Visiting Research Fellows
The Migration Institute of Finland welcomes Visiting Fellows pursuing research in alignment with the Institute’s research profiles. The flexible program allows visiting researchers to affiliate with the Migration Institute for shorter or longer periods, and on-site in Turku or remotely.
Visiting Fellows become part of the Migration Institute research community. They have the opportunity to participate in research seminars and institute events, including presenting their research. Each Visiting Fellow is assigned a mentor, who can help them navigate their research time at MIF. On-site Visiting Fellows have access to workspace, IT services, and library and archive services.
How to Apply
To apply for the Visiting Fellow program:
- fill out the application form
and attach your
- CV
- List of Publications
- Research Plan (max. 5 pages).
The selection of Visiting Fellows emphasizes the quality and significance of the proposed research cooperation from the point of view of the Migration Institute of Finland.
Review of Applications
Beginning in 2026, Visiting Fellow applications will be reviewed twice per year. In September, we will review applications for visits to take place between January and June, and in February for August through December.
If you require a letter of site commitment for, for example, a grant application outside of our application review period, please contact the Research Director.
Once an application has been reviewed by MIF’s Executive Team and deemed well-suited to the Migration Institute’s research profile, we will arrange a short meeting (online or on-site) with candidates.
Conditions
The Migration Institute of Finland does not pay Visiting Fellows a salary, grant or scholarship. The Visiting Fellow is additionally responsible for their own transportation, housing, healthcare, and insurance costs.
Visiting Fellows who come to work in person at MIF pay a modest “desk fee.” A fee of 200€ is applied to all visits lasting up to three months. An additional 100€ is charged per each subsequent 3-month period (500€ per 12 months).
We do not host visitors on-site in July.
Publications prepared during the Visiting Fellowship period must acknowledge the Migration Institute of Finland and the publications will also be reported as part of the activities of the Institute.
All Visiting Fellows must commit to the research principles and equality and non-discrimination plan (pdf) of the Migration Institute of Finland.
For More Information
Inquiries can be addressed to the Research Director, who coordinates matters related to visiting researchers.
Current Visiting Fellows
Turkan Firinci Orman
Visiting researcher turkanfirinci@gmail.com
PhD, Docent of Sociology
- Youth identity formation, urban belonging, and mobility
- Environmental citizenship and climate activism
- Workshops on youth futures and societal transformation
- Prefigurative pedagogy and radical care
- Environmental and place-based pedagogies
- Geo-social and participatory methodologies for research with young people
Areen Nassar
Visiting researcher +358505163335 areen.h.nassar@jyu.fi
PhD, Postdoctoral Researcher
- Forced Migration Studies
- Social Work, Policy & Justice
- Capabilities & Welfare State
- Integration & Well-being Studies
- Forced Migration Research Ethics
- Trust & Social Sustainability Studies
Pekka Kettunen
Visiting researcher pekka.kettunen@migrationinstitute.fi
D. Soc. Sc., Associate professor
- Organisation
- Implementation and evaluation
- Comparative study
- Municipal research
- Integration
Erna Bodström
Visiting researcher erna.bodstrom@migrationinstitute.fi
D. Soc. Sc.
- Refugeehood and residence permits
- Asylum process
- Asylum politics
- Asylum activism
- Integration and citizenship
- Administrative texts
- Textual and visual methods
Jeffrey Wall
Visiting researcher jeffrey.wall@utu.fi
PhD
- Ethno-ecology
- Cultural value of environmental quality
- Slow-Onset environmental migrations
- Indigenous-led conservation
- Gendered ecological knowledge
Nadine Hassouneh
Visiting researcher nadine.hassouneh@migrationinstitute.fi
Phd
- Internal Displacement
- Intra-State Deportations
- Syrian Conflict
- Safety, Security, & Risk Studies
- Refugee Studies
- Critical Humanitarian Studies and Everyday Humanitarianism
- (Stateless) Diaspora Studies
- Language and Context Specific Methodologies
Olga Cielemecka
Visiting researcher olga.cielemecka@migrationinstitute.fi
PhD
- Border ecologies
- Migration
- Border walls and fences
- Social justice
- Feminist ontologies
- Interdisciplinary research methods
Juha Tainio
Visitor +358 440 4706 13 juha.tainio@migrationinstitute.fi
Journalist
- Oskari Tokoi
- Ragnar Lassinantti
- Swedish-Finns and Swedish-Finnishness
- Northern language borders