I work as a Research professor at the Finnish Institute for Educational Research (FIER), University of Jyväskylä. My research focuses on higher education as a societal phenomenon. At the University of Jyväskylä, I am currently a member of the Scientific Steering Group of JYU.Well; the multifaculty community of wellbeing research; I am one of the coordinating editors of a leading journal in my field, Higher Education.
Prior to joining JYU in 2010, I worked at the Universities of Tampere and Surrey and as a visiting researcher at the University of Twente, University of Bristol and the Austrian Institute of Technology in Vienna.
My research focuses on the higher education policy, universities as organisations, as well as questions of academic work and careers, with a specific interest in comparative methodology and discourse analysis.
Higher education research not only strengthens the academic community’s self-understanding but also offers important insights for university leadership and political decision-makers. Methodologically, my expertise lies particularly in discourse analysis and international comparative research.
In recent years, I have also expanded my work to include themes related to ecological and social sustainability in education. I participate in research that underscores the significance of cultural literacy, transcultural competences, and social inclusion. Arts education, in particular, provides meaningful avenues for developing cultural literacy and transcultural competences, thereby supporting social cohesion, inclusion, and cultural democracy. This approach creates spaces for participation and dialogue, amplifies voices that are seldom heard, and promotes social justice. It contributes to building a more sustainable and inclusive future in which multicultural skills play a central role.
In parallel, I am engaged in research that promotes ecological sustainability within educational settings. A community-based orientation and participatory methods are integral to this work, as they deepen understanding of sustainability challenges and empower both students and teachers to take informed, concrete action.
