My favourite moments in the University of Helsinki

My favourite moments in the University of Helsinki are few and far between these days. But every now and then I realise that I am able to devote some time to research, in the middle of a weekday, or even a few days, without feeling guilty or anxious about exams needing to be set or marked, a thesis needing to be read, unanswered e-mails, teaching preparations or such. During these moments I often go next door, to the National Archives to read letters from the past that Finns have written to each other in French. These letters go back centuries and reading them gives me a brief sensation of having moved, both in time and space, far from the University of Helsinki.

By Written by Juhani Härmä. Translated by Karra Väisänen, Sampsa Granström,Tuuli Äärilä and Elina Saala. Revised by John Calton.

Juhani Härmä

Born May 21, 1949, Helsinki

Master of Arts 1974 (Romance philology), Licentiate of Philosophy 1977 (Romance philology) and Doctor of Philosophy (Romance philology) 1979, University of Helsinki

Professor of Romance Philology (1998-), University of Helsinki

Research Council for the Humanities, 1977–1980 (Research Assistant) and 1980–1983 (Junior Researcher)
Professor of Romance Philology 1983–1985 and Docent of Romance Philology 1980-, University of Jyväskylä
Associate Professor of Romance Philology of the University of Helsinki 1985–1998
Visiting professor of Finnish language and culture in the University III of Paris 1991–1994

Publications, research projects and other academic activity
Research themes: syntax of old and modern French, contrastive French-Finnish linguistics, textual research; recent interest in the historical use of French in Finland, especially in Finnish correspondence in French.

Written by Juhani Härmä and Riitta-Ilona Hurmerinta (ed.)
Translated by Karra Väisänen, Sampsa Granström,Tuuli Äärilä and Elina Saala. Revised by John Calton.