Tracing Tax Researchers' Conflicts of Interest and Their Significance: A Memorial Seminar in Honor of Santtu Raitasuo, LL.D.

A memorial seminar in honor of Santtu Raitasuo, LL.D. (1983–2026) will be held at the City Center Campus of the University of Helsinki on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, from 12:30 to 16:00. The seminar will explore Raitasuo's research and discuss its academic and societal impact.

Santtu Raitasuo, LL.D., received his doctorate in law from the University of Helsinki in 2022 and also worked as a researcher at Tampere University and the University of Turku. Raitasuo was known as an open-minded and courageous pioneer of critical tax research whose work attracted attention not only in academia but also in wider public debate. In particular, he examined tax researchers' conflicts of interest and their societal significance.

The seminar will be held partly in English and partly in Finnish. Confirmed speakers include Associate Professor Patrik Emblad (University of Gothenburg), Professor Martti Koskenniemi, Professor Päivi Leino-Sandberg, doctoral researcher Linda Sydänmaanlakka, Academy Researcher Matti Ylönen, Professor Emilia Korkea-aho (University of Eastern Finland), Associate Professor Hanna Kuusela (University of Jyväskylä), and doctoral researcher and Director/Doctoral Researcher Lauri Finér (Kalevi Sorsa Foundation). Additional speakers will be announced during the fall.

Registration for the event is now open.
Seminar programme

12.30 Opening Remarks

12.40 Patrik Emblad, Associate Professor, University of Gothenburg: Where is Critical Tax Research Heading? Reflections on an Evolving Field

13.00 Panel Discussion (in English): The Impact of Critical Tax Research on Social Science and Legal Scholarship

Panelists:

  • Patrik Emblad, Associate Professor, University of Gothenburg
  • Jussi Jaakkola, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Turku
  • Linda Sydänmaanlakka, Doctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki
  • Matti Urpilainen, University Lecturer, Tampere University
  • Matti Ylönen, Academy Research Fellow, University of Helsinki

Moderator: Päivi Leino-Sandberg, Professor, University of Helsinki

14.15 Coffee Break

14.45 Panel Discussion (in Finnish): Asiantuntijoiden taloudellisten etuyhteyksien ja niitä koskevan tutkimuksen merkitys suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa 

Panelists (additional panelists to be confirmed):

  • Emilia Korkea-Aho, Professor, University of Eastern Finland
  • Hanna Kuusela, Associate Professor, University of Jyväskylä

Moderator: Lauri Finér, Director, Kalevi Sorsa Foundation -Doctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki

16.00 Closing Remarks

The seminar is organized by the Faculty of Law at the University of Helsinki, with practical arrangements coordinated by the University's Erik Castrén Institute. The Kalevi Sorsa Foundation and the Research Council of Finland-funded research project Seeing Like a Tech Firm have also contributed to the organization of the event.

The event can be attended either in person or online. Participation in the discussion is possible only in person

Further information: