BOMOCULT research community stems from the strategic objective of the University of Eastern Finland to provide answers to global challenges through research and it forms the core of the university’s profile area Cultural Encounters, Mobilities, and Borders. BOMOCULT is an abbreviation for these key terms in our research. We bring together research teams and scholars especially from the Karelian Institute, the Department of Social Sciences and the School of Historical and Geographical Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies, as well as from the School of Humanities and the School of Theology at the Philosophical Faculty. Our research community performs top-level interdisciplinary and internationally networked scientific research as evidenced in numerous peer-reviewed publications, externally-funded research, interaction with policy stakeholders and civil society organizations, seminars, and the annual BOMOCULT conference.
News and events
News
Upcoming events
Research
Through its research on borders and different encounters, BOMOCULT provides in-depth knowledge concerning the transformation of socio-cultural phenomena given increasing complexity and accelerating globalization. The RC has developed research expertise on borders and diverse encounters. In our work, the traditional focus on political and geographical borders is complemented by studies of cultural, linguistic and social borders. In other words, our added value and greatest asset is to address diverse border phenomena in ways that take into account social, political and cultural aspects.
Bomocult research has linked the transformation of contemporary societies with socio-cultural processes of border-making and border-crossing by addressing the three key issues. These key issues are European borders and Russia, mobilities and migration, and cultural and linguistic encounters in their diverse contexts. Our recent research has devised novel ways of understanding the emergence and role of transnational and transcultural phenomena at various levels, extending from the (nation-)state to the everyday, to show the role(s) of borders and crossings in contemporary life.
BOMOCULT research offers an interdisciplinary understanding of frictions and flows between cultural and political values, language, community, colonial and imperial legacies. We investigate these different bordering processes as they impact on intercultural relations and significant political challenges and opportunities in global and local contexts.
The leading group of the RC consists of members representing participating UEF units and key research teams. Together with the director of the RC, the leading group is responsible for RC’s strategic development and action plan, and it also plans and confirms the use of RC’s funding, and the format and arrangment of special funding calls. The leading groups meets approximately once every month.
- Professor Jopi Nyman, English Language and Culture, School of Humanities, Philosophical Faculty
- Professor James Scott, Karelian Institute, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
- Professor Tuulikki Kurki, Finnish Language and Cultural Research, School of Humanities, Philosophical Faculty
- Professor Pekka Metso, Orthodox Theology, School of Theology, Philosophical Faculty
- Associate Professor Tiina Sotkasiira, Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
- University lecturer Paul Fryer, Department of Geographical and Historical Studies Historia- ja maantieteiden laitos, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
- Research Manager Joni Virkkunen, Karelian Institute, Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies
- Coordinator of BOMOCULT RC, Research Manager. Minna Piipponen is the draftsman of the Leading group.
BOMOCULT Researchers
Janet Anand
International Social Work
Laura Assmuth
Social and Public Policy
Olga Davydova-Minguet
Russian and Border Studies
Eerika Finell
Social Psychology
Ilkka Huhta
Church History
Helmi Järviluoma-Mäkelä
Cultural Studies
Timo Kallinen
Comparative Religion
Kimmo Katajala
History of Finland
Jaana Kolu
Swedish Language and Culture
Maarit Koponen
Translation Studies
Tuulikki Kurki
Cultural Studies
Marja Laasonen
Finnish Language and Cultural Research
Jussi Laine
Multidisciplinary Border Studies
Mikko Laitinen
English Language, Digital Humanities
Hanna Lappalainen
Finnish Language and Cultural Research
Kati Launis
Literary Culture
Larisa Leisiö
Russian Language and Culture
Ilkka Liikanen
Border and Russian Studies
Teemu Makkonen
Regional Studies
Pekka Metso
Orthodox Theology
Irmeli Mustalahti
Natural Resources Governance
Jopi Nyman
English Language and Culture
Marjatta Palander
Finnish Language
Michael Rießler
General Linguistics
Helka Riionheimo
Finnish Language
James Scott
Regional and Border Studies
Jeremy Smith
Border and Russian Studies
Marja Sorvari
Russian Language and Culture
Tiina Sotkasiira
Social and Public Policy
Blog
Pekka Suutari
Cultural Studies
Lauri Thurén
Biblical Studies
Martin Ubani
Religious Education
Heikki Uimonen
Cultural Studies
Juhana Venäläinen
Cultural Studies
Jaana Vuori
Gender Studies
Päivi Armila
Sociology
Ismo Björn
History
Lena Englund
Literary Studies
Matti Fritsch
Human Geography
Paul Fryer
Human Geography
Heta Hurskainen
Assistant Professor
Systematic Theology, Ecumenics
Elina Hytönen-Ng
Ethnomusicology
Arja Jolkkonen
Working Life Studies
Petri Kahila
Regional Studies
Saija Kaskinen
Cultural Studies
Kati Kataja
Sociology, Social Work
Pekka Kilpeläinen
English Language and Culture
Saara Koikkalainen
Cultural Encounters, Mobilities and Borders
Maria Kok
Finnish Language
Jukka Kokkonen
History
Kari Korolainen
Cultural Studies
Arja Kurvinen
Working Life Studies
Hanna Laako
Conservation Politics
Teuvo Laitila
Religious Studies (Comparative Religion) and Orthodox Church History
Kirsi Laurén
Cultural Studies
Aija Lulle
Human Geography
Jari Martikainen
Social Psychology
Lea Meriläinen
English Language
Sanna Mustasaari
Law and welfare
Sarolta Németh
Human Geography
Marja Nenonen
Finnish Language
Heli Paulasto
English Language
Esa Penttilä
English Language and Translation
Minna Piipponen
Human Geography
Pirjo Pöllänen
Social and Public Policy
Tatjana Rynkänen
Russian Language and Culture
Suvi-Maria Saarelainen
Practical Theology
Elina Siltanen
English Language and Culture
Alexandra Simon
German Language and Culture
Maarit Sireni
Regional and Rural Studies
Maria Takala-Roszczenko
Church Music (Orthodox)
Anna-Leena Toivanen
Kirjallisuudentutkimus / Literary Studies
Joni Virkkunen
Human Geography
Fredrik Westerlund
French Language and Culture
Dmitry Zimin
Regional Development, Russia
Tuomo Alhojärvi
Geography
Blaz Bajic
Cultural Studies
Enkhjargal Batbaatar
International Social Work
Olga Cielemecka
Gender Studies
Md Azmeary Ferdoush
Human Geography
Juha Halme
Human Geography
Tuomas Järvenpää
Cultural Studies
Samuli Kaislaniemi
English Language
Laura Kallatsa
Practical Theology
Alina Kuusisto
History
Rodrigo Bueno Lacy
Migration and Borders
Annukka Lahti
Gender Studies
Niilo Lahti
Biblical Studies
Ilia Moshnikov
Finnish Language
Ágnes Németh
Human Geography
Teemu Oivo
Russian and Border Studies
Anni Rannikko
Sociology
Paula Rautionaho
English Language
Milla Uusitupa
Finnish Language
Sandi Abram
Cultural Studies
Tuuli Ahonen
Russian Language and Translation Studies
Anni Calcara
English Language and Culture
Richard Croft
Theology. Doctoral Programme in Social and Cultural Encounters. Practical Theology
Henrik Dorf Nielsen
Human Geography
Seira Duncan, email: s.duncan_(at)hotmail.com
Cultural Studies. Doctoral Programme in Social and Cultural Encounters. Indigenous Peoples in the Circumpolar North
Hadi Farahani
Social Work
Masoud Fatemi
Machine Learning, Computer Science
Aimee Ghanem, email: aimeeghanem(at)gmail.com
Social Work. Welfare, Health and Management (WELMA) Doctoral Programme. Strengthening resilience for a sustainable post-disaster community development: Case of Beirut.
Ville-Samuli Haverinen
Sociology
Antti Härkönen
History
Omotomilola Ikotun, email: omotomilola.ikotun(at)uef.fi
Environmental Policy. Time, Space and Environment in Society Doctoral Programme. Transhumance in West Africa, borders, migration between Africa and Europe.
Hilla Inkilä
Theology
Falguny Islam: falgis(at)student.uef.fi
Social Work and Public Policy. The transgressive practices of everyday lives of South Asian interfaith families living in Finland
Natalie Joubert
Social Work
Katariina Kotila
Human Geography
Anna Laakkonen
History
Katja Laakkonen
Social Sciences
Marjukka Laiho
Theology
Katja Lötjönen
Social Psychology
Shahidul Mallick, email: smallick(at)student.uef.fi
Enviromental Policy. Time, Space and Environment in Society Doctoral Programme. Culture, climate change and water conservation.
Henna Massinen
Finnish Language
Jenni Merovuo
History
Temitayo Oluwayemisi Olatoye
English Language and Culture
Tamara Polyakova
History
Eeva Pärjälä
Cultural Studies
Sonja Pöllänen
Cultural Studies
Tuulia Reponen
Human Geography
Helena Rovamo
Human Geography
Ari Räisänen
English Language and Culture
Anupam Kamal Sen
English Language and Culture
Firuz Suleymanov
Human Geography. Past, Space and Environment in Society Doctoral Programme. Protection of water resources, conflict, South Caucasus.
Juho Suokas
English Language and Translation Studies
Taufiqurrohman, email:tauftauf(at)uef.fi
English Language and Culture. Doctoral Programme in Social and Cultural Encounters. Mysticism in English literatures. ORCID
Susanna Tavi
Finnish Language
Dirk van Rens
English Language and Culture
Kaisa Viinikka
Theology
Erja Vottonen
Translation Studies
Aytaç Yürükçü
History
Inkeri Aula
Cultural Studies
Andrew Copus
Rural Studies
Stanislaw Domaniewski
Border Studies
Mathias Ebot
Sociology
Alicja Fajfer
Linguistics, Border Studies
Olga Filippova
Sociology
Jussi Kurunmäki
History (University of Helsinki), Granduchy project
Juuso Loikkanen
Systematic Theology
Pauliina Lukinmaa
Cultural Studies
Jani Marjanen
History (Södertörn University), Granduchy project
Aleksandr Osipov
History
Oleg Reut
Russian and Border Studies
Karli Storm-Närväinen
Human Geography
Tarja Tanttu
Communication
Heidi Toivanen
Theology
Dawid Bunikowski
Philosophy of Law
BOMOCULT research related groups and projects
- ACMESOCS: Auditory Cultures, Mediated Sounds and Constructed Spaces
- A Lost Mitten and Other Stories
- Borderscapes within Folklore
- CINNAMON: Cross-Border Investment Navigator for Monocities
- COSPIN: Effects of subsidized collaboration on spatial innovation capacity
- DECA - The Democratic epistemic capacities in the age of algorithms
- ESPON QoL - Quality of Life Measurements and Methodology
- EUARENAS: Cities as Arenas of Political Innovation in the Strengthening of Deliberative and Participatory Democracy
- Gender and Rurality
- Grand Duchy of Finland as Political Space: A conceptual history, Grand Duchy
- (Im)mortals - Transnational Death
- Kantele Goes Global! Ground Zero
- Karelian and Language Contacts
- Karjalankieliset rajalla
- KATVE: Muutto ja kielellinen eriytyminen: karjala Tverissä ja Suomessa
- Lacrimal Ducts
- MATILDE - Migration Impact Assessment to Enchance Integration and Local Development in European Rural and Mountain Areas
- Mobilising Populism
- Narrated Nation
- Nordic Baltic Regional Resource Centre
- Populist Attraction
- Prospects in Peripheries, PIP
- ProPSI
- RELOCAL: Resituating the Local in Cohesion and Territorial Development
- Responsive Natural Resources Governance Research Group
- SENOTRA: Sensory Transformations and Transgenerational Environmental Relationships in Europe, 1950-2020
- TRANSLINES
- Transnational Death
- Parables as Persuasive Narratives
BOMOCULT research related education
Cooperation
Research is based on cooperation with international and national research partners and networks in research projects, education, and developing our research fields.
Research Organizations
Aleksanteri Institute, Institute for the Languages of Finland, Migration Institute of Finland, Finnish Environment Institute, Finnish Institute of International Affairs…
Comparative Research Network, Akademie für Islam in Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft (AIWG), Centre for Independent Social Research (CISR), Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), Jožef Stefan Institute, Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development (ILS), Nordregio…
Higher Education Organizations
University of Helsinki, University of Turku, University of Tampere, University of Oulu, University of Jyväskylä, Finnish Border and Coast Guard Academy...
Vrije Universiteit Brussels, V.N. Karazin National University, University of Tartu, Carleton University, University of Vienna, University of Frankfurt, Linnaeus University, University of Gdańsk, Higher School of Economics St. Petersburg, State University of Tver, Binghamton University State University of New York, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, European University at St. Petersburg, YUFE (Young European Universities for the Future)…
Research Infrastructure Partners
FIN-CLARIAH Research Infrastructure Network, National Library, National Archives, Finnish Literature Society, Finnish Social Science Data Archive…
Other Scientific Partners
Researchers contribute actively to the work of national and international scientific societies in their respective research areas.
Cooperation with an extensive variety of stakeholders develops the impact of our research.
European Union Organizations
European Commission, European Union Regional and Urban Programmes (ESPON, URBACT), Erasmus+, European Cooperation Networks in Science and Technology (COST)…
National Authorities
Finnish Parliament, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare…
International and National NGOs
Finnish Refugee Council, Finnish Red Cross, The National Forum for Cooperation of Religions in Finland (CORE Forum), congregations, Teosto, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Association of European Journalists (AEJ), Caritas Bulgaria, Support to Life…
Think Tanks
European Alliance for Social Sciences and Humanities (EASSH), EUTROPIAN Research & Action, People’s Voice Media…
Media
Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle, Radio television Slovenia (RTV SLO), European Data Journalism Network…
Regional and Local Authorities
Many research projects cooperate with regional authorities and development organisations, cities, municipalities, and their organisations in Finland and abroad.
Private Sector
RadioTeatar Bajsic (Croatia), Bazaart (Serbia), Twixtlab (Greece), Companhia de Música Teatral (Portugal)…
Local NGOs and Citizens
JoMoni – multicultural association in the region of Joensuu, okay.zusammen leben, Tür an Tür (TaT)…