For the love of humanities

Anna Mauranen served as Dean of the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Arts between 2010 and 2014 and before that between 2007 and 2009 as Vice-dean.

“I have really great memories of those years. And for sure there were challenges and plenty of turbulence," says Mauranen.

The reform of departmental structures across the Faculty created plenty of work. And the beginning of Mauranen’s term as dean was marked by concerns about a shortfall in funding for the humanities, largely owing to misunderstandings.

The students were already about to march out of their lectures, but after discussions with the dean about the situation a demonstration changed character: Senate Square bore witness to happy messages, for example, the I <3 humanismi ( ‘I <3 the humanities’) banners.

And in their turn, the results of the University’s first fundraising campaign were a cause for celebration: along with the medical sciences, research in the humanities received the most in donations.

By Written by Suvi Uotinen. Translated by John Calton.

Anna Mauranen

Anna Mauranen
Born August 31, 1949, Helsinki.

Doctor of Philosophy (English Linguistics), 1992, University of Birmingham
Master of Arts (English Philology, General Linguistics, Psychology), 1979, University of Helsinki

Vice-rector, University of Helsinki, 2014-

Dean, 2010–14 and Vice-Dean, 2007–09, Faculty of Arts, University of Helsinki
Director, Department of Languages and Translation, University of Tampere, 2001–05
Professor of English, University of Helsinki, 2005-
Visiting Professor, Copenhagen Business School, 2010
Professor of English, University of Tampere, 1999–2005
Professor of English Language and Translation, University of Joensuu, 1995–99

Research interests
English as a lingua franca, language theory

Publications, research projects and other academic activities

Photo: Veikko Somerpuro
Author: Suvi Uotinen
Translation: John Calton