New Professors' Inaugural Lectures On 27 May 2026

For the event programme and livestream links, please visit our website: . Please note that the lectures will not be recorded.

Following the lectures, Professor of Occupational Health Riitta Luoto will deliver her inaugural lecture at an inauguration ceremony starting at 17.00 in the University's Great Hall. Approximately one hour in length, the ceremony will close with a reception in the Main Building foyers.

The new professors and their lecture topics

Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry

• Kyle Eyvindson, Professor of Forest Planning: Planning forests for conservation, enjoyment and extraction: A balancing act? (F3010, at 15.30)

Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences

• Saijaliisa Kangasjärvi, Professor of Translational Plant Biology: Kasvien stressibiologia ja kriisinkestävyys (F3017, at 15.00)
• Heini Kujala, Professor of Conservation Biology: Suojeluinformatiikalla luontokatoa pysäyttämässä (F3017, at 14.30)

Faculty of Humanities

• Sofie Henricson, Professor of Scandinavian Languages: Vad säger språket om individen och samhället? (F4050 (Pieni juhlasali), at 16.00)
• Kristiina Mannermaa, Professor of Archaeology: Mitä eläimet ihmisten haudoissa kertovat kivikauden ihmisten ja eläinten suhteista? (F4050 (Pieni juhlasali), at 14.30)
• Merja Polvinen, Professor of English Literatures: Kirjallisuuden mieli (F4050 (Pieni juhlasali), at 15.30)
• Florencia Quesada Avendaño, Professor of Latin American Studies: New Approaches to Latin American and Caribbean Studies from a Central American Perspective (F4050 (Pieni juhlasali), at 15.00)

Faculty of Law

• Visa Kurki, Professor of Jurisprudence: AI, Animals, Rivers: Legal Subjectivity in Flux (F3003 (Tekla Hultin), at 14.30)

Faculty of Medicine

• Mikko Anttonen, Professor of Clinical Chemistry: Miten laboratoriotutkimukset kehittyvät - 3+1 tapausta muutoksesta (F3005, at 15.00)
• Riitta Luoto, Professor of Occupational Health Care: Työterveys vuonna 2051 (Juhlasali, at 17.00)
• M. Mustafa Mutluay, Professor of Prosthetic Dentistry, Oral physiology and Biomaterials: From Materials to Intelligence: Redefining the Future of Oral Rehabilitation (F3005, at 14.30)
• Suvi Stolt, Professor of Logopedics: Mitä pikkukeskosena syntyneiden lasten kielellinen kehitys voi kertoa kielikyvyn kehityksen suuntaviivoista? (F3005, at 15.30)

Faculty of Pharmacy

• Michael Jeltsch, Professor of Pharmaceutical Protein Drug Research: From Worms to Humans: How Cardiovascular Systems Differ and Why It Matters (F3017, at 15.30)
• Tiina Sikanen, Professor of Pharmacometabolomics: Vierasainemetabolian merkitys lääkkeiden tehon, turvallisuuden ja ympäristöriskin arvioinnissa (F3017, at 16.00)

Faculty of Science

• Anu Kaakinen, Professor of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy: Ilmastot, ympäristöt ja elämä geologisissa kerrostumissa (F3010, at 14.30)
• Arto Klami, Professor of Computer Science (Data Science): Tekoäly tutkimuksessa - tutkijan ymmärrys auttaa kun data ei riitä (Studium, at 15.30)
• Kai Puolamäki, Professor of Computer Science (Atmospheric Sciences): Kun kone ennustaa ja tutkija ymmärtää (Studium, at 16.00)
• Nikolaj Tatti, Professor of Computer Science: Explainable data analysis (Studium, at 14.30)
• Alexandru Tomescu, Professor of Computer Science (Algorithmic Bioinformatics): Designing fast graph algorithms for bioinformatics (Studium, at 15.00)
• Anca Tureanu, Professor of Theoretical Particle Physics: Neutrinos: creating and illuminating enigmas in particle physics (F3010, at 15.00)

Faculty of Social Sciences

• Anni Kajanus, Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology: Unpleasant bonds: What irritation reveals about human sociality (F3003 (Tekla Hultin), at 15.30)
• Minna Zechner, Professor of Social and Health Care Services: Hoivapalveluista säästäminen käy kalliiksi (F3003 (Tekla Hultin), at 16.00)

Swedish School of Social Science

• Peter Söderlund, Professor of Political Science and Administration: Rationella val i den representativa demokratin? (F3003 (Tekla Hultin), at 15.00)

The dress code for the audience at inaugural lectures of new professors is neat, everyday clothing. The evening reception requires the audience to wear attire appropriate for the dignified atmosphere. A staffed cloakroom is situated in Entrance Hall Aleksi, the Main Building's entrance lobby facing Aleksanterinkatu. On the first floor of the Main Building, Café Civis and Helsinki University Museum Flame will remain open to the public until 17.00.