I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä.
Currently, I co-coordinate the design of “The Finland Module” -an innovative initiative aimed at supporting all students in JYU’s international degree programmes (Bachelor’s and Master’s) to become more included in the university community and Finnish society during their studies and after graduation. This work aligns with Finland’s national ambitions for skilled migration and integration policy.
In addition, I hold a grant-funded postdoctoral position on the KONE Foundation-funded Sinking Islands in Europe research project (2025–2028), coordinated by Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT). I also contribute to work packages focused on care and on-demand transportation within two major projects:
Previously, in 2024, I worked as a university teacher in the Development, Education, and International Cooperation (DEICO) degree programme at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, and as a postdoctoral researcher on the DG employment-funded JUSTMIG project.
My research and engagement activities bridge academia and policy in the fields of migration and industrial relations. I actively participate in workshops, panels, and roundtables as a speaker, panellist, and organiser, fostering dialogue between researchers and policymakers.
Beyond academia, I have collaborated with a wide range of organisations and institutions, including ELY-keskus, the Migration Institute of Finland, Helsinki Left, the Green Party, JHL, SuPer, Tehy, SEL, the City of Jyväskylä, the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Justice, Think Africa ry, as well as national and regional media outlets.
My research interprets and problematises labour market structures for migrant workers in the EU from a social constructivist lens, using multiple theories including theories of citizenship rights, welfare, disaggregated human agency, social construction, and justice among others. My doctoral dissertation analyses the social productive capacity, and function of Finland's migration regimes such as the temporary international student permit regime, and draws critical links to Finnish welfare and labour market segmentation in Finland. My post-doc research takes a new angle to examine 2 emergent phenomena:
(1) The transformative potential and the immediate and delayed impacts of the twin green and digital transitions on labour market structures and labour market institutions such as unions, welfare, social security, and social dialogue in Europe.
(2) The implication of Europe's sinking islands on climate migration preparedness in Europe as a whole and in the most immediately affected countries, using the Netherlands, the UK, and Italy as analytical cases.
I am well versed in several qualitative research methods and have used biographical narrative interviews, focus group discussions, and migration dialogues in data collection. I have also used focus groups and open dialogue in data analysis where I draw on Denzin's concepts of local theories, epiphanies, and turning points in data analysis. I am also keen on, and experiment with ethnographic methods, tools, and techniques in my qualitative studies.
My teaching cuts across a variety of modules including migration policy, development policy, research methods, and thesis and academic writing work. Problem based learning and experiential learning are my main pedagogical tools, while I employ varied digital tools to diversify learning and make my classrooms inclusive spaces where learning transforms into a co-creation process.
I am available to supervise MA thesis as long as I have the language skills requires, and the topic falls within the broad field of migration. Students interested in working with me on their thesis should drop me a line.
Over the past 5 years, I worked as a project researcher in both national and transnational research consortia and networks working with the topics of migration and internationalisation of higher education. The projects include the H2020 project SIRIUS, DG employment project SMUG, the Finnish Ministry of Education an Culture funded projects FINCEAL+ and FINCEAL+BRIDGES under the UniPID Network, and the Finnish Institute for Education Research's miNET network.
I am currently in the boards of (ETMU), and Nordic Migration Research (NMR).
