University of Helsinki
Helena Blomberg-Kroll, project leader
Professor, Swedish School of Social Science
WG1
Susi Meret is associate professor at the Department of Politics and Society (Aalborg University). Her main research interest is with populist radical right-wing parties in Europe, populism, political extremisms and civil society reactions hereto. She has conducted studies on right-wing populism in Denmark (and beyond), also considering the mainstream parties’ counter-strategies, the role of Islam and more broadly the civil society responses to growing anti-immigration, and populist ethno-nationalism. For more info: https://vbn.aau.dk/en/persons/100658/publications/
Anita Nissen is a postdoctoral researcher associated to the research group on Regional and International Studies (REGIS) at Aalborg University. In her PhD thesis, she studied the Europeanisation of far-right extra-parliamentary groups during the ‘refugee crisis’. She has also conducted research on the Danish far right scene, and the use of social media by far-right groups and actors.
Karin Creutz is a PhD candidate and project researcher at the University of Helsinki. Her ongoing research focuses on experiences of polarization in oppositional milieus, and on conflict and consensus in media debates. She has conducted interviews and ethnographic field work with persons investigated for terrorism crimes, radical political actors and leaders of motorcycle clubs on experiences of authority measures. She has a special interest in methodological development for research in securitized communities.
WG2
Ann-Cathrine Jungar, team leader
Ann-Cathrine Jungar is a senior lecturer at Södertörn University. She has researched on populist radical right parties and their ideological and organisation developments, and their effects of the political systems.
Niko Pyrhönen is a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki. His areas of expertise include radical right mobilization (DSocSc, 2015), politicization of immigration and anti-immigration activism, conceptualizations of “the post-truth Era”, hybrid mediatization of conspiracy theories and nationalist news framing practices transnationally. He was the co-initiator of the research project Mobilizing the Disenfranchised in Finland, France and the United States (MobDis, 2017 – 2018) focusing on transnational trajectories of countermedia news production. In addition to SEPOS, he currently works in the research projects Extremist Networks, Narcotics and Criminality in Online Darknet Environments (ENNCODE, 2020 – 2022).
Anders Backlund, full-time postdoctoral researcher 2021-2023
anders.backlund(at)sh.se
Anders Backlund holds a doctoral degree in political science from Södertörn University. His research interests include radical right parties and voters, party competition, and militant democracy.
Nina Carlsson, full-time postdoctoral researcher 2021-2023
nina.carlsson(at)sh.se
Nina Carlsson is postdoctoral researcher in Political Science at Södertörn University. Her research interests include questions of national belonging and boundary-making, with a focus on policies on national minorities and immigration in European nation-states.
WG3
Suvi Keskinen, principal investigator
suvi.keskinen(at)helsinki.fi
Suvi Keskinen is professor of ethnic relations and leads The Centre for Research on Ethnic Relations and Nationalism (CEREN), Swedish School of Social Science, University of Helsinki. She has studied questions of gender, ethnicity and racism in the context of the Nordic welfare state; police and welfare practices; violence and social control; media debates on immigration and racism; and political activism. Part of her work has consisted of leading and coordinating Nordic research networks in these areas. She has published extensively in national and international peer-reviewed journals, edited Special issues in scientific journals and books, and published monographs.
Markus Himanen, full-time researcher 2021–2022
markus.himanen(at)helsinki.fi
+ 358 40 040 9596
MSSc Markus Himanen is preparing his PhD on immigration policing and ethnic profiling at CEREN, Swedish School of Social Science, University of Helsinki. He specialises in policing, racial and ethnic discrimination, and immigration policy.