in Tallinn, Estonia

An international Conference “Human Awareness and Behaviour in a Changing World” was organized by the Tallinn Municipality, The Tallinn Pedagogical University, The Institute for Interdisciplinary Research and the local section of Euroscience "Euroscience Estonia". It was held on October 14-15, 2004 in the National Library of Estonia. The scientific programme was represented by Vice-Mayor of Tallinn, Mr. T. Vitsut, prof. H. Tooming †, Dr. A. Turovskaja, Institute for Interdisciplinary Research and the local Organizing Committee headed by I. Reinsalu were in charge of the carrying out of the program. The Conference was attended by more than 200 participants, mostly from Estonia, also several speakers from the U.K, USA and Finland.

During the two working days 26 papers were presented and a special poster session was held. The Abstracts of all presentations were published and circulated along with the scientific program among the attendees. The working languages were Estonian and English with simultaneous translation.

The Conference opened with a welcoming address from the Vice-Chairman of “Euroscience Estonia”, the Deputy Rector of the Tallinn Pedagogical University, Prof. P. Normak.

By its interdisciplinary nature such a multilateral problem as: human awareness and behaviour presumes different lines of approach by psychologists, neurologists, physicians, psychiatrists, economists, linguists.

The cosmic background and environmental factors influencing human awareness and behaviour were treated at the Conference by geophysicists, climatologists and astrophysicists. Notwithstanding this multifold and broad treatment of the problems of human awareness and behaviour, the dominant topics of discussions during the Tallinn Conference were centred on neurobiological mechanisms underlying human awareness and behaviour, as well as on psycho-social aspects of human awareness. This was caused by the general public resonance and concern about the physical and mental health of the population and the great expenditures on health and treatment of various attendant hazards in all European countries. The speakers dedicated most of the time to discuss the following problems:

1. Neurological mechanisms on a cellular level, their treatment in connection with various physical and mental diseases and disorders.
2. Psychological and socio-economic factors regulating human awareness and man’s various activities in a modern knowledge society.

This was reflected in the topics of specific papers:

1. Biological Neurosurgery (T. Asser); The pursuit of drugs of abuse-individual and collective dissatisfaction with the state of consciousness (J. Harro); Programmed cell death and its special features in the neurons (U. Arumäe); Consciousness in the leveled world (A. Soosaar); Signs of awareness in animal communication (A. Turovski); Sudden cardiac death (A. Mesikepp); Consciousness and psychopathology (J. Liivamägi); The impact of brain tumour on human awareness (A. Turovskaja); Interaction between light perception and health (H. Tiik); Psycho-social factors in the development of cardiac ischemic disease (J. Kaik); Associations between the brain volume and general intelligence with genotype (A. Veske).

In other sections most of the discussions were centred on research data, including sociological materials revelant to communication, management and organization in Estonian institutions in the post-soviet era and abroad. This was testified by the titles of some contributions, such as: Systems for improving human awareness and experience – a psychological perspective (G. Henry); Language and change: some reflections on a dynamic process (J. Hirsch); Self-regulating abilities for professional learning (P. Ruohotie); Public awareness in the knowledge society (T. Varis); Aging in Estonia: changing perceptions of the life cycle (T. Tulva, A. Kiis); Quality of management decisions based on conflict analyses (J. Ennulo, A. Virovere); Ethics in the execution of powers (J. Ennulo, J. Liigand); Childhood experience as a road sign in the search for the “Self” (A.Tiko); Adaptation processes in cultural tides (A. Valton).

The cosmic background and environmental factors influencing human awareness and behaviour were discussed in papers on: The universe in man and man in the universe (L. Leedjärv); Climate changes and society (H.Tooming †), paleoastronomical and geophysical data on global climate variations and their impact on human awareness (I. Pustõlnik); The major factors influencing the climate change in Northern Europe, including Estonia (K. Eerme).

More detailed information including synopsis of papers will appear on the home page of “Euroscience Estonia”: http://www.euroscience.ee.

I. Pustõlnik, A. Turovskaja
November 2004