I am a political scientist (DSocSci, Title of Docent), working at the intersections of political theory and empirical analysis of contemporary issues, events, and concerns in global politics. I am a first-generation college graduate, originally from Tampere, Finland. I currently work at the University of Jyväskylä (as a senior lecturer of political science) and reside in Helsinki. Previously, I have lived in New York City, Ithaca (N.Y.), Verona, and Aberystwyth.
I have previously held post-doctoral positions in the Universities of Helsinki and Tampere, and as a Fulbright visiting fellow at the Department of Government at Cornell University, The Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities at Bard College (New York), the University of Verona, and at the Tampere Peace Research Institute. I defended my dissertation on the concept of experience in Arendt’s thought and its value for contemporary political/feminist theory at the University of Jyväskylä in 2017. I received my MSocSc in International Relations from the University of Tampere in 2012.
The basic premise of my scholarly approach is that in order to make sense of current political realities in a meaningful way, one needs to move reflectively between conceptual, theoretical, and empirical levels of analysis. Combining research on concrete incidents with critical reflection on the basic concepts of our political vocabulary, their historical roots and theoretical underpinnings, is imperative. Equally, political (or IR) theory worth its salt must be capable of engaging with the key experiences of its time.
I tend to think, then, that the empirical/theoretical divide does not usually sustain itself very well. My own publications have covered, among others, the following topics and issues:
- The political thought of Hannah Arendt, alongside other 20th century and contemporary theories (e.g. democratic theory, biopolitics, feminist thought) and theorists (e.g. Jacques Rancière, Richard Rorty)
- The role of facts, truth, and experience in democratic politics and political analysis
- The political implications of the ecological collapse
- Resilience as a security political notion
- European reactions to the Arab Spring and the global implications of the Egyptian 2011 uprising
- Higher education policies and the societal role of the university
- The impact of the ecologial crisis (or the Anthropocene) on political practices, concepts, and theories
In addition to academic publications, I seek to make my work available to a broader audience of citizens and decision-makers. I have written several short essays (see here) aimed for the general public, a policy brief, and discussed my research with policy-makers both in Finland and at the European Commission (through EC/JRC project “Reframing the EU”).
I teach both at undergraduate and MA levels on a range of topics, including BA seminars, Political Analysis, and Rhetoric. Previously, I have taught courses/seminars on classics of political thought, Peace and Conflict Research, contentious action (Arab Spring, Occupy, Indignados) and European politics. I also have studied university pedagogy (Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and Curriculum Development). I am supervising doctoral dissertations and MA theses on my areas of expertise.