The faculty’s central research themes are people’s wellbeing and health in social change, and understanding and managing societal changes in the longer term.
Successful funding decisions and recruitments
In 2022, the faculty did well in acquiring external research funding. Waste Matters, a new project that received a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) is examining the human and social nature of waste. The Centre of Excellence in the History of Experiences (HEX) received funding for a further period. In the funding call of the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland, the faculty raised a total of more than EUR 2.5 million. The faculty explored opportunities for cooperation with US funders and universities and received the first funding from there.
In the funding call of the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland, our faculty raised a total of more than EUR 2.5 million for research.
The recruitment of a new generation of professors continued, which will support scientific excellence and renew teaching in the coming years. Vacancies were taken up by three new professors, three associate professors and two assistant professors. In addition, two people advanced in the tenure track to the post of a full professor. The faculty supported young researchers by employing three Postdoctoral Research Fellows with seed funding from the Trailblazers of Science fund-raising campaign.
Teaching cooperation intensifies
The faculty educates professionals in eight degree programmes (health sciences, history, literary studies, philosophy, psychology, speech therapy, social work, and social research), three international and two domestic master’s programmes and one international bachelor’s programme.
The international Master’s Degree Programme in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research offered by Tampere Peace Research Institute (TAPRI) celebrated its 10th anniversary. Thus far, well over a hundred peacemakers have graduated from this highly popular programme.
The faculty intensified its teaching cooperation with the Tampere, Satakunta and Seinäjoki Universities of Applied Sciences. Negotiations for new openings will be finalised in spring 2023.
The Master’s Degree Programme in Peace, Mediation and Conflict Research celebrated its 10th anniversary in autumn 2022.
Active societal interaction
The faculty’s teachers and researchers were sought-after experts in various development programmes and the drafting of legislation on, among other things, social and health care services and the social security reform. They have also actively participated in the public debate and the various phases of social policy making related to issues such as families with children, the dimensions of ageing, poverty and disadvantage, working life, the gender system, substance abuse, well-being and health inequalities, and mental health.
The faculty’s researchers are sought-after experts in various development projects and the drafting of legislation.
Nationally significant events and prizes
The faculty organised significant conferences and many other events. Three hundred urban studies researchers got together for the Urban Studies Conference in April. The Conference on Historical Research, which Tampere University organised together with the Finnish Historical Society, brought some 400 participants to Tampere. In September, Work Research Centre organised the international Industrial Relations in Europe conference and the national working life research conference.
Professor of Gerontology Marja Jylhä received a national non-fiction prize. Professor Päivi Honkatukia’s project NOW! From anxiety to young people’s environmental-political agency was one of the national finalists in a competition organised for projects addressing young people’s inclusion within the framework of the European Year of the Youth. Students in the Faculty’s master’s programmes were awarded four times for the thesis they wrote, which is also an indicator of the high quality of teaching and academic guidance.
Juho Saari
Dean
Find out more about the Faculty at our website.
Faculties’ statistics (pdf).
Highlights from 2022
All news items concerning the Faculty of Social Sciences are available here.