I am originally from Siilinjärvi, and from a young age I felt a strong wanderlust. I wanted to study and live abroad, so I moved to Estonia, after I had discovered an Estonian bachelor’s programme in International Relations, with a focus on Russia. Even though I had never been there before, the country had always fascinated me.
During my studies in Helsinki, I worked in the Finnish embassies in Tallinn and Vilnius, gaining practical experience and growing more and more confident that I wanted to continue in this field. For my master’s thesis, I analysed Finnish and Estonian parliamentary discussions on Russian energy, which laid the foundation for my current dissertation.
During my time in the embassies, I realized that analysing society and politics in depth and producing knowledge was what I found most rewarding. When I learned about the collaborative research project I am currently working for, I sent my CV and was fortunate to land the position. My dissertation focuses on the security landscape of the Baltic Sea region, with a particular emphasis on the Gulf of Finland. I analyse the narratives in Finland and Estonia regarding the risks posed by Russian hybrid operations, aiming to enhance situational awareness in the Baltic Sea region in the post-Russian invasion geopolitical environment.
This is exactly where I want to be and what I want to do.
My inspiration comes from living and studying in Estonia and Lithuania. In Estonia, the focus on security issues and Russia was strong, and I found those discussions fascinating.
Living in the Baltic states, you notice how close history is to people. Families carry memories of occupation and liberation, and this shapes societies even today. I became very interested in how these societies deal with their past and how this influences their security perspectives in the current moment.
For me, it feels meaningful to study the Baltic Sea region because I have personal experiences there. I have learned some Estonian, I have worked at the embassies, and I have already done research on Estonian parliamentary debates in Estonian. This background allows me to approach the topic with both academic knowledge and cultural understanding.
The environment is essential to everyone’s well-being. Also, for me, it is also linked to my interest in energy and international relations. Political decisions, such as whether to continue importing Russian energy, have a direct impact on the environment and the risks we are facing.
That is why the environment cannot be separated from politics. By researching these links, I hope to show how political decisions influence our environment and, through that, our future. It is meaningful not only on a personal level but also because of the broader consequences.
The project focuses on assessing marine environmental risks in the Gulf of Finland. In the project, we identify, analyse, and quantify risks to the marine environment of the Gulf of Finland in the current geopolitical context, where Russia’s war against Ukraine has ended cooperation with Russia and exposed new environmental threats.
The aim of the project is to improve preparedness and environmental protection, and inform decision-making in the region. We produce knowledge by doing scenario modeling, risk analysis, and developing new assessment tools. My role in the project is to focus on the geopolitical risks and the security environment in the Gulf of Finland.
Compared to doing a PhD independently, being part of a project gives you structure and contextual limits. CoWup has its own goals, and my work contributes to them. You also get to work with colleagues who have experience and have been doing research for a long time, so you can learn from them.
Being part of a project naturally helps with networking, collaboration, and support, because there are people around you who can clarify things and guide you if needed. For me, this has been very positive, as the project’s goals align well with my own research interests.
I just submitted my first article, which I co-authored with my supervisor and another researcher. That process took several months and had many twists and turns, but it also taught me a lot about academic writing.
Now I am starting to work on my second article and continuing my research. Previously, I had mostly used parliamentary debates as data. All in all, I have looked at hundreds of parliamentary debates, since I first worked on them in my master’s thesis and now in my PhD article as well. I find the debates extremely interesting because they provide a very detailed picture of the political atmosphere and thinking at a given time: they are like snapshots of political reality. If you're having a boring Sunday, take a random parliamentary debate and just start reading it and you'll surely learn a lot or at least experience different emotions!
Next, I will also conduct expert interviews. Besides writing, I take part in project meetings and constantly think about how each article contributes to the overall dissertation.
The Aleksanteri Institute is a very inspiring place to be. I personally like working in an office, and here I feel I have a good space for that. I value the discussions that happen spontaneously: just hearing colleagues talk about their research and being able to join in gives a lot of motivation for my own work as well.
If you are interested in the topics the Institute focuses on: Russia, Eastern Europe, Eurasia, this is the place to be. There is always something going on: seminars and lectures, and the annual Aleksanteri Conference. Sometimes you need to choose between continuing your own work for the day or joining a conference panel or a seminar, but both options are valuable.
At the same time, the environment is calm. It is a workplace where you can actually get things done, and that is something even visiting researchers have pointed out to me. For me, everything feels interesting all the time, which is something I appreciate a lot in a workplace.
Honestly, the most surprising thing was just how much I have liked it. Everyone says a PhD is the heaviest part of your life, and of course it is a lot of work. But it has also been so rewarding.
I have been here for about seven months. After the summer break, I felt that I had integrated into the workplace, and I realized that doing a PhD also means learning what it is to be a PhD researcher. You grow into the role, and you have to grow quickly.
The publishing process is hard, and it can feel overwhelming. But at the same time, you gain a deeper understanding of your topic. In the beginning, when someone asks what you are doing, it is hard to explain: but step by step, you build a complete picture of your research, and that process is very rewarding.
For me, deciding to pursue a PhD came quite naturally. From my prior experience at the embassies and in other jobs, I knew that the part I enjoyed most was writing, analysing, and producing knowledge. That was always the most rewarding part of my work.
I have always been the kind of person who wants to go deep into topics, not just scratching the surface. So, when the opportunity came to start a PhD, I felt it was the right challenge. I did not overthink it, or question whether I was good enough. I just told myself: this is what I want to do.
Not everyone gets this opportunity, and I feel very lucky. Secretly, I think I always wanted to do a PhD, but when it became an actual option, I decided not to think twice. You are never really ready for it: you just have to do it. And I have not regretted this decision!