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Ethnicity in focus

Östen Wahlbeck, from Soc&kom, will teach the new, soon-to-be-launched subsidiary subject ethnicity.

The new orientation alternative, ethnicity, is expected to become a popular subsidiary subject to study as a foundation for further studies and research within the same subject. Senior lecturer Östen Wahlbeck, who is responsible for the Swedish language teaching and research related to ethnicity at the Soc&kom, explains:

”All second and third year students with previous knowledge of Social Sciences are welcome to attend the course.”

The Swedish interdisciplinary course will be based on research in ethnicity and will deal with immigration, migration, national minorities, integration of immigrants, and human rights.

“Our focus is on the knowledge we already have about ethnic relations. There are many different opinions and views in this area, so it is important to choose a knowledge-based approach.”

Östen Wahlbeck has over 20 years experience in ethnicity and he used to work as a senior lecturer in sociology at the Åbo Akademi University. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Tampere. In 1997 Mr Wahlbeck earned PhD at the University of Warwick. His research subjects include ethnic relations, international migration, immigrant entrepreneurship, transnationalism and diaspora.

”There is a lot of research available in this area and we know which models bring good teaching results.”

The interest in ethnicity is wide and there is a wealth of accumulated expertise at the Soc&kom. The school already offers an English language master’s degree programme and hosts the Centre for Research on Ethnic Relations and Nationalism (CEREN), which was established in 1998 at the University of Helsinki.

”Additionally, the subsidiary subject forms a very good basis for those who are willing to continue at the CEREN research centre,” Dr. Wahlbeck adds.

Read more about the subsidiary subject ethnicity

Text: Nathalie Edman
Photo: Mats Engblom
13.10.2009
www.helsinki.fi/universitycommunications

Translation: AAC Noodi Oy