The changing ”neighbournesses” of Finland: The close neighbours

Kone Foundation starts a funding call with a purpose to find out, using the means of research, what ”neighbourness” means after Finland encountered the collapse of the Soviet union and then a refugee crisis. Despite the recent numbers of refugees, the new neighbours have mostly come from our vicinity to the south and to the east. In Finland, a growing number of inhabitants have a background in Russia or Estonia, and they are still connected with these countries. At the same time, the well-established connections to our Scandinavian neighbours Sweden and Norway are still there, and are developing.

What does it involve to be neighbours in Finland for those who come from the neighbouring countries? What are their connections with the countries of origin? How do transnational relations influence neighbour relations within Finnish borders? What are the similarities and differences? How do neighbours communicate and build communities with others despite linguistic, cultural and religious differences? What kinds of formal (e.g., associations) or informal (e.g., movements, networks) forms of co-operation have the neighbours built in different fields (language, culture, environment, art, etc.)? What are their connections with the countries of origin? In this context, being neighbours has a wider meaning than just apartment neighbours: it refers to living and being active in Finnish society.

We encourage you to start new kinds of activities, based on equality, between academics and civil society actors, such as associations or movements. In line with the foundation’s principles, we support multidisciplinary research approaches. The focus of the funding call is in research, but the foundation is inspired by combinations of artistic and scholarly approaches.

Application period

The application period will open on 1 September and close on 30 September at 16:00 Finnish time (EEST). Submit your application using the online application form at the online application service

Instructions for grant applicants

Further information

Kalle Korhonen, head of research funding

Anna Talasniemi, executive director