Interview with a Univerisity of Turku employee.
Who are you?
"My name is Daniela Alaattinoğlu and I'm an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law."
How did you end up working at the University of Turku?
"I came to the University of Turku for the first time in autumn 2019 when I had just completed my PhD from the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence. Before that, I worked for a human rights organization in Istanbul. I moved to Finland and ended up at the Faculty of Law, as I had just started working on a research project commissioned by the Ministry of Justice related to the reform of definitions of sexual offences in the Finnish Criminal Code. I saw in it the opportunity to develop my skills in qualitative and quantitative empirical research and to be involved in socially and legally relevant research in my country.
In 2022, I was selected as a Tenure-track professor through the competitive peer review process, and I started my work in January 2023. In the years prior to that (2020–2022), I was a postdoctoral researcher for the Icelandic Research Fund. I have also worked on various projects at the University of Turku and taught courses on human rights and law at several higher education institutions, such as Åbo Akademi University and Sciences Po University in Paris. Currently, I lead the Mobile Futures: Diversity, Trust and Two-way Integration research consortium at the University of Turku."
What is your typical work day like?
"I like the varied nature of my academic work and I especially like the different tasks that are part of my work, e.g. conducting interviews, studying parliamentary debates and government reports, analysing case law, teaching and speaking in various events, meeting and discussing legal strategies with NGOs to promote different issues, thinking and writing, editing texts, proofreading texts, reading and commenting on others' texts, planning research projects, budgeting, preparing applications, and discussing with students and doctoral researchers."
What inspires you in your work at the University?
"It is a great privilege for me to be able to do work where I can develop my own thinking and abilities in such a diverse way. The most inspiring thing is to notice that my work has an impact on policy development and social debate. I also particularly enjoy the interactivity of academic work, such as discussions with enthusiastic and brilliant students."
What is you favourite place on the campus?
"I like to walk in the campus area of the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University, especially among the older buildings that are closer to the Turku Cathedral. I think these streets form one of the most beautiful areas in Turku."
Why do you like working at the University of Turku?
"I am happy to work at the Faculty of Law of the University of Turku because it is a growing place that is becoming more international. I think that an individual researcher can also make a difference here, because the place is open to new ideas and not too big. I like my colleagues and have great respect for their work. I also feel that my work is recognised and appreciated by the faculty.
Published: 26.4.2023
