Alumna of the Year Elina Bardram builds international solutions to climate change

– It’s a wonderful recognition and a great honour, of course, says Bardram, who earned her Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Vaasa in 1994.

As an alumna, Bardram has been involved in University of Vaasa activities, including the opening of the university’s Brussels office in spring 2026, where she delivered remarks on climate resilience and the importance of cooperation between research, innovation and policymaking.

– If, as an alumna, I can help increase the visibility of the University of Vaasa in Brussels, I am more than happy to do so. The opening of the university’s new office in Brussels offers excellent opportunities for networking.

Climate action and the energy transition are key to EU competitiveness

At first glance, economic and climate issues may seem to be at odds with one another. However, Bardram’s career demonstrates how economic expertise can provide an excellent foundation for working towards a more sustainable future. During her university years, she became interested in the challenge of valuing environmental benefits and wrote her thesis on the subject.

– Today, market-based solutions such as the EU Emissions Trading System and the integration of climate risks into financial reporting are becoming increasingly commonplace. This is not merely a matter of environmental protection; it is a broader issue of managing societal and economic risks.

– The ability to discuss these issues using the proper economic terminology, without preaching, with politicians and activists as well as investment bankers, investors and business leaders certainly enhances one’s credibility in the field.

Climate change is already affecting the daily lives of Europeans in many ways, for example through the heatwaves that swept across Central Europe this summer. If those have not yet raised concerns, the figures Bardram cites might:

– Material damages in the EU already amount to around €50 billion annually. When we add the tens of billions lost due to reduced energy security and lower agricultural and industrial productivity caused by extreme weather events, we are talking about very significant figures from a macroeconomic perspective. At the same time, the EU spends €300–400 billion every year importing fossil fuels, often from unstable and unreliable partner countries.

– If we want the EU to remain competitive and achieve strategic autonomy, climate action and the energy transition must be accelerated in a determined and systematic manner.

“Vaasa had a good and dynamic reputation”

Originally from Espoo and educated at Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts in Helsinki, Bardram eventually chose the University of Vaasa while looking for both an interesting field of study and an opportunity to become independent.

– After graduating from upper secondary school, I applied simultaneously to the Theatre Academy in Helsinki and the University of Vaasa. I was deeply interested in both fields. It was obvious to me that I wanted not only to study something meaningful but also to become independent and live on my own. Vaasa already had a good and dynamic reputation at the time. Moving there was a welcome and clear break from my teenage years and upper secondary school.

She recalls her student years with great warmth:

– Student parties and student association activities. Ski trips and Warrantti’s May Day celebrations. Friends and coffee. Sharing lecture notes and helping one another prepare for exams. The all-you-can-eat buffet at Pizzeria Rax when our student grants had run out…

Among the most important lessons she learned at university, Bardram highlights the value of acquiring new knowledge and mastering complex subjects.

– If you are interested in what you do, you will learn. And learning does not end when university does.

Understanding different cultures and perspectives is essential in an international career: “There are few absolute truths”

After completing her master’s degree, Bardram earned a doctorate from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, where she researched European Integration and the impacts of globalisation. Her career has taken her from a consulting firm in Helsinki to assignments with the United Nations in Nigeria, as well as research and consulting roles in Ireland and England.

Since 2003, she has worked at the European Commission, initially as an economist in the Directorate-General for External Relations. Since 2010, she has served in the Directorate-General for Climate Action and was Head of the EU Delegation to UN Climate Negotiations from 2014 to 2018.

One of the most important insights of her career came when she realised that a career in an American consulting firm was not the right path for her and decided to move into UN work in Nigeria.

– I was quite young and naïve and imagined that I could right major wrongs simply by doing my best. Nigeria still faces many challenges, but I learned not only how the UN system operates and carries out important work, but also that there are few absolutely right or wrong approaches or truths. I also learned that understanding and respecting different cultures is at least as important as academic expertise and factual knowledge.

– In EU work, every day brings new insights. Climate, trade and G20 negotiations, as well as meetings of the Council of the European Union, all come with their own histories, themes and dynamics. Situational awareness, consideration of different perspectives, and political sensitivity help one navigate those environments as well.

The Alumna of the Year leaves current students with an encouraging message:

– Do not be afraid of challenges. Embrace them with an open mind and curiosity. Only you can decide what you are capable of and what you choose to pursue.

Bardram's video greeting at the Opening of the Academic year

The Alumna of the Year will visit the Vaasa campus on 3 November 2026 to give a guest lecture. Save the date, and stay tuned for more information, which will be published later on the Events page.