaign where people gave praise to the humanists who inspire them. On Twitter, #humanistijalustalle reached over 140,000 views.
The University of Turku’s Faculty of Humanities awarded the book the 2016 Humanist Act of the Year award. The award was given based on nominations and voting done by the audience. The book received over 45 percent of the votes.
Find out more about the book: The Value of Humanities Research