Fulbright Scholars Come to Teach, Research and Study to the University of Turku

​The University of Turku will have altogether seven visiting scholars from the United States, two researchers and three postgraduates have already arrived and will spend the whole academic year in Turku. Two teachers will arrive at the beginning of next year for the spring term. The University of Turku has gained increasing interest on the other side of the Atlantic also outside the Fulbright programs: a record of eleven exchange students from the United States will study here this academic year.

New Experiences in Teaching

One of the Fulbright scholars who arrived to Turku in August is Moriah Bostian, Assistant Professor from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Professor Bostian’s research project will focus on Finland’s environmental programmes for agriculture. She chose the University of Turku both for the excellent research environment as well as for the chance to introduce new courses in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics to the curriculum.

Bostian says that settling in to Turku and the University has been easy.

– I have found that the University of Turku is really a world class research institution. I have received amazing support from the International Office as well as from Turku School of Economics, which has allowed me to focus on my own research right away, says Bostian.

Apart from the opportunity to work on her research, Bostian is also looking forward to the new experience of teaching at a Finnish university and comparing it to teaching in the U.S. She is also hoping to interact on environmental issues with researches and students across department boundaries.

From Summer School to Lapland

Fulbright Master’s degree student Olivia Salama from the University of Scranton started her stay in Turku with the four-week International Summer School. Salama says that she fell in love with the city instantly and that her appreciation of Turku and Finland grew even deeper as she learned about the country’s history, culture and language during the Summer School. She says the personnel at the University of Turku have been very helpful and friendly and that participating in the Summer School gave a most positive start to her year in Finland.

During her stay in Turku, Salama wants to successfully complete her research on economic crime policy-making after the 2008 recession. She is also looking forward to surviving her first winter in Finland.

Both Bostian and Salama plan on visiting Lapland during their stay and wish to have a chance to admire the famous northern lights.

Text: Noora Viherpuro
Photo: Anna Jaakkola