Tapio Bergholm

Tapio Hannu Antero Bergholm
Born June 14, 1958 Helsinki

Master of Arts 1985, PhD 1997 (Finnish and Scandinavian history), University of Helsinki
PhD (Sociology) 2015, University of Eastern Finland

Historical researcher 2000–08, Senior researcher 2009, Central Organisatoin of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK)
Visiting Fellow 1990–91, Industrial Relations Research Unit, University of Warwick, England
Historical researcher and training secretary, 1984–2000 Finnish Transport Workers’ Union (AKT)
Docent in Finnish history 1999–, University of Eastern Finland
Docent in Finnish and Scandinavian history 1998–, University of Helsinki
Summer work, project work and part time work: camp leader, roadie electrician, film producer, columnist and lecturer

Member of the editorial board 2010-11, Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies
Member of the editorial board 2008–, International Journal of Maritime History
Member of the Working Committee for Ethics 2013–, Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
Chairman 2012–, Finnish Maritime History Association
Chairman 2007–12, Finnish Association of Work Life Research
Vice-chairman of the board, 2005–, International Commission for Maritime History

Research themes
Labour market history, history of the transport industry, and particularly the history of ports, and the history of the gender system.

Publications

Awards
Prize for best labour research 2008 ( for the work Sopimusyhteiskunnan synty II - ‘The Birth of Finnish Welfare II’) , awarded by Labour Heritage

Photo: University of Eastern Finland
Written by Tapio Bergholm (Tomas Sjöblom, ed.)
Translated by Matthew Billington

My Best Memories from the University of Helsinki

The University of Helsinki offers a wide range of possibilities for interaction both as a student and as a teacher. That is why I have accumulated quite an abundance of best memories, as well a whole range of emotions associated with those years.

As a student I was excited to attend a lecture series organised by Ohto Manninen on problems relating to mediaeval studies. It was a mind-blowing experience to attend successive lectures given by researchers engaged in deep interpretational arguments.

I was equally impressed by a lecture series by Marjatta Hietala on urban history, where I was sincerely struck by how difficult was to define a city. Her style of lecturing was very free and she encouraged discussion by introducing a general problem for us all to think about.

The lecture series I have given together with Tapani Mauranen on social science history and with Laura Kolbe on a variety of topics have hopefully inspired students to view historical research as good-spirited discussion and never-ending argument and debate.