Key objectives

The Union of Research Professionals exists because (1) the Union takes care of its members and promotes their interests and 2) the Union is well-acquainted with relevant decision-makers and key stakeholders. The Union promotes the interests of those in the university and higher education sector.

Those working at our universities have different generational experiences and cultural backgrounds. Although universities have an onboarding process for their employees, there is still room for improvement. Universities have a great deal of tacit knowledge, different assumptions and practices that often cause problems. The Union must continue to promote awareness surrounding, for example, employment and salary matters as a means of setting an example for the universities. The Union is also a significant information bank. Practical help is provided by the Union’s local associations and network of shop stewards.

On the national level, Research Professionals is still THE Union that is consulted on matters involving university policies. The Union’s position within the trade union sector for universities must be strengthened and, at the same time, the structures of the sector must be critically examined.

Relevant work experience

I began my career towards the end of the 1990s as a doctoral researcher and continued in research after my thesis. I have been a university lecturer in political science since 2013 and also the Head of Section since 2015.

Key positions of trust and supervision of interests

– I have served as President of the Union of Research Professionals for the current two-year term of 2025–2026.

– I have been a board member and active member of TURTLE for about 20 years.

– I served as a JUKO shop steward for about 12 years, the last six of which as chief shop steward at the University of Turku. I also contributed to the work of Akava’s regional committee. Akava has granted me three Medals of Merit.

– I was a member of the University of Turku Collegiate Council for around 10 years. In addition, I have been a part of numerous working groups and councils as a student, personnel and personnel group representative. I was a board member of the Finnish Political Science Association for 20 years and Vice Chair for a few years.

Links to different channels

I am active on social media currently only to document some of my hobbies.

Youtube

Key objectives

Research Professionals may well be facing its biggest challenge to this point. Scientific freedom has been subject to attacks in different ways all over the world and the developments in Finland have also been concerning.  The political steering regarding research funding, uncertain working conditions, diminishing resources and excessive workload have brought us to a situation where we are struggling for the survival of science and research. We cannot afford to lose this struggle, and I consider myself the best person to lead the Union’s resistance. The work of

Research Professionals has always been based on knowledge management; as a doctoral researcher focusing on university performance management, academic freedom and resistance, I am excellently positioned to implement this approach. I also see value in having the external face of the Union be an individual who is in a precarious position.

Over the coming years, our Union’s main goals are:

• Safeguarding scientific freedom
• Preparing a more strategic approach for future negotiations
• Significantly increasing the number of Union members working in permanent employment relationships
• Changing the university funding model so as to increase core funding

Relevant work experience

I work as a researcher for the Kone Foundation projects Democracy in Finnish Universities: University Autonomy and the Crisis of Representative Democracy (UNIDEMO) and Paradoxes in academic work and career building in hybrid universities (PARADOX). Previously, I worked within the Research Council of Finland project Transnational Knowledge Networks in Higher Education Policymaking (KNETS).

On the international level, I am involved in the Higher Education Autonomy in Europe: Supranational, National and Institutional Trends (HEAE-SNIT) by the Centre for Research in Higher Education Policies (CIPES) and in the EU-funded CA22121 – Rising nationalisms, shifting geopolitics and the future of European higher education/research openness (OPEN) researcher network.

Key positions of trust and advocacy tasks

Vice President of the Union of Research Professionals 2025–2026

Board of Research Professionals 2024

Board of TATTE 2022–2026

Board of the Consortium of Higher Education Researchers in Finland 2025–

Central Election Committee of the City of Tampere 2025-

Housing and Real Estate Committee of the City of Tampere 2025–

Culture and Leisure Committee of the City of Tampere 2024–2025

Tampere University Faculty Council, Faculty of Education and Culture, 2023–2026

Board of the Student Union of Tampere University, 2018

Board of the Teacher Student Union of Finland, 2016–2017

Akava’s Student Council 2016–2017

OAJ’s Education policy working group 2016–2017

Links to different channels

 LinkedIn

Key objectives

We are greater than our size when it comes to advocacy within science policy. We can do this for university and academic work as well. Fixed-term employments, salaries and, for example, the position of early career researchers must remain at the forefront of our activities.  We should continue our good work by sharpening our message, being proactive and making bold policies. We need to seek and strengthen ways of pursuing our objectives not only with regard to universities but also to other JUKO associations. This will be supported by next year’s survey for early career researchers; a survey which I hope to help develop. Co-operation between associations and local organisations can be further developed by taking a more systematic approach and truly listening to the needs of organisations. We must also continue to lower the threshold and increase the opportunities for non-Finnish speakers to participate in the activities of the Union at all levels.

Previous work history

2011–2013     Research assistant, University of Helsinki

2013–2017     Doctoral researcher, University of Helsinki

2018–2021     Post-doc researcher, University of Helsinki

2021–2022     University teacher, University of Jyväskylä

2022–2023     Part-time teacher, University of Helsinki

2022–               University teacher, University of Turku

Key positions of trust and advocacy tasks

I have served in positions of trust for the Union or a Member Association for almost ten years. On the local level, I have served on the board of the Helsinki University Association of Researchers and Teachers as both chairperson (2019–2022) and treasurer (2022–2023). At the University of Helsinki, I have also been a shop steward (2019–2020) and deputy chief shop steward (2021) for JUKO. Within Research Professionals, I have been a member (2019–2020) and deputy member (2021–2022) of the Union Board, and I have served the past two years as Vice President. I was also part of the early career researchers committee, where I was responsible for the early career researcher survey and the reporting thereof, among other things.

Within the organisational field, I have served as, for example, a board member and secretary of the Finnish Mathematics and Science Education Research Association. I have also been involved in political campaigning as a campaign manager in both municipal and parliamentary elections.