I am doing a PhD in Environmental Policy at the University of Eastern Finland. I hold an MSc in Environment and Development from the University of Reading, UK. Research interests include the role of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in averting food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently studying online from Malawi but hope to be in Finland along the way once funding is secured.

I'm a project management professional with several years of experience in coordinating international cooperation projects in both academia and the private sector. My areas of expertise are: science, technology and innovation (STI) cooperation frameworks between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean, EU-CELAC STI policy dialogue, internationalization of higher education and research, Latin American Studies and intercultural communication.

Projects

Developing Finnish Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation between Europe, Africa, Asia and the LAC Region (FinCEAL Plus)

Developing Finnish Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation between Europe, Africa and the LAC Region (FinCEAL)

Developing Finnish Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation between Europe, Africa, Asia and the LAC Region (FinCEAL Plus Continuation)

Internationalizing Finnish Science: Building Sustainable Bridges to Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean (BRIDGES)

Land is a powerful asset, but it also has a social function. Its economic and social aspects are central in advancing gender equality. Legal control of land as well as legal and social recognition of women’s uses of and rights to land, can also have catalytic effects of empowerment, increasing women’s influence and status in their homes and communities. My article-based PhD thesis focuses on Chinese rural women and their social and equal status in Chinese society. The research has received funding from Academy of Finland's Actors, Structures and Law (ASLA) - project

Projects

Rural women´s land rights in China

The Finnish Development Funding Risk Management Policy in Theory and Practice, explores the theoretical, documented, and practical understanding of risk management between Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and organisations receiving program-based support.

Jutta Martens is writing her PhD research with to Tampere University, Tampere Peace Research Institute Tapri with a working title "Conflicting Norms in Peace Processes – Faith-based Leaders’ Perspectives and Roles in Achieving Lasting Peace". The PhD will be article-based. Ms. Martens has received funding for her study from Suomen Kulttuurirahasto, Tampere City Tiedeapuraha and from Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission FELM. Currently Ms. Martens is working as Programme Coordinator for Sub-Saharan Africa at Finn Church Aid. The idea is to conduct the PhD research also in collaboration with FCA.

Frank is the Project Coordinator for the Africa Networks at the University of Jyväskylä. He coordinates three networks (FAPI, SAFINET, EDUCASE) that are part of strategic funding by the MEC. Frank is a doctoral researcher at the University of Lapland where his research focuses on integration of migrants with focus of his research on migrants from Sub Sahara Africa. He has written articles and contributed book chapters on human rights, Covid-19, social justice and education.

I have both work and research experience in cross-cultural and indigenous communities work in the Latin American region. I have also worked at the Finnish Embassy in Peru and gotten to know the types of projects our ministry funds as cooperation for development and I have also worked in a collaborative project in Nicaragua with local communities and environmental education. Experience in funding applications and reporting.

As a Chief Expert in mineral processing he has been working at Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) since 2011. As the project manager he has leaded two European Union funded projects, two EIT RM funded projects, one Tekes (the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation) funded project and one the Academy of Finland funded project which focus on primary ores and secondary tailings processing. He has participated one international cooperation project funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland to provide the training for the engineers from Mongolia in mineral processing.