Christmas greeting from the Polin Institute

Yet another year of fruitful and, at least for my part, joyful cooperation is turning to its end. The community, exciting discussions and encounters, as well as motivating work have kept me going this year. The outcome has also been a good number of brilliant publications, incoming competed research funding and thrilling conferences, seminars etc. Thank you all for this! I am also looking forward to next year and all the ideas and initiatives you will come up with. The Polin Institute will do its best to help you realise them.

Yet, this year has also been a time of uncertainties of many kinds. Our university has undergone a restructuring, and the economy poses its challenges which have been visible also in our work. Also, the world at large has been in uncertainty, even agony. The immense suffering in Darfur, Gaza, Ukraine or elsewhere as well as the threat of expanding conflicts and divisions between nations and within nations make our existence precarious. While we have zoomed in on the military conflicts, the constant crises have not faded away, quite the contrary. The extinction of species and the climate change are even more pressing than before. Just think that it is only less than 100km of atmosphere that separates us from the space and cold death. At the Polin Institute, we have researchers and projects working on these topics and many more pressing issues. Change and resilience start from the hearts and minds, so we should see the value of what we are doing and try to spread the results of our research.

Precariousness is a part of life – being alive in this world means being in danger. Think of a newborn baby, how fragile she is, in need of care and protection. Yet, she is full of promise and potential. All or even any of that potential may not be realised. That is exactly what life is about – a process of becoming at the verge of the abyss of extinction. The Christmas story can therefore be seen as an expression and jubilation of life with a newborn child in the centre. Likewise, I hope that the work we do will be life affirming and liberating amidst all uncertainties.

The plans of the coming year tally largely with this year: monthly seminars or workshops during the semesters, cooperation in organizing seminars and conferences, ongoing projects and receiving several visiting researchers. Unlike this year, I hope that we will be able to recruit post-doctoral researchers in the positions postponed this year as well as a salaried doctoral student. All this is still in the sphere of uncertainty in life.

I wish you a peaceful and refreshing break from work. Remember to dedicate time for yourself and your loved ones!

Yours,

Mika Vähäkangas

The pictures is a mosaic from the Chora Church in Istanbul and shows the baby Virgin Mary with her parents Joachim and Anna. Photo by Laura Wickström.