Saija Alanko

Project researcher, dissertation researcher in economics

M.Sc. Economics

MA, University of Turku, teacher of history and social studies

Projects:

9/2025 - 4/2026 ERDF project Virtual influencers in developing circular economy value chains. School of Technology and Innovations, Industrial Management.

2022 - 8/2025 Nasdaq-foundation Investigame project, a game-based research project that aims to develop young people's financial skills in investment activities. School of Accounting and Finance, Economics.

2019 - 8/2025 Academy of Finland Strategic Research Council (SRC) DigiConsumers project, Work Package Game-based approaches and digital tools in financial education. School of Accounting and Finance, Economics.

2019 - 5/2021 Finnish Board of Education Managing Consumer Economy - didactics of financial education for primary and secondary school teachers. School of Accounting and Finance, Economics.

1/2019 - 4/2021 ERDF project PEEK, Gamification of energy and circular economy solutions. School of Accounting and Finance, Economics.

8/2018 - 12/2018 Academy of Finland Youth financial literacy project. School of Accounting and Finance, Economics.

Teaching:

8/2025 - MOOC course of Financial Literacy for Young People, part Saving and Investing, University of Turku.

8/2020 - Orientation course OPIS0090 Support for the students financial management, part Saving and Investing, University of Vaasa.

2019 - 2021 Managing Consumer Economy, didactics of financial education for primary and secondary school teachers, Open University of Vaasa

2020 - Exchange student's financial management

Other activities regarding gamified solutions for economics education

Has been involved in developing the personal finance management game TalousTandem for young adults and its gamified AI-assisted newer generation version Toivo-botti 2.0. Both games have been tested as part of teaching. Toivo-botti is being actively developed based on feedback. The hope is to conduct research on the topic in the future.

Interested in

Economics education, gamification of economics education and environmental and energy economy

Master thesis of Economics (2019) in Finnish about standardization of the content of economics in secondary school in Finland