Multilingual Exchange of Views

Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen has given numerous presentations both in Finland and abroad. Moreover, she has been invited to review academic journals and doctoral dissertations. She is a member of the editorial board of both the Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology and El Norte – Finnish Journal of Latin American Studies and is an active member of several academic societies.

Dr Virtanen has spent a long time abroad as a visiting researcher, particularly in Paris, where she is still an associate member, and in São Paulo and Ljubljana. Virtanen has also lived for almost a year in Aberdeen as an exchange student and in Lisbon as a trainee. Thanks to her Slovenian partner and new family, the Balkan region has also become familiar. Exchanging thoughts with her network of international friends and colleagues succeeds in many different languages.

Virtanen worked as the chair of the SYLFF (Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund of the Tokyo Foundation) alumni of the University of Helsinki between 2008 and 2014 and as a SYLFF Steering Committee member 2010 and 2014.

By Written by Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen (Tomas Sjöblom ed.), translated by Matthew Billington

Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen

Born January 5, 1975

PhD 2007 (Latin American research), docent 2013, University of Helsinki
Master of Arts 2000 (religious studies/philosophy) University of Turku

Researcher 2007–15, Academy of Finland, University of Helsinki
Post graduate 2003-07, University of Helsinki
Project trainee 2002, International Organization for Migration, Lisbon
Administrative assistant 2000-02, Brazilian Embassy in Helsinki

Research Themes:
Indigenous peoples, Brazil, the social philosophies and epistemologies of Amazonian indigenous peoples, post-humanism, indigenous people policy and ethno-history.

Publications, research projects and other academic activity

Awards and achievements
Numerous research grants from, inter alia, the Kone Foundation 2008, Bourse Legs Lelong (CNRS/France) 2008, the Sariola Foundation 2006, University of Helsinki’s SYLFF fund 2006, the Finnish Concordia Fund 2004, the Finnish Cultural Foundation 2003

Photo: Mika Federley
Written by Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen (Tomas Sjöblom, ed.)
Translated by Matthew Billington