University of Oulu’s new Institute for Integrative Studies Integra addresses the grand challenges of our time
Complex global challenges do not follow disciplinary boundaries. For this reason, the University of Oulu decided last spring to establish a new transdisciplinary institute to strengthen research that combines expertise from different fields and engages societal interest holders in developing shared solutions. The institute has now been named Integra. The name was selected through an open naming competition for the university community and it was announced by Rector Petteri Alahuhta at the University’s academic year opening ceremony on 8 September 2026.
The name Integra reflects the institute’s core mission: to bring together disciplines, expertise, and societal actors to generate new knowledge, holistic understanding, and impactful solutions. Its goal is to strengthen the University of Oulu’s position as an international leader in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research.
Integra brings together researchers, students, and partners to develop new solutions to the complex challenges of our time, including climate change and biodiversity loss, safety and security, technological transformation, and the sustainable use of natural resources. Addressing these wicked problems requires systemic and integrative approaches, as solutions depend on reconciling multiple interconnected and sometimes conflicting perspectives and phenomena.
"The most significant challenges of our time do not respect disciplinary boundaries. Therefore, solutions cannot emerge from within a single discipline alone. Interdisciplinary collaboration is a necessity if we want to find new and impactful solutions to society’s major challenges," says Vice Rector for Research Matti Latva-aho.
Integra supports the university’s strategic goal to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration
The institute serves as a platform for research that transcends traditional disciplinary and organizational boundaries, bringing together diverse perspectives to address shared challenges. Together with the University of Oulu’s diverse research environments, Integra provides opportunities to develop, test, and implement new ideas, methods, and solutions in collaboration with various societal actors.
Its objective is to facilitate interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research initiatives and to produce impactful knowledge that promotes sustainable well-being, competitiveness, and societal resilience. Integra is a key element of the University of Oulu’s strategic goal to strengthen collaboration across disciplines and increase the societal impact of research. The institute builds bridges between research, education, and society while creating new opportunities for bold research initiatives and international collaboration.
The conditions for interdisciplinary research at the University of Oulu have previously been developed and supported by the centres for multidisciplinary research Biocenter, Eudaimonia, Infotech, and Kvantum. Integra builds on this foundation. Its mission is to bring together the work and accumulated knowledge generated within these centres and to take interdisciplinarity to a new level.
Integra will officially begin operations on 1 January 2027, but preparations are already underway. During autumn 2026, the university community and key interest holders will participate in designing the first research programmes. Activities will be expanded gradually from research to include education and societal engagement.