Speakers for the 2025 Spring Arrival Orientation

Ms. Charlotta Collén is a director, policy planner and strategic thinker with experience in science policy/diplomacy, higher education, international affair, diplomacy, and the security and defence domain. She has a strong background in analyzing global trends with strategic significance to state affairs, science, research, development, and innovation. 

Collén is currently Director for the Office for Research, International Affairs and Corporate Connections at, Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, Finland. Before joining Hanken, she served as the Strategy Director at the University of Oulu, Finland, heading the Unit for Strategy and Science policy, the Offices of the Rectorate. Collén has previously worked as a Senior Advisor in the Defence Policy Department of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Finland. Before joining the MoD, Collén worked as a Special Advisor for Policy Planning and Research at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Collén holds a Licentiate and Master’s degree in Social Sciences from the Åbo Akademi University in Turku, Finland.

Sophia is a PhD candidate in the Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Doctoral Programme (DENVI) in affiliation with the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry and Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS) at the University of Helsinki. Her interdisciplinary research explores the socio-cultural aspects of sustainable transition and food system redesign in the Finnish countryside. In addition, Sophia works part-time as a researcher in the consortium project, “The socio-ecological and politico-economic dynamics of ecological restoration through tree planting schemes in the global South" (TreesForDev.fi), which is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She is involved with the Global Extractivisms and Alternatives Initiative (EXALT) at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki, including co-hosting the EXALT Initiative podcast, a monthly conversation with academics, artists, and activists (exalt.fi).  

Birger Holm currently works as a Vice Principal, History and Civics Teacher at Haukilahti School in Espoo. He is the U.S. State Department’s Voluntary Visitor Program alumnus and has promoted interdisciplinary studies in Finland by inspiring English teachers to introduce more U.S. History content in English classes.

Since August 2024, I have been working as a principal in the Viikki training school of the University of Helsinki, my primary responsibility being that of high school principal’s duties.

I find that I am development-oriented principal in an otherwise traditional school environment, and my personality and enthusiasm fit the culture of a training school. Colleagues say that I make it visible how everyday successes are a part of larger entities and goals.

Before starting in Helsinki I worked as a regional principal in Porvoo, Finland. I acted as a supervisor for the principals and school secretaries in the Finnish-speaking secondary schools. Part of my job was also high school content development in cooperation with the director of education and the upper secondary school management team. The most important thing in my job as a regional principal was to bring a strategy level content for the principal's everyday life, strengthen the structures of cooperation and operational culture among principals and help principals in their everyday-life challenges. I have also worked as a principal for four years in a high school with 150 students. From my background I am a teacher of English and German languages, and I profiled very much as an advocate for international studies; I have lived and worked abroad on many occations. I graduated from the University of Jyväskylä in 2010.

Kristiina Jomppanen, MA, is a Finnish, German, and North Sámi language teacher. She is currently working as a language teacher at the Inari Community College as well as Jyväskylä Summer University. She specializes in foreign language education of adult learners and is also working towards her second master’s degree at the University of Oulu. She spent her Fulbright grant period as a Finnish Language and Culture Teaching Assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2017-2018. 

Teemu Kokko Ph.D. (Econ.) and adjunct professor is the President at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland. During his career he has lived and worked abroad a total of nine years (Moscow, Budapest and Oslo) and he is deeply involved in numerous international activities.Teemu is an ad hoc columnist for two Finnish hospitality industry magazines.

Teijo Koljonen holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Helsinki. He has worked as a teacher, deputy-head and head of school. Currently he is working in the Finnish National Agency for Education as a Senior Adviser in Education with issues related to national curriculum development, teaching of STEM subjects, assessment criteria for learning outcomes and evaluation of grant applications.

The Finnish National Agency for Education is the national development agency responsible for early childhood education and care, pre-primary, primary and secondary education as well as for adult education and training.

Helena Mikkola (Ms.)  has 25 years of experience in International Affairs in education sector.  25 years ago she started as International Coordinator in Turku Vocational Institute. Since 2011 she has been in charge of International Affairs in Turku City’s Education Services. The Education Services of the City of Turku include early childhood education, basic education, upper secondary education, vocational education, and liberal adult education centers. Education services are offered in Turku in both Finnish and Swedish.

She holds Master’s Degree in Political Science (University of Turku) and also Pedagogical Qualification for Teaching. Helena Mikkola has completed a Specialized Vocational Qualification in Management.

In Education Services/City of Turku, Helena Mikkola is responsible for strategic development and operational planning in international cooperation. She leads the international and global education team. She is also involved in various projects. These projects are used for different types of project funding, such as the EU's Erasmus funding. Organizing and planning the program of various visits is part of her team's work.