Leena-Maija Rossi

Born July 5, 1962, Valkeakoski

PhD (art history and women’s studies) 1999, University of Helsinki
Fulbright scholar, New York University 1990–91
Master of Arts (art history) 1987, University of Helsinki

Executive Director 2011-16, Finnish Cultural Institute in New York
Professor of gender studies 2011, University of Helsinki
Lecturer in gender studies 2010, University of Helsinki
Lecturer in women’s studies, 2003–09 University of Helsinki
Research Doctor 2000–03, Academy of Finland, University of Helsinki
Research Doctor, 1999–2000, Academy of Finland, University of Art and Design Helsinki
Project researcher 1996-98, Academy of Finland, University of Helsinki
Docent 2000, University of Helsinki
Docent 2002, University of Turku

Research fields:
Gender and sexuality, visual culture from art to media culture, multiculturalism and intersectionality

Academic activity

Awards:
Magister Bonus, the Student Union of the University of Helsinki’s prize for teaching excellence, 2009
The Finnish Art Society’s art book of the year prize 1995

Photo: Kari Sainio
Written by Leena-Maija Rossi (Kaija Hartikainen ed.)
Translated by Matthew Billington

My dreams

I dream about returning to research and teaching work. My term in New York has been wonderful, my work inspiring and rewarding and my colleagues excellent. I have naturally worked on some research on the side and have noticed that I am missing teaching and learning through teaching. I now hope to be able to concentrate on research for a while and collaborate on societally important causes with my inspiring research colleagues. Having had the responsibilities of a director for some years, I would be more than happy to be under the direction of someone else– the content of my work is definitely more important to me than my position.

I also dream that Finnish society would “return” to how it still was at the beginning of the 2000’s: a welfare state promoting equality. As a scholar and teacher or as an otherwise active member of society, I hope to be able to support this kind of development.