The University of Helsinki is the largest and oldest higher education institution in Finland. The University is an international community of approximately 33,000 students and 7,000 staff members including professors, university lecturers that teach and conduct research, as well as full time researchers. The university has been listed one of the world’s leading multidisciplinary academic institutions in research, and it ranks amongst the top 20 universities in Europe, and top 100 universities worldwide.
The collaborators for IMAGE- project come from the Faculty of Educational Sciences and the Faculty of Science at the University of Helsinki.
The IMAGE team
Dr. Henri Pesonen: “I am a university lecturer of Special Education at the University of Helsinki. My research focuses on the factors associated with sense of belonging for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and how to enhance belonging in various educational contexts and in the transition to employment. I also collaborate on various autism related research with colleagues in Asia, the United States, Europe and Nordic countries. I have published research on individuals with autism and their schooling, transition to college and later to employment.
Before I completed my doctoral studies, I worked as a classroom and special education teacher in Finland, and as language teacher and academic coach in a fully inclusive University level program for students with autism in the United States.
I am truly happy to be part of the IMAGE-project; specifically, I am excited to conduct research that will result in practical implications for people with autism.”
Juuso Nieminen: “Hi there! I am working on my PhD on inclusive assessment methods at the University of Helsinki. For a while I’ve been deeply interested in how we deal with the diversity of students in Finnish higher education. My own background is both in mathematics education and in special education, which very much reflects on my research. A couple of years ago I would have sworn that I want to be a teacher for the rest of my life – but here I am, suddenly doing my PhD! Beside the IMAGE project, I am also working as a pedagogical specialist and as a writer. Currently you can find me from Melbourne, Australia, where I’m collaborating in a research project concerning inclusive mathematics education!
What really interests me about the IMAGE project is the participatory nature of it. I am responsible for the dissemination of the project. If you have any kinds of ideas about what should be posted in our social media, feel free to contact me: juuso.h.nieminen@helsinki.fi!“
