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Eetu Ahvo (eetu.ahvo@uef.fi)

I work as an early-stage researcher at the UEF Law School and as a grant researcher (Niilo Helander Foundation, 2020–2022). In my doctoral research, I focus on intermediary liability for user-generated content online. Since the European Union has an ambitious legislative project to create a digital single market, the regulation of the online services industry is also brought under further scrutiny.

My particular research interests center around intellectual property law (in particular copyright law), IT law, and data protection law.

Elisa Tiilikainen (elisa.tiilikainen@uef.fi)

I am a social scientist interested in issues related to ageing and later life. Currently I work as an Associate Professor in Social Work at the Department of Social Sciences. My work includes work with research projects and teaching around questions related to social gerontology and gerontological social work. At the moment I am leading a four-year research project on old-age social inclusion in home care (SOLDEX) funded by the Research Counsil of Finland, and a workpackage on digital health technologies and services of older adults (75+) as part of a Nordic collaboration project (HAIDI). In addition, I am involved in several multidisciplinary programs and networks.

In my PhD I examined loneliness from a life course perspective identifying different pathways behind loneliness in later life and exploring how loneliness changes in time. I have also examined experiences of loneliness from the perspective of people living with aphasia and older migrant women. My studies have highlighted the multidimensional and dynamic nature of loneliness and its individual meanings in relation to different life events and transitions. In my studies I have used mostly qualitative methodologies, but I’m interested in finding ways to combine different methods, especially from longitudinal perspectives.

Hanna Varjakoski (hanna.varjakoski@uef.fi)

I currently work as a postdoctoral researcher in the HAIDI project at the University of Eastern Finland. My background is in the Humanities, and I received my PhD in Media Studies in the University of Turku, Finland. In my dissertation, I examined the Finnish media landscape of the 2000s and what it produces and challenges as regards cultural imageries and understandings of ageing, older individuals and later life. The study focused on analyzing age representations on social media, popular fiction film and selected TV-makeover shows with a gender sensitive approach.

My research interests are in the field of cultural gerontology, in particular, but I have also worked as a researcher e.g. in a project that examined older adults’ neighbour relations and age diversity in the neighborhood.

I teach in courses that address questions related to cultural ageing, media, digitalization and health.

Helena Kantanen (helena.kantanen@uef.fi)

I am a former communications professional who currently holds the position of Senior Lecturer in Innovation Management. Additionally, I have been honored with the title of Docent in Organizational Communication by the University of Tampere. My doctoral degree, obtained in 2007, focused on Organizational Communication and Public Relations, and was awarded by the University of Jyväskylä. Following the completion of my PhD, I joined the faculty in 2010.

My research pursuits encompass various areas, including appreciative organizational renewal, the creation of value through communication consultancy, exploration of learning and communication within virtual communities, and innovative pedagogical approaches within business education. Within the realm of teaching, I cover subjects such as introductory marketing, organizational communication, change management (including instruction through Erasmus exchange programs), and qualitative research methods.

I was involved in the Flipped Classroom development project of the UEF since its beginning and I also lead the pedagogical development team at the Business School. My commitment to excellence in teaching was acknowledged in 2017 when I received the Excellent Teaching Practitioner Award from the University of Eastern Finland. Throughout 2021 and 2022, I played an integral role in advancing online and blended learning pedagogy at our university by serving as a member of the digital pedagogy facilitator team.