Activities

Members of the Maaseudun uusi aika society are involved in social decision-making in many ways and act as experts of the sector.

Society arranges an annual two-day meeting of rural researcher. Another tool for the social influence of the  is the MUA-forum. It is a one-day seminar focusing on rural development.

Published since 1993, Maaseudun uusi aika is a multidisciplinary rural research and rural policy journal. The Finnish Society for Rural Research and Development has published the journal since 2000. The Finnish Society for Rural Research and Development grants an annual award for a meritorious pro gradu thesis among the theses published in universities during each academic year.

 

The annual meeting of rural researchers

Maaseudun uusi aika –journal

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MUAforum

Naturally, the members of the society are involved in social decision-making in many ways and act as experts of the sector. One tool for the social influence of the society is the MUA forum.

The MUA forum is a one-day seminar focusing on rural development issues. It is usually arranged in co-operation with one or several partners, and is focused on a topical rural subject. For example, implementation of the MUA forum ‘Expertise in Rural Areas’ in 2006 was connected with the society’s role in preparation of the Special Rural Policy Programme. The society was responsible for preparing the special expertise section of the special programme.

The results of the forum can be described by the fact that good ideas and action proposals could be added to the special programme’s expertise section based on the forum’s ideas, and many of the ideas were also retained after the Ministry’s political preparation process. The expert input of the society can thus be seen in the final programme.

The theme of the 2007 MUA forum was ‘Rural Areas – Status of Creativity?’. This forum was inspired by the Finnish Creativity Strategy finished in 2006, and the role of rural areas in Finnish creativity and innovation policy was discussed during the event.

Thesis Award

The Finnish Society for Rural Research and Development grants an annual award for a meritorious pro gradu thesis among the theses published in universities during each academic year.

In addition to fame, the author receives a money prize.The evaluation criteria include the student’s research skills, creativity and significance of the subject matter for rural research and/or rural development. Proposals are accepted by the chairperson of the society. A proposal may be issued by the University Department in which the thesis was approved. The proposal shall include the following:
1. Name of the thesis author
2. Name of the thesis
3. University, faculty and discipline in which the thesis was approved
4. Thesis approval date and grade
5. A brief summary of the proposal: a justification as to why the thesis should be awarded the prize
6. Thesis abstract and the entire thesis as e-mail attachments
The award jury consists of the chairperson of the society, the chief editor of the journal and two additional members, usually two Board members. The jury issues a proposal to the Board of Directors, and the Board decides who will receive the award.

The Thesis Award is handed over in the annual rural researcher meeting.