The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) was established in 2010 through the merger of the University of Joensuu and the University of Kuopio. One of UEF's rising areas of expertise is Russian and border studies. The VERA Centre for Russian and Border Studies was established in 2013 to build a multi-disciplinary research community across faculty departments. The Centre has over 20 professors and 30 post-doc researchers working on research themes related to Russia and bordering lands. Cross-border cooperation with Russian scholars has helped develop UEF's international expertise in Russian and border studies, with the goal of becoming a leading research unit in this field.

1. Cross-border Cooperation and the Research Profile of the UEF
Ilkka Liikanen
Professor, Director of the VERA Centre
University of Eastern Finland (UEF)
Karelian Institute

2. UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN FINLAND (UEF)
UEF WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2010 AS THE RESULT OF THE MERGER OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF JOENSUU AND THE UNIVERSITY OF KUOPIO
Three campuses:
Joensuu, Kuopio, Savonlinna
15.000 students
15.000 students in Open
university & continuation
education
2574 staff
Four faculties: Science and Forestry, Health Sciences,
Philosophical, Social Sciences and Business Studies
Karelian Institute

3. RUSSIAN AND BORDER STUDIES AT THE UEF
Today one of the rising new areas of expertise in strategy of the UEF
“Broad-based Expertise Pertaining to Russia”
“In research relating to Russia and the European borders, border
regions and fringe areas, the university seeks to reach the
international top level… “
Karelian Institute

4. CENTRE FOR RUSSIAN AND BORDER STUDIES
VERA Centre established in October 2013
Building a multi-disciplinary research community
across faculty and department lines
The project for establishing the VERA Centre
Started in the spring 2011
Funded by the European Social Fund,
Regional Council of North Karelia and the UEF
Karelian Institute

5. PROFILE OF RESEARCH EXPERTISE
Research themes:
1. Power, institutions and beliefs in Russia and bordering lands
lead by Prof. Jeremy Smith (history)
2. European borders and neighborhood
lead by Prof. James Scott (human geography)
3. Transitions in border regions
lead by Prof. Laura Assmuth (social policy)
4. Cross-border cultural interaction: tendencies, ideas and
concepts on the move
lead by Prof. Maija Könönen (Russian language)
5. Tourism, business and Russia
lead by Prof. Antti Honkanen (Tourism research)
Karelian Institute

6. VERA
CENTRE FOR RUSSIAN AND BORDER STUDIES
•Strong international research community, 20 professors,
30 post-doc researchers
•High profile in international publishing
•Successful graduate training
•Strong external funding 2011-2013
EU, FP 7, ESPON, ESF
Finnish ministries
Academy of Finland
ESR, ENPI
Foundations
Total
885 952
1 688 279
2 171 933
931 310
949 104
6 626 579
Karelian Institute

7. Rise of Russian and Border Studies
•2013 5 dissertations, as many as during the two
first decades of Joensuu university (before 1991)
•During the two decades following the opening
of the border the number of dissertations seven
times bigger than earlier
•Number of dissertations during the three first
years of UEF doubled and lets us expect that the
growth will continue
•Young scholars – the guarantee of the future of
Russian and border studies
Karelian Institute

8. CBC as starting point for
the rise of Russian and border studies
•1991 from para-diplomatic to project based research cooperation
•First projects with scholars in Petrozavodsk and St Petersburg
•Comparative research tradition counterbalancing the weakness in
Russian studies
•1995 Finnish EU membership and the deepening cooperation
with the support of Interreg projects
•1997 European peripheral and border areas as a focal area of
Joensuu university strategy
•BRIT conference as the starting point for international cooperation
in the field of border studies (with sessions in Sortavala)
•2003 onwards, participation with Russian scholars in ENPI
projects and 4 EU FP projects
•Russia and borders as focal area in the strategy of Joensuu university
•Cross-border cooperation with Russian scholars as a springboard
to international research cooperation
Karelian Institute

9. INTERNATIONAL LEVEL EXPERTISE
ON BASES OF FINNISH-RUSSIAN COOPERATION
Challenge today is to strengthen the international profile
through further specialization
Vision:
Leading research unit in
Russian and Border Studies
Building on position as
• Number one Russia expert in the field of Border studies
• Number one expert on borders and border areas in field of Russian studies
Karelian Institute

11. Thank You!
The VERA Centre for Russian and Border Studies
http://www.uef.fi/vera
University of Eastern Finland, Karelian Institute, Aurora II Building,
Yliopistokatu 2, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland
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Ilkka Liikanen, Director of the Centre
Joni Virkkunen, Head of Research
Minna Piipponen, Head of Education
Tatjana Lipiäinen, International Affairs Officer
Tel. +358 (0)294 45 1111 Emails: firstname.lastname@uef.fi
Karelian Institute