Björn Vikström to preside the Board of the Foundation

Published: 08.03.2020

Anders Chydenius Foundation at its annual meeting (8 March) elected a
new chairman for its Board. Now the Chairman is Björn Vikström from Åbo
Akademi University: he has previously served as the bishop for the
Diocese of Porvoo in evangelical lutheran church in Finland. The former
rector of the University of Jyväskylä Aino Sallinen was elected as the
vice chairperson for the Board.

The outgoing chairperson Erkki Liikanen was appreciated for his full
term as the chairperson with grafic art drawn by Ostrobothian artist Esa
Riippa. The name of the art piece "Siirtolainen (A Migrant)" reflected
also the contribution made by Liikanen, who as the chairperson raised
the issues of immigration and emigration to the agenda of the
Foundation.

Mika Aaltola, director of the Finnish Institute for International
Affairs, was elected as the new member for the Board. Aaltola was one of
the speakers at the Annual Meeting Seminar, which focused on the next
stage of EU integration. In the seminar, chairman Vikström addressed the
Chydenius legacy in democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of information
as well as workers' rights.

In this spirit, the Board of the Foundation decided to focus on
democracy during its 20th anniversary (2021) and tasked its Secretary
General to compile a report on international discussion on democracy as
well as possibilities to promote democracy discussion in Nordic
countries and in Europe.

Anu Rantamäki, from Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, was
nominated as the new secretary of the Foundation. Juha Mustonen
continues as the Secretary General.