Alex Berg (alex.berg@uef.fi)
The current project that I am working on currently at the UEF Law School addresses the Legal Rights of Older Immigrants and Immigrants with Dementia in Finland.
The legal rights of older immigrants and immigrants with dementia have not been researched extensively globally. In Finland, the research in this area is scarce. It is important to study these groups of people as the numbers of older immigrants and immigrants with dementia is increasing in the country. The study aims at investigating their lived experiences and the obstacles they might face regarding their legal rights and access to justice, and whether they feel stigmatized in society because of their vulnerable situation. It is also necessary to find solutions and strategies that aim at improving their lives and welfare in the Finnish society. The study will primarily employ an empirical approach to investigate the firsthand experiences of these groups through conducting semi-structured qualitative interviews with them. The inputs and experiences of people dealing with these groups will be considered as well in the data collection process. From a legal perspective, the research will analyze the policies regarding access to justice for these two groups, such as the Elderly Care Act, the Non-Discrimination Act, and the Social Welfare Act. From a social perspective, the problem will be looked at from a social stigmatization standpoint. This is in the sense that belonging to one of the categories of being ‘immigrant’, ‘old’, and ‘ill’ can lead to stigmatization. This research addresses groups of immigrants who belong to at least two of these categories, hence what can be identified as ‘intersecting stigmas’, and potentially a reinforced experience of hindrances to access to justice.
Anndra Parviainen (anndra.parviainen@uef.fi)
Researcher in various research groups like cancer research (INEXCA), quinoa food innovation research (Clinical Research Nurse in Disruptive Green Project) and recently in COVID research group (Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme Covid-19 Response Umbrella Project). Issues related to precision medicine, personalized care, and the integration of genomics in nursing education are my main areas of interest and are also related to my dissertation.
Antti-Jussi Kouvo (antti.kouvo@uef.fi)
I am a senior lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland. My teaching focuses on research methods, especially statistical ones. My research focuses on well-being, social cohesion and social networks. I have studied the topics in the contexts of welfare states, neighbourhoods and the disadvantaged groups. For example, in our research project “The neighboring networks of the older city dwellers” we looked at the role of neighborhood networks for the well-being of older people and in our current project called SISU (funded by Research Council of Finland) I lead a work package that focuses on the role of institutional trust during the green transition.
Atte von Wright (atte.vonwright@uef.fi)
My teaching and research focuses on food product development, food toxicology, food hygiene and food law. My research is especially focused on using of lactic acid bacteria in food processes to enhance product shelf-life, safety and improve nutritional properties. I have participated in several EU research projects and also been a member of scientific panels and working groups of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
While I retired in 2016, I have continued to supervise doctoral students and been in an expert role in several food security projects implemented by the University of Eastern Finland with Central Asian partners, for example as the Academic Coordinator of a double-degree master’s programme ‘Green Biotechnology and Food Security’ implemented with the Kazakh National Agrarian University.
I was also involved in founding the current Kuopio Food Valley project network that brings together the University of Eastern Finland, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, the development company Savo Grow and food business in the region to develop the food sector
B-Air. Art Infinity Radio. Creating Sound Art for Babies, Toddlers and Vulnerable Groups
Diversities of the Environmental Movement in Russia
‘Diversities of the Environmental Movement in Russia’ is an academic research project funded by Kone Foundation. We explore the on-going transformations of the environmental movement in Russia. We investigate the current state of the environmental movement, its different forms of action and recent changes in them, and the possibilities of the movement to have an impact on sustainable development. We analyse the transformations of the movement through three case studies: non-governmental organisations (NGOs) focussed on the conservation of biodiversity, alliances between environmental NGOs and indigenous groups, and eco-villages. All these different forms of the environmental movement operate through social networks in Russia and internationally, and in our research we analyse the recent changes in these networks.
Elli Vento (elli.vento@uef.fi)
My research interests are related to well-being tourism research. Previously, I have analyzed well-being outcomes of tourism among disadvantaged customer groups in the context of social tourism, as well as motivational factors and service preferences of wellness tourists. Currently, I am working on two research projects that examine, respectively, the outcomes and potential of transformative tourism and regenerative nature tourism.
Fisheries and the protection of the Saimaa ringed seal – needs and challenges of integration (KASSY)
Integrating interests of fisheries and the protection of Saimaa ringed seal has been challenging. The project studies the tensions between protecting the Saimaa ringed seal and interests related to fishing and fisheries in lake Saimaa.
The study has two goals. First, to examine existing patterns of interaction, negotiation, and ways of collaboration along with challenges in integration between interest groups. Second, to identify practical development needs to support conflict resolution and to introduce new integrative and collaborative approaches to relevant future strategies and policies. The research results will be relevant not only concerning the Saimaa ringed seal and fisheries but also in similar conflicts over other protected species.
Gleb Iarovoi (gleb.iarovoi@uef.fi)
Having defended my Russian “candidate of science” dissertation in 2007, I am currently writing my “European” PhD thesis, which was devoted to cross-border governance on the EU-Russian border, participatory arrangements in cross-border programmes and the role of non-state actors in inter-regional cooperation. However, after Russian invasion of Ukraine there is no more “cross-border cooperation” and “cross-border governance” on the EU-Russian border. So my current research is being revisited towards exploring the “subaltern geopolitics” of the Finnish-Russian border, i.e. the geopolitical imagination of subaltern groups having direct or indirect relations to this border. Also, as a research hobby and a natural scope of interest, I study academic freedoms in Russia (and Russian academia as subaltern).
As a freetime hobby, for many years now, I do journalism. Previously, I reported on sensitive issues of Russian political and social life, such as human rights violations by the state, by the Russian Orthodox Church, by security agencies and courts. Currently, I cover different issues of the Finnish-Russian relations for Russian readers.