People

The Research Group on the Russian Environment consists of social and political scientists in various fields led by Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen.

The Team

Dr. Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen is a Professor in Russian Environmental Studies at the Aleksanteri Institute and Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, and a Docent at the National Defence University in the field of Russia’s energy and natural-resource policy. In 2011-2017, he was a professor in Russian Energy Policy at the Aleksanteri Institute. He is also an adjunct professor in Environmental Planning at the Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki. His research fields are energy and environmental policies; energy security; natural resources, political/societal power and culture in Russia.

Emailveli-pekka.tynkkynen(at)helsinki.fi
Phone: +358 405170521
Twitter: @VPTynkkynen
Research portal profile


Dr. Olga Bychkova is Associate Professor of Sociology and the head of the Center for Science and Technology Studies at European University at St. Petersburg. Her research interests include science and technology studies (STS), social studies of climate, comparative public policy and political economy. She contributes to the work of WP2 in Flowision project.

Email: obychkova@eu.spb.ru

 

 


Dr. Olga Dovbysh is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute. Her research is at the intersection of media studies, economic sociology and political economy in Russia. In the Flowision project she contributes to the research of WP3 on mediatized knowledge.

Email: olga.dovbysh@helsinki.fi
Phone:  +358 503063288, +358 294123698

 


Francesco Durante began to work in the AUCAM project at the Aleksanteri Institute in 2018. His dissertation focuses on the role played by institutions and gas–extractive projects in the sustainable development of the urban areas of the Yamalo–Nenets Autonomous District in the Russian Arctic region.

Email: francesco.durante(at)helsinki.fi
Research portal profile

 

 


Elena Gorbacheva is a Research Assistant at the Aleksanteri Institute.  She is involved in all of the projects of the research group on the Russian Environment. Elena is also a Doctoral Student at the Political, Societal and Regional Change Programme. In 2019 she started her dissertation about environmental protests in Russia. Elena also works as a project planner for DigiREES and ElMaRB projects at the Aleksanteri Institute.

Email: elena.gorbacheva(at)helsinki.fi
Twitter: LenaAGorbacheva
Research portal profile


Touko Hujanen is a photojournalist who concentrates on long term reportage projects. His work has been published in over 30 countries, and he was nominated as the photojournalist of the year in Finland in 2011, 2018 and 2019. He contributes to Flowision project by conducting long reportages.

Email: toukohujanen@gmail.com
Phone: +358 505148579

 

 


Jussi Huotari is a Doctoral Student at the Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki. Since 2015 he has been working as part of Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen’s research group on Russia’s energy development. His research is focusing on issues such as energy policy, IR, resource governance and security studies in the Arctic. His forthcoming thesis concentrates on the global-Arctic nexus in energy development.

Email: jussi.a.huotari(at)helsinki.fi
Phone: +358 504489160
Twitter: @ajm_huotari
Research portal profile


Karoliina Hurri is currently a Doctoral Student at the Political, Societal and Regional Change Programme (PYAM) in the University of Helsinki and also part of the team at the Aleksanteri Institute. In 2018, Karoliina has started her dissertation “The Construction of China’s Leadership Role in Climate Politics”. She is focusing on the emerging economies, identity politics and critical geopolitics within the frame of international climate politics.

Email: karoliina.hurri(at)helsinki.fi
Twitter: @HurriKaroliina
Research portal profile


Sakari Höysniemi is a Doctoral researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute and in the Doctoral programme for Social Sciences. He is currently working at the Flowision project funded by Kone Foundation. He started his dissertation in 2016 as part of Winland project and he focuses on climate, energy and transport issues in Finland and Russia.

Email: sakari.hoysniemi(at)helsinki.fi
Phone:  +358 503148944
Twitter: @shoysniemi
Research portal profile


Sohvi Kangasluoma started her dissertation in 2018 within the AUCAM project at the Aleksanteri Institute. She focuses on the linkages between the energy sector and human security in the Arctic municipalities of Norway and Russia, from a gender perspective. Sohvi is currently working at the Flowision project.

Email: sohvi.kangasluoma@helsinki.fi
Phone: +358 408667914
Twitter: @SohviMJK
Research portal profile


Dr. Sanna Kopra is a visiting scholar at the Aleksanteri Institute. Since September 2018, she has carried out her postdoctoral project the Rise of China and Normative Transformation in the Arctic Region funded by the Academy of Finland (2018-2021, the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland). Sanna’s research focuses on China’s Arctic and climate policy, international norms of responsibility, and Arctic affairs.

Email: sanna.kopra(at)helsinki.fi
Phone: +358 503788997
Twitter: @Sannakopra
Research portal profile


Dr. Hanna Lempinen is a visiting researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute. Her research focuses on social and cultural aspects of Arctic energy developments and just energy transitions in the north. Her research will contribute to the Flowision project.

Email: hanna.lempinen@ulapland.fi
Phone: +358 505560576
Twitter: @lempihanna
Research portal profile


Teemu Oivo is a Doctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland and Aleksanteri Institute. In the Flowision project he contributes to the study of both media and civil society.

Email: teemu.oivo@helsinki.fi
Phone:  +358 408674168
Twitter: @TeemuOivo

 


Dr. Mika Perkiömäki is a Postdoctoral researcher at Aleksanteri Institute. His research interests include Russian literature of 1970-90s focused on ecocritique. He contributes to Flowision project.

Email: mika.perkiomaki@helsinki.fi
Twitter: @mikaperkiomaki

 

 


Johannes Roviomaa is journalist specialising in climate change, equality and peace. He is currently a Masters student in Journalism and Communications at the University of Tampere as well as a student in ExpREES programme in Aleksanteri Institute. In his Master’s thesis he is looking at Russia’s leadership in the Arctic Council. He is going to conduct journalistic Foundation work as part of the Flowision project. funded by Kone Foundation.

Email: johannes.roviomaa(at)gmail.com
Phone:  +358 407301219
Twitter: @Alkeishiukkanen


Niko Väistö is studying MA in documentary film director in Aalto University. He is working in the field with the background of sociology and wilderness guide. He is fascinated by peripheries, contemporary film and absurd things in everyday life. He contributes to Flowision project by making a documentary film.

Email: niko.vaisto@aalto.fi

 

 


Dr. Margarita Zavadskaya is a Postdoctoral researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute. Her research focuses on political behaviour and civil society in authoritarian regimes. She is part of Flowision research project where she contributes to the work on environmental activism. 

Email: johannes.roviomaa(at)gmail.com
Phone:  +358 407301219