Annual Seminar on New Strategy Selfoss, Iceland – May 2010 Ólafur Arnalds LBHI Soil Soc – Network on Soil Science

SoilSoc network brings together teachers, students and researchers on the multidiciplinary field of soil sciences. Purpose for soil science in Nordic countries: Increase and improve interaction among students, teachers and researchers. Improve the diversity and quality of graduate education Create a motivating study environment for Nordic students of soil science

SoilSoc encourages students to obtain degrees in Soil Science

Development and Annual Meetings Meeting in Helsinki , where SoilSoc was founded Meeting in Iceland , where the outlines of the SoilSoc collaboration where decided Meeting in Copenhagen , where future SoilSoc intensive courses were planned and the outlines of the SoilSoc programme agreed on Meeting in Uppsala , where the outcomes of the first two SoilSoc intensive courses and the SoilSoc minor at HU-AF were presented, and future courses and collaboration with graduate schools were planned Meeting in Ås , where two new board members were acknowledged and both past and future courses were discussed and planned

Krisina Lindström (UH) Anu Mikkonen (UH)

Importance of annual meetings (Board) Meetings mostly funded by NOVA. Meetings: key instruments for the development and the fruitful activity of the SoilSoc Network Active student involvement in all meetings, from all member universities.

Several Courses

Bioinformatics for the environmental scientists University of Helsinki

Soil Degradation, Erosion and Restoration

Microbial N transformations and NO/N2O emissons UMB

Remediation of contaminated soils KVL LIFE

Nova Prize 2009 Very encouraging and helpful! Money used for student mobility and helping with annual meetings

Denmark Ole K. Borggaard, LIFE Lis Jonge, Dr., Agroecology and Environment Karina K. Jessing, PhD student Finland Kristina Lindström, UH Tarja Lehto, Prof., Forest Soil Science Anu Mikkonen, PhD student Iceland Ólafur Arnalds, SoilSoc network leader Taru Lehtinen, MSc student Norway Trond Borresen, UMB Shahid Nadeem, PhD student Sweden Sara Hallin, SLU Ella Wessén, PhD student and SoilSoc network secretary