ISI99 Daily Bulletin 3

ISI99 Daily Bulletin 3 Wednesday 11 August, 1999 Contents Opening day • Timo Relander: Finland in the midst of a technological boom 2 Paavo Lipponen: Better decision making by high-quality information 4 Willem van Zwet: New Session format put to the test 5 Yves Franchet: Closer collaboration essential 6 Timo Relander: La Finlande au milieu d’un boom technologique 6 • Changes in the programme 8 • ISI Nominations Committee 9 • Eurostat Forum 9 • How to submit items in the Daily Bulletin 9 • ISI General Assembly Matters 10 • Réunion de l’ Assemblée Générale 11 • Behind the scenes and in the frontline, part 2 12 Participants arriving • A pocket-size metropolis 13 • What is the Bernoulli Society? 14 • From a grand hotel to a grander city hall 14 • How Helsinki became a city 15 • The gentlemen in your wallet 16 • Art nouveau in the woods 17 • Saturday night fever the Finnish way 18 • Mitä kuuluu? 19 Teach yourself Finnish, Part 2 • Favourite drinks 19 An introduction to Finnish Cuisine, Part 2 • Seurasaari 20 Where to go and what to do, Part 2 • Marketing Workshop 20 • Open meeting of the Women in Statistics Committee 20 • Today´s weather 20 Net cafe ISI99 / Daily Bulletin / Wednesday 11 August / 3 1 Opening ceremony Timo Relander: Finland in the midst of a technological boom Timo Relander, Chairman of the National Organising Committee. • On behalf of the National the stabilisation of the country’s investment in education, cultivation. The forests and Organising Committee, I wish international position. In the research and the latest lakes are used widely for you a warm welcome to the post-war era, Finland served as technology. In recent years, recreational purposes. 52nd Session of the a diplomatic and trade clearing Finland has been placed among Nature is an inseparable part International Statistical Institute. house between the east and the most prosperous and of the Finnish way of life. The In popular parlance, Finland west. Nowadays, Finland sees competitive countries in needs of the economy and is often described as “the land herself as more than just a international benchmarking Nature have been reconciled of Sauna, Sibelius and Sisu”. In gateway to the east. The new comparisons. reasonably well in Finland. The Finland, many key decisions are concept used is the Northern Finland is the third smallest quality of both air and water is made in the sauna. Sibelius’ Dimension of the European of the EU Member States in good and has even improved in works, his Finlandia hymn, for Union. population (5.1 million) but the the last few decades. Despite example, symbolise the national Finland’s position has fifth largest in size. We have the strong economic growth, culture, and “sisu” stands for improved considerably in the room to live; the average environmental emissions that indefinable quality of course of the 20th century. The population density is 17 people produced by industry have in determination, strength and century started under Russian per square kilometre. Four many respects diminished. tenacity. Each of these elements rule, when Finns aspired for fifths of Finland are covered by While the world’s forest in its own way characterises independence under poor boreal forests and ten per cent resources have continued to Finland. economic conditions. The by water, with 190,000 lakes dwindle, wood reserves in Throughout history, Finland independence was reached in and some 180,000 coastal and Finland have grown even in the has been positioned between 1917. Today, Finns can prepare lake islands. The fragmented 1990s. the western and eastern for the coming millennium coastline and the lakes were Finland’s welfare is based on political and cultural spheres of celebrations as an economically formed at the end of the Ice open and modern market influence. Culturally and well to do President country of Age when the edge of economy, which brings to bear socially, Finland is the European Union. The permanent ice retreated to the its Nordic sense of social predominantly western. In the bedrocks of our success have north. One third of the country responsibility. Women 1990s, Finland’s memberships been active internationalisation, lies north of the Arctic Circle. participate in the working life in in the EU and European participation in European Less than 10 per cent of great numbers and in other Monetary Union have signified integration and strong Finland is under agricultural respects, too, equal 2 3 / Wednesday 11 August / Daily Bulletin / ISI99 opportunities between women technology offers a good basis The President of the 1960s as part of Alvar Aalto’s and men are well advanced. for developing the information Republic of Finland, Mr Martti more extensive plans for the Democracy has a long history society in Finland. Statistical Ahtisaari, has kindly sent his city centre. The Hall recently in Finland. Both regional and and computer sciences have written greeting to this opening received new exterior cladding income differences, for become an important tool for ISI Session. In his greeting, he of Italian Carrara marble. For example, have been relatively utilising information technology stresses the need for global co- Aalto, white marble minor. and other fields of technology, operation in the field of represented a link to the Today, a visitor to Finland too. Statistical science provides statistics, in which the Mediterranean culture he may wonder at several things, a means for managing International Statistical Institute wanted to bring to his home most probably at Finns’ great uncertainty. It also offers ways plays an important part. The country. One of the basic excitement over modern for seeking the relevant and lack of such global “statistical philosophies of Aalto’s technology. At the moment, essential information. In co- language” has become evident architecture was that Finland, and Helsinki, are in the operation with applied e.g. with different economic architecture has to act as a midst of a real technological sciences, statistical science crises in the 1990s. Statistical background to people. boom. The breakthrough of helps to find significant considerations have been taken Therefore, one’s main attention the most recent information universally applicable solutions into account in the outlining of in Finlandia Hall is not drawn to and communication to the problems of people, the new international financial particular forms, or the interior technology has advanced here businesses and nations alike. architecture. decoration, but to the audience faster, and further, than in The importance of statistics has As Chairman of the National and presenters. This will also set most other countries. Finns’ also continued to grow in the Organising Committee, I am high standards for the enthusiasm for technology has economic, social and political very glad that Helsinki was presenters and audience at this been explained by our remote life. chosen as the meeting place of ISI Session. location and long distances. Statistical science has a the 52nd Session of the The fact that some 1,800 The latest technology appears specific role from the point of International Statistical Institute. participants from more than 80 to offer a solution to many of national statistical institutes. Later this year, Helsinki will be countries are represented in this these problems. In the 1990s, The independence of statistics the focus of wider European Session is both a pleasure and a Finland has moved swiftly from production has to be attention during the summit of responsibility to the National economic dependence on the safeguarded with high the EU heads of government. In Organising Committee, and to forest industry into one of professional expertise and the year 2000, Helsinki will Finland. Thanks to the Program Europe’s leading high-tech methods approved by the celebrate its 450th anniversary Committees, we have before us economies. world of science. The and, at the same time, will be a rich scientific menu from This Helsinki Session of the development of sampling one of the nine European Cities which, I hope, anyone can find International Statistical techniques and statistical of Culture. interesting meetings. A number Institute, to be opened today, programmes has facilitated the The venue selected for the of topics are analysed not only will also bring the Sessions of production of high quality ISI Session is Finlandia Hall, a at the theoretical level, but also the ISI fully to the Internet era. statistics at reduced costs. In Congress and Concert Centre with an eye to finding solutions I hope this Session will give you Finland, the national statistical representing modern to the problems in our all a positive picture of our institute, Statistics Finland, architecture in Helsinki. changing societies. know-how in information collaborates closely with Finlandia Hall was designed by I hope that your stay in technology. universities, and this the world famous Finnish Helsinki will be an enjoyable The high quality collaboration has already borne architect Alvar Aalto. The Hall and meaningful experience. infrastructure of information excellent fruit. was built at the end of the ISI99 / Daily Bulletin / Wednesday 11 August / 3 3 Opening ceremony Paavo Lipponen: Better decision making by high-quality information It is a great pleasure for me to making in the European Union welcome you all to the 52nd rest on statistics more directly Session of the International than we are traditionally Statistical Institute now being accustomed to. held in Helsinki. Union-level

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