Conference programme and papers

The conference programme will be posted on the conference website in due course. All conference papers, made available by presenters, will also be posted on the website closer to the conference. There will be no paper copies available at the conference. If presenters do not want their papers to be posted on the website, please inform the Project Assistant (Janis Vehmaan-Kreula janis@wider.unu.edu) in advance. Authors must send updated versions of their papers, if any, by 15 May, so that we can send the papers to the assigned discussants.

Conference presentations

Presentations should be sent by email to presentation@wider.unu.edu in advance by Thursday, 2 June 2016. Please name your presentation in the following form: Lastname_firstname.ppt or Lastname_firstname.pdf. Alternatively, you may bring your presentation on a flash drive and upload it to the computer in time for your session.

Poster session

There will be a poster session on Monday 6 June from 18:00-19:00 hrs. Posters will be presented in a common area in the Marina Congress Center and they will also be displayed throughout the conference.

Travel

In order to take full advantage of the conference programme it is recommended that you arrive in Helsinki latest by the evening of Sunday 5 June, and plan to depart either on Tuesday 7 June late evening or Wednesday 8 June morning, depending on flight availability. Participants authorized to receive UNU-WIDER travel funding, will be provided with a roundtrip economy air ticket to Helsinki in accordance with United Nations University travel guidelines. No air tickets should be purchased by the travellers themselves unless prior written authorization has been received from UNU-WIDER.

Visas

Please check promptly with the Finnish Consulate/Embassy in your area whether you need a visa to enter the Schengen area that Finland is part of, and if you need a supporting letter from UNU-WIDER, please let us know. Should you have difficulty obtaining a visa let us know immediately. Note - it is the traveller’s responsibility to obtain all the necessary visas, including transit visas.

UNU-WIDER will reimburse the cost of visas; please retain the original receipts for this purpose and send advanced copies to us as soon as possible. Should you need to incur any additional expenses related to your visa application (courier charges, travel costs for visa interview, etc.), please check first with UNU-WIDER for further guidance and authorization of these amounts.

Insurance

If you do not have an individual consultancy contract with UNU-WIDER, please arrange your own insurance coverage for the Schengen area.

Disclaimer: The United Nations University disclaims all responsibility for medical, accident and travel insurance, for compensation for death or disability, for loss of, or damage to, personal property and for any other loss that may be incurred during travel time or the period of participation. In this context, it is strongly recommended to secure, prior to departure, international medical insurance for the period of participation in the meeting.

Travel support for expenses

Please note that there is no conference fee.

Participants authorized to receive UNU-WIDER travel funding, will be offered a lumpsum payment to cover hotel and out-of-pocket travelling expenses, including transportation to and from airports. This lumpsum will be paid during the conference days by UNU-WIDER staff.

Proof of identity and used boarding passes are required.

Hotel accommodation

Participants are required to book their own accommodation. Please make sure to include breakfast as it is not served at the conference.

The closest hotel, located across the road from the meeting venue, is the Scandic Grand Marina hotel, Katajanokanlaituri 7, 00160 Helsinki, Tel. +358 (0) 9 16 661, grandmarina@scandichotels.com. UNU-WIDER has an open allocation available for the conference participants at the Scandic Grand Marina:

Allocation prices for 5-8 June 2016
€140 single room / night
€160 twin / double room / night
€180 twin room with extra bed / night
Room type: Standard, all rooms include an organic breakfast and wireless internet.

Scandic Grand Marina booking terms:

  • Reservations should be made through Scandic’s official website www.scandichotels.com.
  • Reservations should be made by using the booking code BUNU050616 which is valid from 11 March until 21 May 2016, subject to room availability.
  • An individual room booked from the allotment can be cancelled without costs until 6 pm on the date of arrival. UNU-WIDER will not be liable for any expenses incurred from agreements between a hotel and guest.

There are more economical hotel and apartment options within close proximity of the conference venue that you can book via online portals such as www.hotels.com, www.trivago.com, www.bookings.com.

Please make your hotel booking as soon as possible as June is a busy month in Helsinki. 

Transportation options from the airport to the city centre

The Helsinki Airport, located in Vantaa, is approximately 20 km from the centre of Helsinki and the conference venue.

You can use the following alternatives to get to the city centre:

  • Ring Rail Line train to the main railway station (ticket price €5)
  • Bus number 615 to the main railway station (ticket price €5)
  • Finnair City Bus to the main railway station (ticket price €6.30)

From the city centre you can reach Marina Congress Center and UNU-WIDER easily with tram number 4 or 5 or you can take a taxi (approx. price €15)

The following options can be used to arrive directly at your hotel from the airport:

  • Taxi from the airport to the hotel (approx. price: €45)
  • Shared airport taxi to the hotel (approx. price €29/person)
Venue and registration

The conference takes place at the Marina Congress Center, located at Katajanokanlaituri 6, Helsinki.

During conference days, registration takes place at the registration desk on the ground floor of the Marina Congress Center from 08:00 hrs onwards. The conference will start at 09:00 hrs in meeting room Fennia 1.

Upon registration, participants will be given a name badge, which must be worn for security reasons throughout the conference during the sessions and meal times. UNU-WIDER premises are on the 3rd floor of the Marina Congress Center building where the coffee breaks and conference dinner will be organized. Lunches will be held on the 2nd floor of the Marina Congress Center.

Meals

All conference participants will be provided with lunches and coffee on both days of the conference and dinner on the evening of Monday 6 June.

Weather

June is early summer in Finland and the weather in Helsinki around the time of the conference can be changeable, with cool temperatures around 10-15 °C and a possibility of rain.

UNU-WIDER conference contact

For any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with:

Janis Vehmaan-Kreula
e-mail: janis@wider.unu.edu
Tel. +358 9 6159 9217 (direct)
Tel. +358 9 6159 911 (switchboard)

UNU-WIDER visiting and mailing address:

UNU-WIDER
Katajanokanlaituri 6B
00160 Helsinki
FINLAND

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