My Academic Journey

Liityin kulttiin, jossa käy jatkuvasti vierailevia tähtiä. Suurin osa tähdistä katoaa tai hukkuu kasvottomaan massaan. Uskon monen luovuttaneen kuten olen itse monesti tehnyt. Niin haastava tämä kultti toisinaan on. Mutta kun pääsee sisälle, viihdettä riittää. Käytin apuna omaa kulttiopasta, joka esittelee minulle vieläkin kultin tiloja ja rituaaleja. Kultissa on monenlaisia jäseniä, joista suuri osa jää kasvottomaksi massaksi. Muutamat ovat kokeneita keräilijöitä, joita on vaikea olla katsomatta pitkään. Heidän alajärjestönsä on vain ylivertainen ja parhaimmillaan kasvotonta keskiluokkaa inspiroiva. Ymmärrän toki, jos väität heitä pelottaviksi: eihän niin kokeneiden kanssa voisi mitenkään mistään väitellä. He ovat kuin sirkustaiteilijoita improvisaation alkeiskurssilla: Aivan omaa luokkaansa.    Sen sijaan muutaman, kasvottomasta massasta erottuvan, lohkon jäsenten lähistöllä en ainakaan itse välittäisi oleskella. Yritin antaa yhdelle taikurille tilaa tehdä omia taikojaa...

Even though, I am an introvert, I miss my colleagues enormously. I like being around people, even if it requires more energy than staying by myself. But enough of the background information. Currently, I enjoy working from home. This is how I get science done from my home! Most of the things that work here, are likely to work later at the office. Try some of them out! :)  My alarm went off before 7AM. I do my daily Duolingo practice and get out of bed. Then I head to the yoga mat. Time for some morning yoga of 10-30min. Then it’s time for breakfast. The work day starts by taking over a part of the kitchen table. When I am ready, I set up my Pomodoro application on the phone and start by either planning the day or checking what I have planned. One the road to productivity (c)FotoJan My first productivity “secret”: Pomodoro. It is a technique helping with concentration and with remembering to take breaks. Brains are muscles just like other parts of the body. ...

I want sincerely thank The OP Group Research Foundation for supporting my desired research topic! The grant distribution occasion was full of warmth. OP is proud of having given a grant to the only Finnish Nobelist in economics and encouraged us to aim high. I am also very thankful to know that the research plan has been read by two to three other specialists than my supervisor and that they found it promising. In the uncertain world of PhD fellow, that means a lot.  Another big joy is the joy for all of our full-time econ PhD students . Saara Vaahtoniemi and Jari-Mikko Meriläinen who each got a grant for one year of research.  Team Econ Vaasa: Meriläinen, Vaahtoniemi & Eklund Worth mentioning is a person who has inspired many (and 100% of Team Econ Vaasa) to study economics, Matti Pohjola, who held a speak at the event thanking OP for being very responsible in financing research when the government is doing the opposite. Indeed, the concept of OP group research...

In the end of last year, I signed up to another academic writing class because of a requirement of the degree. As visible in the blog, I have searched writing advises online and also participated to an academic writing class with emphasis on grant application writing (very relevant in Finnish system that doesn't guarantee salary for PhD students unlike the Danish model). Previously, I had participated to a writing class aimed for PhD's with my master thesis at Stanford. Thus, my experiences are quite broad.  Today, I want to reflect a little of the recent class. We had a groups of three students, two reviewers per one article. We discussed my paper and the discussion highlighted the same that my host here says (he is the best btw). I should explain more, elaborate more and, in general, describe more. Shortness is my writing type, it seems. The opposite would be being too wordy. Yep, no wordiness problem in academic contexts. In the end, however, the discussion of writing p...

1) Carrots  Lunch and dinner. Most of my colleagues eat carrots as a part of their lunch every single day. And why not? Carrots are healthy and here they are very tasty. I had to buy one. This pictures is originally  meant to my beloved one.   2) Pullover / Sweater.  That seems to be in Fashion (for practical reasons?) 3) Open windows To ensure better air quality. The other local Finns told me that the automatic "air conditioning" is not enough and that the inside air quality isn't necessarily that good. A Danish friend told me a minimum time to have a window open at my home. So, windows open.  4) Bikes The best way to get around. Usually, Danes lift a hand up when they stop and lift it to the side of the aimed direction when turning. Biking is almost like driving a car expect that cars are usually very careful with minding the bikers. There are lots of bike roads.  From Tivoli Friheden. 5) Lines If you were there first, you wil...

Here are some photos that I have taken during the walking breaks, which have become my new habit. Aarhus (and Denmark in general) is a fantastic place to live and work. The nature is just couple of steps away. I present some of them here in two parts. Let's start with campus and the lake near to the department of political science and CFA (Dansk Center for Forskningsanalyse)  where I am located. Part one: campus This is where I work! This is where I walk. Part two: other beauties outside city center. There are lots of different berries.. berries. more berries. Wonder if you can eat these? Countryside is very close by. Way to Aarhus! Way to work. (photos are from last month, couple of days back we got the first snow)