Professors of Practice

The University of Lapland is proud to have tight-knit collaboration with high-level experts in the society, with our Professors of Practice being a prime example of such collaboration. While being merited experts who are making a significant contribution in the society, our Professors of Practice are involved in the work of the University. With this collaboration, we aim to strengthen active interaction between academia and the society at large – beneficial for the education we provide and the research we conduct.

These positions are fixed-term duties that are filled by invitation. Each invitation is based on impartial statements assessing the candidate’s achievements in business or the society.

In the last two decades, Nina Aarras has worked on various research and development projects related to sustainable development and responsibility. The projects have been both academic and applied in the corporate interface, particularly focused on the interactions between the economy and the environment. With her background in Economics and Public Administration, Aarras explored recycling and remanufacturing as an economically and ecologically sustainable business opportunity in her doctoral dissertation published in 2015. During her career, she has been involved in producing numerous studies, reports and scientific publications at the University of Turku, the Turku School of Economics and the Turku University of Applied Sciences.

As a Professor of Practice, Aarras contributes to promoting research, development and innovation in the tourism industry. She implements this by taking an active role in the planning and implementation of research projects and by teaching university students. She also does her part in strengthening collaboration between universities, tourism operators and the authorities. In addition to her part-time position as a Professor of Practice, Aarras works as a Leading Specialist at Sweco, Europe's leading design and consulting company. At Sweco, her work is focused on matters related to land use planning, tourism, economic and environmental impact assessments and the circular economy.

More information on the position on Sweco’s website (in Finnish) >

More information on Sweco >

Robert van den Hoven van Genderen is a Professor of Practice, with special focus on Artificial Intelligence & Robot law, at the University of Lapland. In addition to the aforementioned part-time duty, he is the Director of the Center for Law and Internet and Intellectual Property (CLI), based in the Law Faculty at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). He is also a Visiting Professor both at Kyushu University in Japan and the National University of Taiwan (NTU). What is more, he is the chairperson of the Dutch Association for Artificial Intelligence and Robot Law (NVAIR). In addition, he is also a consulting partner of Switchlegal International Lawyers in Amsterdam and a member of the editorial board of 'Computerrecht'.

As a Professor of Practice, van den Hoven van Genderen does his part in opening new possibilities for research and collaboration across borders and in strengthening the societal impact of legal research. He participates in planning and implementing research projects and applying for project funding and supervises doctoral theses. Moreover, he has been active in establishing support for PhD career planning.

 

Van den Hoven van Genderen studied law and international relations at the University of Amsterdam and obtained his doctorate at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, with his doctoral dissertation focusing on privacy violations by governments by invasive technology (2016). Since his defence, he has published widely on these topics.

Earlier in his career, he was a special adviser to the UN and the Council of Europe on matters pertaining to privacy and security, and he contributed to an EU project on anti-terror and anti-money laundering. He has an extensive background in the telecom sector as a board member of BT Nederland and Telfort, chairing the legal working group of the GSMA, and being the CEO of SURF networks for higher education.

LinkedIn profile >

Kai Kotiranta, attorney at law, LLD, works as Professor of Practice at the Faculty of Law. Additionally, contributes to the work of the Graduate School. Kotiranta is the first Professor of Practice appointed at the University of Lapland.

Specialising in securities market offences and other complex financial crime cases, commercial disputes and arbitration proceedings, Kotiranta has close to 25 years of experience as an attorney at law. After leading the dispute resolution and insolvency group of a major Finnish law firm, he established his own law firm in 2010. Kotiranta & Co Attorneys Ltd specialises in complex financial crime cases and commercial disputes. The law firm has offices in Helsinki and Rovaniemi.

Kotiranta was admitted to the Finnish Bar in 2001. He has served on the Finnish Bar Association’s Disciplinary Board as well as on the professional board and expert groups on securities market and finance and law of criminal procedure. Kotiranta wrote his doctoral dissertation in criminal law on the emergence of inside information in the securities markets. He is currently working on research projects involving questions regarding criminal liability of legal entities and legal certainty.

Kotiranta & Co Attorneys Ltd >

Kaisa Kostamo-Pääkkö, D.Soc.Sci., works as a director of development at the Centre of Expertise on Social Welfare in Northern Finland and as a professor of practice (social work) at the University of Lapland. Kostamo-Pääkkö has developed social services for more than 20 years with municipalities and joint municipal authorities in northern Finland. She has also actively developed, implemented, and studied technological services in the healthcare and social welfare sector.

Kostamo-Pääkkö has functioned within social work at the University of Lapland in 1990–2001 for instance as a researcher, assistant, and professor. In her dissertation, completed in 2001, she analysed the local service system in the mental healthcare sector. She worked as a professor of social work at the University of Lapland also in 2005–2007.

Kostamo-Pääkkö’s expertise covers for instance coaching leadership, management of successful change, guidance on constructive interaction, and resource-based work supervision.

As a professor of practice, she gives instruction in social work, supervises theses, plans and implements research and development projects, and applies for project funding.

Profile in eKollega: https://ekollega.fi/-/kkostamo-paakko

Eija Warma-Lehtinen, Member of the Finnish Bar, is one of the leading data protection and privacy experts in Europe. She heads the Data Protection & Privacy practice at Castrén & Snellman Attorneys Ltd and serves as a professor of practice at the University of Lapland.

Warma-Lehtinen and her team advise Finnish and international companies and other organisations in extensive legislation research projects concerning data, data protection and leveraging technology and in a wide range of issues relating to data protection and the processing of personal data as well as in authority and litigation processes.

Warma-Lehtinen is recognised for her expertise both in Finland and internationally. Chambers Europe, Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal Internet & e-Commerce, Information Technology and Women in Business Law rank her among Finland’s leading legal experts. She has also been listed as one of the top 100 technology influencers in Finland for a number of years.

In 2020, the University of Lapland named Warma-Lehtinen the Alumna of the Year. The award was based on her cooperation with the University of Lapland, contributions nationally and internationally and serving as a positive role model and contact person in working life.

Castrén & Snellman >