The inaugural lectures of the new professores of the University of Helsinki will be held on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 in the Main buiding of the University. The lectures serve as popular introductions to the professors’ fields of science and current research issues.
A more detailed programme of the lecture day will be published on this page closer to the event.
Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry:
Kirsi Mikkonen, Professor of Food Sciences | Annukka Vainio, Professor of Sustainability Science (Behavioural Change toward Sustainability Transformations)
Faculty of Science:
Federico Bianchi, Professor of Cryosphere-atmosphere interactions | Annalea Lohila, Professor of Biogeochemical Cycles | Petteri Nurmi, Professor of Computer Science (distributed systems and networking with emphasis on Internet of Things) | Markku Vainio, Professor of Physical Chemistry
Faculty of Arts:
Silvio Cruschina, Professor of Italian Language | Ilona Hongisto, Professor of Audiovisual Culture | Camilla Lindholm, Professor of Scandinavian Languages | Pia Olsson, Professor of Ethnology | Pekka Posio, Professor of Ibero-Romance languages | Mikko Tolonen, Professor of Digital Humanities | Susanna Välimäki, Professor of Art Studies
Faculty of Social Sciences:
Kris Clarke, professor of Social Work | Joel Hietanen, professor of Sociotechnical Change of Consumer Society | Hisayo Katsui, professor of Disability Studies | Jaakko Kuorikoski, professor of Practical Philosophy | Franklin Obeng-Odoom, professor of Global Development Studies | Salla Sariola, professor of Sociology | Johanna Sumiala, professor of Communication
Faculty of Educational Sciences:
Raili Hilden, professor of Language Didactics | Janne Varjo, professor of Sociology of Education
Faculty of Medicine:
Timo Myöhänen, professor of Pharmacology
Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences:
Petri Ala-Laurila, professor of Neurobiology
Faculty of Law:
Anette Alén, professor of Civil and Commercial Law
Faculty of Arts:
Leena Kolehmainen, Professor of Germanic Philology | Anu Lahtinen, Professor of Finnish and Nordic History | Anneli Luhtala, Professor of Latin language | Marja Vierros, Professor of Classical Philology | Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen, Professor of Indigenous Studies
Faculty of Educational Sciences:
Riikka Räisänen, Professor of Craft Science and Craft Pedagogy
Faculty of Medicine:
Jari Lahti, Professor of Clinical psychology, mental health, and mental health interventions | Sirkku Peltonen, Professor of Dermatology and Allergology | Pipsa Saharinen, Professor of Biochemistry | Maritta Välimäki, Professor of Development of Healthcare Services
Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry:
Timo Hytönen, Professor of Molecular and Translational Plant Biology | Edward Webb, Professor of Global Forests and Land Use
Faculty of Science:
Pia Bäcklund, Professor of Regional and Urban Inequalities | Gregor Hillers, Professor of Earthquake Seismology | Antti Honkela, Professor of Data Science (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence) | Katrianne Lehtipalo, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Physics | Mika Mäntylä, Professor of Computer Science (Software Development Methods) | Simon Puglisi, Professor of Data Science (Knowledge Discovery in Big Data) | Laura Ruotsalainen, Professor of Computer Science (Spatiotemporal Data Analysis for Sustainability Science)
Faculty of Law:
Dorota Gozdecka, Professor of Law | Dan Helenius, Professor of Criminal and Procedural Law
Faculty of Social Sciences:
Minna van Gerven, Professor of Social Policy | Johanna Kantola, Professor of European Societies and Politics | Timo Harrikari, Professor of Social Work| Michiru Nagatsu, Professor of Philosophy of Social Science and Sustainability
New professors
New professors giving their inaugural lectures wear a black suit and bring with them their doctoral hats if they have defended their theses at a Finnish university. Members of the clergy may wear clerical dress. Professors who defended their doctoral thesis abroad may wear the doctoral gown of their home university.
Audience
The dress code for the audience is casual. In the evening session, the audience attire is expected to suit the solemn nature of the event.
More information: helsinkiunievents@helsinki.fi.