Active Both in Finland and abroad

Laura Kolbe views internationalism as an integral part of academia. She regularly attends urban research and history conferences (International Planning History Society and European Association for Urban History). She is also a founding member of Suomen Kaupunkitutkimuksen Seura (‘The Finnish society for urban studies’) and was selected as a member of The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters in 2005.

Between 2003 and 2006, Laura Kolbe was the editor of the Tiedepolitiikka ('Academic policy') magazine, and from 2006 to 2012 she served as the vice-chair for the Committee for Public Information in Finland. She is currently a member of the Title Board and Yle's Board of Directors, as well as a board member of the University’s Finnish National Calendar and accurate Kalenteripalvelut Oy, a service dealing with ‘name days’ and calendar-related issues managed by the University. And Kolbe also makes time for the students: she is the inspector of the student ‘nation’, Eteläsuomalainen Osakunta, representing undergraduates from southern Finland.

It is the job of a university researcher to take part in social debate, and promote the public understanding of science and scholarship. She has written numerous non-fiction books over the past two decades and is a member of The Finnish Association of Non-fiction Writers. Laura Kolbe's latest titles include Kaupungissa kasvanut (A city upbringing', 2005), Luokkaretkellä hyvinvointiyhteiskunnassa: Nykysukupolven kokemuksia tasa-arvosta, ('A Class excursion in a welfare society', 2007, written together with Katriina Järvinen), Ihanuuksien ihmemaa ('The Lovely Wonderland', 2010) sekä Senaatintori - Suomen sydämessä ('The Senate Square – In the Heart of Finland', 2012, written together with Anja Kervanto Nevanlinna) sekä Yläluokka - olemisen sietämätön vaikeus ('Upper class - The unbearable lightness of being', 2014). She is also a regular columnist for the Suomen Lääkärilehti magazine and the local newspapers Töölölainen and Lännen Media’s Sunnuntaisuomalainen (‘The Sunday Finn’).

Laura Kolbe was voted Summer Cottager of the Year in 2008, as well as the University of Helsinki Alumna of the Year in 2013.

By Written by Laura Kolbe and Riitta-Ilona Hurmerinta (ed). Translated by Johanna Spoof. Revised by John Calton.

Laura Kolbe

Laura Kristina Kolbe
September 9 1957, Bogotá, Colombia

Master of Arts 1982 (General History) and Doctor of Philosophy 1989 (Finnish and Nordic History), University of Helsinki, Docent of History 1994

Professor of European History, University of Helsinki 2005-

Historiographer for Kulosaaren Kotiseutusäätiö (a foundation representing a coastal district of Helsinki) (1983–88)
Historiographer for the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (1989–95)
Historiographer of the City of Helsinki (1996–2002 and 2005).

Secondary occupations include curator of the Mannerheim Museum (1982–91), project secretary for SITRA (1987-89), adviser to the First Lady of Finland, Eeva Ahtisaari (1996–2000). Editor of Suomen kulttuurihistoria I-V ('Finnish cultural history vols. I-V') (1998–2004), editor of Tiedepolitiikka ('Science policy') magazine (2003–06).

Publications, research projects and scientific activities

Written by Laura Kolbe and Riitta-Ilona Hurmerinta (ed.)
Translated by Johanna Spoof. Revised by John Calton.