Estonian Academy of Sciences Yearbook 2017 XXIII (50)
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Facta non solum verba ESTONIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES YEAR BOOK ANNALES ACADEMIAE SCIENTIARUM ESTONICAE XXIII (50) 2017 TALLINN 2018 Editor in chief: Jaak Järv Editor: Anne Pöitel Translation: Ülle Rebo and Technical Translation Centre Editorial team: Helle-Liis Help, Siiri Jakobson, Ebe Pilt, Marika Pärn, Tiina Rahkama, Piret Suurväli Maquette: Kaspar Ehlvest Layout: Erje Hakman Photos: Annika Haas: pp.105–108; Reti Kokk: p.54; Maris Krünvald: p.109; photograph collection of the Estonian Academy of Sciences. Thanks to all authors for their contributions: Agnes Aljas, Madis Arukask, Toomas Asser, Jüri Engelbrecht, Arvi Freiberg, Arvi Hamburg, Sirje Helme, Angela Ivask, Marin Jänes, Jelena Kallas, Meelis Kitsing, Mati Koppel, Kerri Kotta, Ants Kurg, Urmas Kõljalg, Jakob Kübarsepp, Marju Luts-Sootak, Olga Mazina, Helle Metslang, Andres Metspalu, Peeter Müürsepp, Ülo Niine, Jüri Plado, Katre Pärn, Anu Reinart, Kaido Reivelt, Andrus Ristkok, Ave Soeorg, Tarmo Soomere, Evelin Tamm, Urmas Tartes, Jaana Tõnisson, Enn Tõugu, Jaan Undusk, Marja Unt, Tiit Vaasma, Rein Vaikmäe, Urmas Varblane, Eero Vasar. Prepared by Publishing House Argo, 2018 Printed in Printing House Paar ISSN 1406-1503 © EESTI TEADUSTE AKADEEMIA CONTENTS FOREWORD ...........................................................................................................5 CHRONICLE 2017 ..................................................................................................8 MEMBERSHIP OF THE ACADEMY ............................................................... 17 GENERAL ASSEMBLY .......................................................................................24 BOARD ..................................................................................................................27 DIVISIONS ............................................................................................................30 COUNCILS, COMMITTEES .............................................................................33 ACADEMY EVENTS .......................................................................................... 48 ACADEMY, MEDIA, SOCIETY ........................................................................53 SPEECHES AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLIES .............................................80 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMY AND FROM THE ACADEMY ..................................................................... 105 PUBLICATIONS OF THE ACADEMY ..........................................................119 INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC RELATIONS ...........................................120 ANNIVERSARIES .............................................................................................126 MEMBERS OF THE ACADEMY ....................................................................150 ESTONIAN ACADEMY PUBLISHERS .......................................................162 UNDER AND TUGLAS LITERATURE CENTRE OF THE ESTONIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES .....................................................165 ESTONIAN YOUNG ACADEMY OF SCIENCES .......................................177 ASSOCIATED INSTITUTIONS ......................................................................179 ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS .................................................................196 IN MEMORIAM .................................................................................................232 Appendix 1: Financial activities .................................................................... 248 Appendix 2: Estonian contact points for international scientific organisations ........................................................235 3 Appendix 3: Cooperation agreements with partner organisations ......251 Appendix 4: Directory ......................................................................................252 ANNUAL REPORTS COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY THE ESTONIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES ............................................. 254 FOREWORD It has already become a cliché to say that our world is rapidly changing and, in a similar manner, both science and its role, as regards supporting social progress and steering the society, are undergoing transformation. These changes touch the very foundations of how science serves the society. If I may generalise to a certain extent, the situation is as follows. In the relatively recent past, just a few decades ago, there was a strong chain, localised in space and configured in time, from a scientist in a laboratory to an inventor in an adjacent room, from there to an engineer working in a neighbouring house, and finally to a manufacturer in a factory next street. The scientist was paid from the profit earned from selling the finished goods. This chain does not exist anymore. Instead, we have two cohorts of people. On the one hand, many excellent scientists contribute to the worldwide knowledge pool. On the other hand, science brokers and entrepreneurs fish for ideas in this pool, with a view to converting them into new items. A few successful cases among such fishings generate tax money, whereby a large part of science is funded. Thus, the pattern of knowledge production has been radically altered together with the pattern of using this knowledge. It is natural that alongside this principal change, several other major alterations are currently underway in the practical aspects how knowledge (or science in general) can be used for national level steering. The former includes how science can be used for policy-making, for keeping environmental resources sustainable and the environment itself resilient. Peter Drucker (1909-2005) spoke golden words about the power of knowledge when he said that knowledge is the source of wealth. He also mentioned how it should be handled or used, referring to two categories. If knowledge is applied to tasks we already know, it becomes productivity. Alternatively, if knowledge is applied to tasks that are new, it becomes innovation. The problem of converting knowledge into wealth has thus a perfect solu- tion in theory. Fundamental research is essential if we really want to secure 5 the future. None of the burning issues of today can be solved without substantial progress in many fields of science. Shimon Peres has said that there is no way to escape poverty without science and there is no way to achieve peace without science. Foreign Member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences Helmut Schwarz has commented in a private conversation, “Without science we are unlikely to be able to construct a future that is worth living.” Everybody on the academic landscape will surely subscribe to these ideas. The problem is how to convince other people to do the same. Here, the academies of science have a crucial role. A good example is presented by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in the United States of America. It is not merely a body representing top scientists all over the country. Created in 1863, during hard times of the civil war, the NAS is responsi- ble for providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. The presence of such advice belongs to the cornerstones of the strength with regard to the entire country. It is most likely that one of the key issues that are going to shape the progress in Europe is whether this continent will be able to mobilise the knowledge that has been accumulated in various layers of science into constructing the future worth living. Currently, many institutions have set out to provide the best advice to the European Commission. New players are arriving, most notably the Science Advisory Mechanism (SAM) unit at the European Commission and four consortia of academies unified together with Academia Europaea into SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies), where also the Estonian Academy of Sciences is engaged. It is very likely that the competitiveness of Estonia will also strongly depend on how effectively the country is able to use the competence accumulated in our science landscape for steering the country. This Year Book provides some examples and initiatives in this direction, but also offers a flavour about how much work remains to be done. Tarmo Soomere 9 March 2018 6 CRONICLE 2017 January 4 – Academy organised and hosted the initial meeting of the constitutional body for the establishment of the Estonian Young Academy of Sciences. January 4 – Academy House was the venue for a round-table meeting among organisers of a conference aimed at young Estonian researchers working or studying abroad scheduled for 2018. January 20 – SIA L’Oréal Baltic as the funding agency and the Estonian National Commission for UNESCO together with the Estonian Academy of Sciences as organising partners signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Trilateral Cooperation in the Academy Hall. This agreement laid the foundations for the enlargement of the L’Oréal-UNESCO fellowship programme “For Women in Science” to Estonia. January 24 – Board at its meeting approved the first year progress reports presented by the Research Professors of the Academy Anne Kahru, Rainer Kattel and Kaupo Kukli. Discussed topics included: an interim report of the panel for updating the Academy Statutes, information about the Estonian Academy of Sciences sub-fund with the Estonian National Culture Foundation and proposed amendments to the Higher Education Act. The Academy Schedule of Events for 2017 was approved, Members of the Board were tasked with individual assignments and the principles for electing new Members of the Academy were reviewed. February