AFFER
Introduction
The Andean-Finland Forest Education and Research (AFFER) project aims to improve sustainable forest resource management education by developing mobility and training on forest and water management in tropical, Andean, and boreal ecosystems. It involves collaboration between the University of Eastern Finland, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Peru, and Universidad de Cuenca in Ecuador, integrating students and researchers. AFFER promotes knowledge exchange through online and onsite learning, including case studies and field visits. The project fosters international cooperation, aiming to strengthen educational and research initiatives between Finland and Latin America, enhancing the global competitiveness of participating institutions.
Participants
University of Eastern Finland – UEF
Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina – UNALM (Lima, Peru)
Universidad de Cuenca (Cuenca, Ecuador)
Financing
Total budget: 61 280 EUR from Finnish Minstry of Foreign Affairs (TFK Programme)
Coordination Team
Blas Mola is professor at the School of Forest Sciences.
Jessenia Polack is a researcher at the School of Forest Sciences.
Frank Berninger is professor at the Dep. Environmental and Biological Sciences.
Andrea Ramos Huapaya is a researcher at the School of Forest Sciences.
TFK-project AFFER: Staff and students
Staff and students of the TFK project AFFER at the University of Eastern Finland, outside the Borealis building.
Staff members representing UEF, UNALM, and UCuenca, together with students from these institutions participating in an exchange period.
Achievements
Exchange Students (Bachelor, Master & Doctoral)
Mobility among Finland, Peru and Ecuador
Workshop: TFK project AFFER
The workshop focused on hydrology, ecology, climate change, and forestry, providing a platform for exchanging ideas, sharing research, and discussing emerging environmental challenges. Its primary goal was to bridge scientific knowledge with practical applications while fostering interdisciplinary and international collaboration. By creating opportunities for networking and scientific exchange in advance, the workshop aimed to strengthen interactions throughout the Summer School 2026 and inspire research collaborations.
Summer School 2026: Ecology & Climate Change
International course with students and lecturers from around the world
Fieldwork • Laboratory work • Modelling • Lectures
More information: https://blogs.uef.fi/plantecologyuef/summer-school-ecology-and-climate-change/
The Summer School was jointly organised with the TFK project AFFER through collaboration among University of Eastern Finland, UCuenca of Ecuador, UNALM of Peru and University of Costa Rica. It was also supported by the Eco2Adapt and MicroEco projects, with contributions from the Slovenian Forest Institute, University of Belgrade and Zhejiang A&F University. This broad partnership created a strong environment for international knowledge exchange and capacity building. Prof. Frank Berninger, Prof. Zaklina Marjanovic, Prof. Lei Wang, Dr. Tahamina Khanam, and Dr. Xudan Zhu from the Eco2Adapt project were actively involved in the Summer School through organization, teaching, field sampling, and laboratory training.