Speaking of the Symposium: A Feature on Meänraatio and Other Links
Meänraatio is a local programme of Sveriges Radio produced in the Meänkieli language. Journalist Rellu Kihlström spent the day at the symposium, interviewing members of the audience, speakers, and organizers.
A report on the symposium was broadcast on Meänraatio on 7 September. The report begins at approximately the 23-minute mark:
https://www.sverigesradio.se/avsnitt/meanraatio-ahti-aasa–149
A shorter excerpt from the report can also be listened to directly here:
Meänkieli is a minority language spoken in the Torne Valley.
Maupertuis’ story as a cultural tourism product
The seminar section of the symposium in Tornio concluded with a tourism-themed panel discussion. The panelists discussed the opportunities for cultural tourism in the Torne Valley. The moderator, Jarkko Saarinen, wrote a blog post about the panel for the University of Oulu’s Exploring Resilience blog. The article was published on 11 September:
About Geodetic Mission to the Torne Valley in Swedish
Stockholm-based author, journalist, and educator Eva Sahlström travelled to Kukkolaforsen last year and, quite by chance, discovered the story of the French expedition who measured the shape of the Earth. The topic inspired her so much that she is currently writing a popular science travel book following in Maupertuis’ footsteps through the Torne Valley.
Eva Sahlström also participated in the Maupertuis Expedition 290 Symposium:
https://www.sahlstrom.info/jordensfigur/internationella-maupertuis-290-symposiet/
The progress of the book project can be followed on the same Jordens figur website and on Instagram.
Next Steps
The Maupertuis Expedition 290 symposium is part of the ERDF-funded project The Maupertuis Legacy: Digital Solutions for Business Growth. The Maupertuis Foundation is implementing the project together with Lapland University of Applied Sciences.
One of the symposium’s objectives was to increase local tourism operators’ knowledge of the story behind Maupertuis’ geodetic survey.
The experiences and insights gained from the symposium will be utilized in the project.
