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Martti Pärssinen

Born February 26, 1956, Kiikka (modern-day Saastamala)

Master of Arts 1984, Licentiate 1985, PhD 1992 (History), University of Turku
Master of Arts 1988 (anthropology), University of Rochester (NY)

Docent in Latin American history 2001, University of Turku
Professor of Latin American Studies 1999–, University of Helsinki
Director of the Finnish Institute in Madrid 1996–99, 2007–12
Researcher 1989–92, 1995–96, Department of History, University of Turku
Academy research fellow 1988–89, 1992–95, Academy of Finland
Archaeological research assistant 1985, University of Turku
Visiting professor:
Department of History, Higher University of San Andrés, La Paz (Bolivia) 2002–04
The Simon Bolivar Chair, University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle 2001
School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Paris 1996

Research themes:
The political, economic and religious systems of the Inka state (1400–1532)
Spanish political, economic and church bodies in the colonial era Andes.
Spanish and Portuguese archive sources and chronicles
The Inka’s quipu writing system and military expansion
Cultural development in the pre-Inka period, particularly the so-called Late Intermediate Period (1000–1450) of the Southern Central Andes
Tiwanakau culture (500–1050)
The ancient Amazonian civilisation found in Acre, Brazil 250 BC–1300 AD
Long-term cultural development in the West Amazon in the post-Ice-Age Holocene period
Environmental, geo and climate history in the South American Holocene period
Multi- and interdisciplinary research
The Columbian peace process in the 2000s

Publications, research projects and other academic activity

Photo: Mika Federley
Written by Martti Pärssinen (Kaija Hartikainen, ed.)
Translated by Matthew Billington

International activity

Martti Pärssinen is an honorary member (académico honorario) of the Bolivian Academy of History. He has worked as an expert for the European Research Council (ERC), the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Chilean National Council for Scientific and Technological Research (CONISYT), and for the University of Bonn and the University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle. He is highly sought-after as a journal article reviewer in his field. In addition, Professor Pärssinen has worked on the scientific councils of many conferences for researchers of Latin America and as a symposium coordinator. Between 2004 and 2007, Professor Pärssinen was the vice-chairman of the umbrella organisation for Latin American studies, Consejo Europeo de Investigaciónes Sociales de América Latinan (CEISAL). Furthermore, he has been honoured by the Bolivian congress, granted honorary citizenship of La Paz (huésped distinguido) and has received, among others an INTERPOL medal. Of his more recent achievements, Pärssinen considers his research team’s success in persuading the Brazilian authorities, in March 2015, to propose the 2000-year-old geoglyphs found in the state of Acre to UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Pärssinen has strived to increase cooperation between Finland and Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries in the fields of science, culture and business alike. He has promoted such cooperation, among other activities, as the director of the Finnish Institute in Madrid and, currently, as the chairman of Iberian American Foundation, which is responsible for the institute’s maintenance.

The foundation has strongly developed a network of Latin American representatives and has founded an office in Buenos Aires.

In 2012, Pärssinen worked with Eeva Siippola on the formulation of a proposal to the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture for the development of Finnish cooperation in education, science and culture in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Martti Pärssinen and Alceu Ranzi in Brazil.

 

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Martti Pärssinen

Born February 26, 1956, Kiikka (modern-day Saastamala)

Master of Arts 1984, Licentiate 1985, PhD 1992 (History), University of Turku
Master of Arts 1988 (anthropology), University of Rochester (NY)

Docent in Latin American history 2001, University of Turku
Professor of Latin American Studies 1999–, University of Helsinki
Director of the Finnish Institute in Madrid 1996–99, 2007–12
Researcher 1989–92, 1995–96, Department of History, University of Turku
Academy research fellow 1988–89, 1992–95, Academy of Finland
Archaeological research assistant 1985, University of Turku
Visiting professor:
Department of History, Higher University of San Andrés, La Paz (Bolivia) 2002–04
The Simon Bolivar Chair, University of Paris III: Sorbonne Nouvelle 2001
School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, Paris 1996

Research themes:
The political, economic and religious systems of the Inka state (1400–1532)
Spanish political, economic and church bodies in the colonial era Andes.
Spanish and Portuguese archive sources and chronicles
The Inka’s quipu writing system and military expansion
Cultural development in the pre-Inka period, particularly the so-called Late Intermediate Period (1000–1450) of the Southern Central Andes
Tiwanakau culture (500–1050)
The ancient Amazonian civilisation found in Acre, Brazil 250 BC–1300 AD
Long-term cultural development in the West Amazon in the post-Ice-Age Holocene period
Environmental, geo and climate history in the South American Holocene period
Multi- and interdisciplinary research
The Columbian peace process in the 2000s

Publications, research projects and other academic activity

Photo: Mika Federley
Written by Martti Pärssinen (Kaija Hartikainen, ed.)
Translated by Matthew Billington

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