This project, funded by the Academy of Finland (2013–2016), provided theoretically innovative and empirically new and valuable knowledge of the complex dynamics between governance and resistance in the context of the dominant, neoliberal development paradigm. It studied social and political struggles in three countries in South Asia – Nepal, Bangladesh and India – by examining social movements that fight against forced displacement and slum demolitions – all caused by development projects. The project engaged critically in the debate on neoliberal development by analyzing problems related to it, charting possibilities for addressing hem, and offering alternative visions for socially, culturally and politically more sustainable models of development.

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This project focuses on how urban governments and social stakeholders in China’s cities engage with major environmental risks and how they tackle the long overdue transition towards cities becoming more green, liveable and sustainable. The research findings will be published in 2017 as: "China’s Emerging Green Urban Governance - Tackling environmental and sustainability challenges at the city level" Editors: Jørgen Delman, Yuan Ren, Outi Luova, Mattias Burell, Oscar Almén

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Jörgen Delman, Oscar Almén, Mattias Burell, Ren Yuan

The main focus of the project has been in Institutional Capacity Building in the area of Meteorological Network Design and Development, Hydrometeorological Data Management, Data Quality Control Procedures, Early Warning Systems and New Services Development.

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The objective of the project is to perform a study to inform government policy and identify regulatory changes for improved monitoring of industrial pollution including development of a conceptual design of the State air quality monitoring network in key Oblasts and industrialized cities.

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Exchange of knowhow, training and dissemination of good practices and solutions are central to building capacity in sustainable natural and agricultural resources management. CAFEIN aims to integrate new and innovative methods of skills development and training to build the agricultural science capacity, and support and advance agricultural education to ensure a safe, secure, nutritive and sustainable food supply under conditions of global climate change.

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Liisa Nurminen UEF, Salla Ruuska UEF, Heimo Mikkola UEF, Jannina Viljakainen UEF, Ardita Jahja-Hoxha Savonia UAS, Bermet Tazhibaeva Kyrgyz National Agrarian University

The overall objective of the proposed project is the strengthening of the National University of Laos, Faculty of Forestry’s educational performance and enabling it to provide good professionals for improved management and the sustainable use of Lao PDR’s forest resources. The project purpose is to support the Faculty of Forestry in terms of international collaboration, organization of joint teaching material production and education events, curriculum development, introduction of new teaching methods, and joint supervision of M.Sc. students research with the aim to provide good forestry professionals and academians for the forest sector of Lao PDR. The proposed project is mainly implemented by (a) organising an intensive training events in Laos for forestry academians and professionals (especially trainers) in the field of forest landscape rehabilitation; (b) promoting the participation of NUoL young staff in intensive training activities organised by VITRI and the Dept. of Forest Sciences in Helsinki; and (c) by strengthening the institutional capacity building in the form of curriculum development, teaching material preparation and new tools for e-learning and networking and new equipments.

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Eshetu Yirdaw, Professor Markku Kanninen, Adrian Monge Monge, Dipjoy Chakma

RECLAIM project analyses the opportunities and challenges that emerge when climate change initiatives are introduced in the least developed countries, specifically herein Laos and Cambodia. The research examines whether it is possible to simultaneously pursue development, mitigation and adaptation and how this will affect to poor and vulnerable groups. The aim is to identify and analyse the drivers, actors and institutions that influence climate compatible development. The research addresses these questions through quantitative analysis of energy-economic systems and development pathways as well as qualitative research on the actors and forces shaping climate policies. The aim of the quantitative analysis is to provide useful information for future planning through defining a framework within which the future energy needs and related climate policies can be assessed.

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Jyrki Luukkanen (FFRC), Visa Tuominen (FFRC), Mira Käkönen (FFRC), Jarmo Vehmas (FFRC), Louis Lebel (USER), Dany Va (RUPP), Try Thuon (RUPP), Ponlok Tin (MoE), Khampone Nathavong (NUOL), Saykham Voladet (NERI), Noora Stenholm (FFRC)

The primary aim of the project is climate change mitigation and reduced deforestation through the provision of low cost water purification technologies to the rural poor. At the same time, the project will sustainably scale up, through carbon finance, the production and dissemination of low-cost clean water treatment solutions to poor households in Cambodia and Lao PDR. The local supply chains of the two carbon projects by Hydrologic Social Enterprise and Terra Clear will be strengthened and the projects will be developed into Gold Standard projects for voluntary carbon markets (VCM). Targeted customers are rural households who currently have no or only a partial access to clean water. Ceramic water purifiers are able to provide a number of co benefits to end users (including the adaptive capacity of end users to climate change) and throughout the supply chain. The project aims to ensure these co-benefits are also realised. The scaling up and sustainable mass dissemination activities will be complemented by a research report prepared by Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC).

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FFRC-Jyrki Luukkanen, Kamilla Karhunmaa, Visa Tuominen, Outi Pitkänen Nexus- Jo Hazelwood Hydrologic- Rachel Pringle TerraClear- Nathan Cole

SUCCEED is a capacity building project which seeks to enhance and promote climate change, environmental and renewable energy education, research, and development. The overall objective of SUCCEED is that the partner countries are able to train and educate national experts capable of advocating national and international climate change policy and renewable energy promotion from the perspective of the least developed countries, especially with regards to: climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, climate finance, energy policy and renewable energy technology. Other objectives include improved skills of teaching staff to ensure successful implementation of climate change and renewable energy education in energy, and environmental degree programmes, improved research and pedagogical skills, improved facilities at ITC, NUOL, RUPP & YTU and promotion of networking and cooperation with national and international institutions and stakeholders.

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Jyrki Luukkanen, Mika Korkeakoski, Visa Tuominen

The “Employee Participation and Collective Bargaining in the Era of Globalization – Nordic and Chinese Perspectives” research project examines workplace governance through collective bargaining and employee participation from a comparative perspective. The project explores the legal framework and experience in collective bargaining and employee participation in Finland and the other Nordic countries and China and asses the roles of these mechanisms in adaptation to changes caused by globalization. The project is a joint effort between the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) Institute of Law and the University of Helsinki Faculty of Law.

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Professor Ulla Liukkunen, Professor Teemu Ruskola, Dr Li Haiming, Dr Zhang Yihong, PhD Marja Paavilainen, Professor Chen Su, Professor Xie Zengyi, Dr Deng Li, PhD Wu Xiaodan,