Dr Jussi P. Laine is a professor of multidisciplinary border studies at the Karelian Institute of the University of Eastern Finland, holding the title of Docent of Human Geography at the University of Oulu, Finland. From 2013 to 2021 he led the Association for Borderlands Studies, the leading international scholarly association dedicated exclusively to the systematic interchange of ideas and information relating to international border areas. By background, Dr. Laine is a human geographer, yet in his approach to borders, he combines influences from international relations and geopolitics, political sociology, history, anthropology, and psychology. His research explores the multiscalar production of borders and critically examines the relationship between state, territory, citizenship, and identity construction. His work extends to borderland resilience and comprehensive security, addressing the vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities of border regions in the face of geopolitical shifts, migration dynamics, and hybrid security threats. Most recently, Dr. Laine has published works on border mobility, migration, the ethics of borders, and ontological (in)security.
Juuso Tuppurainen ([email protected])
My research focuses on osteoarthritis. Currently, I am using cartilage biomechanical modeling to determine which cartilage biomechanical properties can be determined from contrast enhanced computed tomography images. My goal is to improve the diagnosis of osteoarthritis by developing a method to reliably assess cartilage condition and also make cartilage models more patient-specific.
Jyrki Huusko ([email protected])
I am responsible for the operation and development of the University of Eastern Finland Teacher Training School (e.g. general, human resources and financial management, stakeholder cooperation and international affairs).
Research interests
My main research interests are related to hospital school pedagogy, intensive multidisciplinary support, teacher cooperation, well-being at work, school culture and the development of learning environments.
Jyrki Virtanen ([email protected])
I am a nutrition researcher, an adjunct professor of nutritional epidemiology and a licensed nutritionist. My main topics of interest include the role of dietary factors in development of chronic diseases, mainly cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and memory disorders. The study methods include both observational cohort studies and clinical trials.
Kaarina Mönkkönen ([email protected])
I am involved in several research groups that study interaction between people, multi-professional teaching and collaboration. Multidisciplinary teaching and research offer me a possibility to develop my own perspectives beyond my own area of science. Dialogue is a central concept that has directed my research ever since my own doctoral dissertation. Dialogue also offers an important tool for understanding social and health care work and multiprofessional work. Another central concept that directs my work is impactful interaction. This implies that it is not enough that we collaborate, but that our collaboration has results. I have also researched people’s experiences of value and meaning, which we have also published on in 2023 in a book ‘Arvoa ja arvottomuuta’ loosely translated ‘Value and Valuelessness’ (Mönkkönen, Tapani & Kokkonen). We also published a book ‘Työyhteisötaidot digiajassa’ loosely translated ‘Work Community Skills in the Digital Age’ (Mönkkönen & Roos), where we contemplate what work community skills mean in the changed world of work. I
In collaboration with the University of Namibia we have released an educational video on early intervention in family violence. The video was launched in Namibia on 14 August 2024. UEF and the University of Namibia launch an educational video on early intervention in family violence | University of Eastern Finland The video highlights Finnish and Namibian approaches to addressing family violence and is intended for social workers, social work students and other professionals involved in family violence intervention. https://youtu.be/TRkKnNCT_w8
I mainly teach in multidisciplinary courses, where students from different fields study multi-professional collaboration. I also lead theses seminars and supervise doctoral dissertations.
Kaija Saranto ([email protected])
Dr Kaija Saranto has acted as a full professor in Health and Human Services Informatics (HHSI), University of Eastern Finland. She started as he program director for master (first “IMIA accredited”) and doctoral degree programs in HHSI. She is a member in the research groups focusing on health data analytics, shared decision making and virtual care as well as patient safety in cooperation with national and international colleagues. She is an elected Fellow of the American College of Medical Informatics, the American Academy of Nursing and an Inaugural Fellow of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics. At present Saranto acts as the President of the International Association of Health Sciences Informatics (IAHSI) under IMIA.
She is the past president of the Finnish Health Informatics Association under IMIA and has served as the International Taskforce Liaison for HIMSS TIGER Committee. Currently, she is the chair of the WG Education of EFMI, and is actively engaged with the international curriculum development of health informatics for the digital society.
Kaijus Ervasti ([email protected])
I’m working in the Law School and in the research group Neuroethics and Law in UEF Neuroscience Community. I have make studies of court system, conflict resolution, mediation and quality of law drafting. I’m currently researching access to justice and realization of rights of vulnerable groups in society. I’m leading research project Shadows in paradise? The rights of people living with dementia in a welfare state (VAPA; 2022-2025) funded by Kone Foundation and UEF subproject of the project Overcoming Barriers to Democratic Participation with Minoritized and Marginalized Groups (OBAMA 2025 – 2027), funded by Strategic Research Council. I’m also leading research project Access to justice for marginalized groups of older people in ageing society (AMIS; 2023-2027) and project Realization of rights of people with epilepsy in welfare state (VAHVA; 2023-).
Kaisa Huhta ([email protected])
Dr. Kaisa Huhta is a Professor of European law, especially energy law at the UEF Law School and the Co-Director of the Centre for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law. She also holds a part-time professorship at the European University Institute’s Florence School of Regulation. In addition to her professorships, Dr. Huhta is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Energy and Natural Resources Law. She is also an expert member of the Finnish Market Court and actively carries out consultancy work in the field of EU and Finnish energy law.
Dr Huhta’s research focuses on EU energy law. She is the principal investigator of the INTEL project (funded by the European Research Council, 2024-2029) and the FOUNDATIONS project (funded by the Academy of Finland, 2024-2028), which seek to develop the foundations of energy law in Europe. She is also a work package leader in the RELIEF project (2023-2026), funded by the Strategic Research Council, which studies the role of law in sustainability transformations.
Dr. Huhta has published in top level international journals such as the European Law Review, the International and Comparative Law Quarterly and Global Environmental Change. In total, she has published more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, books, book chapters, expert statements and other publications. Previously, she has been a visiting researcher at the University of Oxford, the European University Institute (EUI), the University of Tilburg, the University of Iceland and the University of Waikato.
Dr. Huhta’s lecturing responsibilities at the UEF Law School has covered courses in general EU law as well as energy law. She supervises Master’s theses in energy law and EU law. She also teaches research methodologies to doctoral researchers. She is available to supervise doctoral candidates in the field of energy law.
Kaisa Kolti ([email protected])
I am a Doctoral researcher at the Center of Welfare and Law at UEF.
My research is socio-legal scholar, I research Law with social scientific methods. My background is in political/social sciences. I am interested in the effects and interplay of both legal and and non-legal norms to people’s lives.
In my PhD dissertation I am researching the legal consciousness, access to justice and well-being of LGBTIQA+ people in the context of intimate relationship troubles.
My research interests are broadly in the rights, legal consciousness, access to justice and well-being of societally marginalized and vulnerable people.
Kaisa Kurki ([email protected])
I work as Director of the UniPID network. The Finnish University Partnership for International Development (UniPID) is a network of ten Finnish universities that has the mission to strengthen the capacity of member universities to enhance global responsibility and Global South perspectives in their education, research, and societal engagement. UniPID promotes equitable and inclusive global partnerships that advance sustainable development.
Responsible for:
- Directing and strategic planning of UniPID activities, board management
- UniPID operational team leader
- Financial planning and management
- Member university engagement
- Strategic partnerships and national tasks and responsibilities
- Global South partnerships
- TFK Globus project
- Administration and co-coordination of the Finnish Scholar Protection Scheme
Key policy dialogue areas:
- Higher education internationalization and global responsibility
- Development policy and cooperation