TLDR: The ELLIS Institute Finland, a new hub for AI and machine learning research, has announced its first group of nine principal investigators, including PS Fellow Andrew Cropper, who will establish his research group at the University of Helsinki. This initiative aims to attract top international talent and solidify Finland’s position in cutting-edge AI.
Helsinki, Finland – August 20, 2025 – The ELLIS Institute Finland, the newest expansion of the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (ELLIS), has officially welcomed its inaugural cohort of nine principal investigators (PIs). These leading scholars and rising stars in artificial intelligence and machine learning were selected from a highly competitive pool of 360 applications, marking a significant milestone for AI research in Europe.
Among the distinguished new appointees is PS Fellow Andrew Cropper, who will establish his research group at the University of Helsinki. Cropper, formerly a research fellow at the University of Oxford, is renowned for his work on inductive logic programming, which focuses on combining logical reasoning with machine learning. His expertise is expected to significantly contribute to the institute’s innovative research agenda.
These principal investigators will also hold professorships at partner universities across Finland, integrating their cutting-edge research directly into the Finnish academic landscape. The new PIs include PS Fellows, part of 13 professorships funded by Foundation PS, specifically designed to attract top international talent to Finland.
Samuel Kaski, Director of the ELLIS Institute Finland and a professor at Aalto University, expressed his enthusiasm for the new cohort. “This is an exceptionally promising group of scientists and we are thrilled that they have chosen to join ELLIS Institute Finland,” Kaski stated. “They represent the most cutting-edge research in AI and machine learning today and, together with the ELLIS Fellows and Scholars already in Finland, will get the institute off to a flying start.”
Other notable principal investigators joining the institute include Mikko Karttunen, who will commence his role as an ELLIS PI, professor, and PS Fellow at the Department of Technical Physics of the University of Eastern Finland from September 1, 2025. Karttunen, previously a professor of physics and chemistry and Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) at the University of Western Ontario, specializes in materials science, biology, and biomedical sciences, utilizing high-performance simulations, machine learning, and AI. Azade Farshad, a former postdoctoral fellow at the Technical University of Munich, will also join, bringing her expertise in semantic scene modeling, generative models, and graph learning for general and healthcare applications.
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Established in 2025, the ELLIS Institute Finland is the second institute within the pan-European ELLIS network. It is designed to function as a world-class research hub, offering a dynamic international research environment, access to advanced computing resources such including the EuroHPC LUMI supercomputer, and strong ties to both academia and industry within Finland and globally. The new principal investigators are set to begin their roles during the 2025-2026 academic year, further solidifying Finland’s position as a key player in the global AI research landscape.
