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Public Policy and Governance
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About the research group
Who We Are: The Public Policy and Governance (PPG) research group brings together over 60 researchers to advance cutting-edge theoretical and empirical research in the field of Administrative Sciences. The versatile expertise of our group members combines managerial, regulatory, and spatial aspects of public policy and governance in a unique setting. Our mission is to provide research-based insights and tools that support public institutions, managers, leaders and policymakers in navigating complex challenges and fostering effective public administration through anticipatory governance.
Our Research Themes: We focus on three interconnected areas that reflect our diverse expertise:
- Governance of Complex Systems: Investigating how public institutions respond to uncertainties, societal problems and operate within multi-level governance through legal and regulatory frameworks and democratic processes.
- Public Sector Transformation: Exploring how public management reforms, innovations, digitalization and organizational and regional changes contribute to sustainable development and enhance adaptive capacities in the public sector.
- Policies and Practices for Public Value: Examining how policies are designed, implemented, and evaluated to meet citizen needs and foster resilience, well-being and long-term societal impact.
These areas build on the research topics of our researchers in the fields of public management, public law, regional studies, and social and health management.
Our Impact: We advance leading governance research in close collaboration with our academic and societal stakeholders locally, nationally and internationally. We actively publish in high-quality journals and regularly contribute to our key academic communities such as the IRSPM, EGPA and Eu-SPRI, as well as editorial boards including Public Management Review.
We are deeply committed to creating societal impact through our research projects that drive innovative and sustainable societal transformation. Together with our collaborators such as the City of Vaasa, the Wellbeing Services County of Ostrobothnia, Finnish ministries and the European Commission, we co-create knowledge that informs policy and practice.
Research-based Education: We maintain a strong research-teaching nexus, contributing to Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral programs in Administrative Sciences. Our research group supports the career development of future scholars and practitioners, producing 4–6 new PhDs annually.
Latest updates
Research projects
| Project | Duration | Actors |
|---|---|---|
| SPACECONOMY - Advancing Sustainable Economic Growth through Space Economy | - | International business and marketing, Public policy and governance, Digital Economy |
| STRAIND - Bridging Strategic Spatial Policies and Returning Industrial Policies for Innovation and Growth | - | Management, Public policy and governance |
| Misleading Consumers | - | Marketing and Consumption Research, Communication studies, Economics, Public policy and governance, Cyber-Physical Systems |
| Vaasa Climate Commitment | - | Public policy and governance, Digital Economy, Strategic business development |
| Alliance for Socially-acceptable & Actionable Plants (ASAP) | - | InnoLab, Management, Technology and Innovations, Strategic business development, Networked value systems NeVS, Public policy and governance |
| Pandemiakriisin opetukset (Lessons from the Covid-19 crisis) | - | Public policy and governance, Management, Resilience |
| Spontaneous Volunteering in National Defense (SPOVA) | - | Public policy and governance, Resilience |
| Resilience of complex legal systems in sustainability transformation (RELIEF) | - | Public policy and governance, Complexity research, Resilience |
| Be a Sport! Enhancing Systems Change of the Finnish Sport Policy (BESS) | - | Public policy and governance |
| NATUREACH – Nature Reachable for all | - | InnoLab, Digital Economy, Public policy and governance, Marketing and Communication |
Publications
Research group leaders
Kuva
Helka Kalliomäki
Associate Professor (tenure track)
School of Management / Regional Studies
Kuva
Anna Kork
Associate Professor (tenure track)
School of Management / Social and Health Management
Research group members
Regional Studies
Kuva
Tuomas Honkaniemi
University Teacher
School of Management / Regional Studies
Johanna Kalliokoski
Project Researcher
School of Management / Regional Studies
Kuva
Helka Kalliomäki
Associate Professor (tenure track)
School of Management / Regional Studies
Mikko Karhu
University Teacher
School of Management / Regional Studies
Jukka Keinänen
Doctoral Student
School of Management / Regional Studies
Sähköposti
jukka.keinanen [at] uwasa.fi
Jarmo Koskela
Doctoral Researcher
School of Management / Regional Studies
Sähköposti
jarmo.koskela [at] uwasa.fi
Public Management
Melisa Benchis
Doctoral Researcher
School of Management / Public Management
Kuva
Sorin Dan
Assistant Professor (tenure track)
School of Management / Public Management
Kuva
Christoph Demmke
Professor
School of Management / Public Management
Maare Helmiö
Doctoral Researcher
School of Management / Public Management
Kuva
Esa Hyyryläinen
Professor
School of Management / Public Management
Kuva
Kirsi Lehto
University Lecturer
School of Management / Public Management
Public Law
Kuva
Niina Mäntylä
Professor
School of Management / Public Law
Kuva
Oyetade Oyewunmi
Associate Professor (tenure track)
School of Management / Public Law
Jyri Paasonen
Associate Professor (tenure track)
School of Management / Public Law
Laura Perttola
University Lecturer
School of Management / Public Law
Tiina Petrelius
Doctoral Researcher
School of Management / Public Law
Sähköposti
tiina.petrelius [at] uwasa.fi
Terhi Raikas
Doctoral Student
School of Management / Public Law
Sähköposti
terhi.raikas [at] uwasa.fi
Social and Health Management
Ruben Arcos
Visiting Professor
School of Management / Social and Health Management
Sähköposti
ruben.arcos [at] uwasa.fi
Janniina Autio
Doctoral Researcher
School of Management / Social and Health Management
Kuva
Jari Autioniemi
Postdoctoral Researcher
School of Management / Social and Health Management
Jussi Björninen
Doctoral Researcher
School of Management / Social and Health Management
Kuva
Toni Ekroos
Doctoral Researcher
School of Management / Social and Health Management
Niklas Gummerus
Research Assistant
School of Management / Social and Health Management
Sähköposti
niklas.gummerus [at] uwasa.fi
Doctoral Researchers
- Anne Koski (anne.koski@student.uwasa.fi)
- Vanesa Numanovic (vanesa.numanovic@student.uwasa.fi)
- Elina Palovuori (elina.palovuori@student.uwasa.fi)
- Talvikki Ranta-Ylitalo (talvikki.ranta-ylitalo@student.uwasa.fi)
- Ville Karjalainen (ville.karjalainen@student.uwasa.fi)
- Evy Saputri (evy.saputri@student.uwasa.fi)
- Taina Schneider (taina.schneider@student.uwasa.fi)
- Anton Sigfrids (anton.sigfrids@student.uwasa.fi)
- Terhi Simonen-Jokinen (terhi.simonen-jokinen@student.uwasa.fi)
- Sonja Vieristö (sonja.vieristo@student.uwasa.fi)
- Ejike Okonkwo (ejike.okonkwo@student.uwasa.fi)
