I work as Professor of Applied Language Studies at the University of Jyväskylä. My research focuses on language education policy, multilingualism, and migration. I am particularly interested in how language relates to belonging, participation, and everyday life, especially in the contexts of migrants, asylum seekers, and multilingual communities. Methodologically, my work draws on sociolinguistics, ethnography, and arts‑based approaches, often foregrounding perspectives that tend to remain marginal in research and public discussion.
In addition to research, I take part in national cooperation and policy work. I chair The National Network for Language Education Policies and have contributed as an expert to several governmental committees dealing with language, education, and integration. I also participate in public discussion, for example through media interviews on minority rights, multilingual education, and migration.
Overall, my work is oriented toward socially engaged research that seeks to make inequalities visible and to support more equitable language and integration policies.
I completed my Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics at the University of Jyväskylä in 2003. I hold the title of Docent in Language Education Policy at the University of Eastern Finland. I have collaborated internationally and have worked as a visiting researcher and professor at institutions including the University of Sheffield, the University of Leeds, the University of Birmingham, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
I have led research projects funded by, among others, the Academy of Finland, the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland (Svenska kulturfonden), the Kone Foundation, and the Ministry of Education and Culture.
I also serve as vice head of the Centre for Applied Language Studies, where I am responsible for research and innovation activities.
Further information is available in the CV and list of publications (below).
