A CONDENSED CV OF DR. SEPPO AHO January 2007

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1 1 A CONDENSED CV OF DR. SEPPO AHO January 2007 Born in Pori, southwestern Finland in Residence Rovaniemi since 1978, married and father of two daughters Education: Ph.D. in regional economics and planning, University of London Lic.Soc.Sc. (theme regional policy), University of Helsinki Research studies at Helsinki and five foreign universities ( ). Professional career: Vice Dean of the Faculty of Business and Tourism at the University of Lapland Director of Development from 2005 Senior Researcher Fellow 2000 to 2004 at Faculty of Business and Tourism at the University of Lapland and invited (part time) Professor of Tourism at Preston University (USA) Partner representative of the University of Lapland in the Finnish University network for Rural Studies Visiting Professor at the Universities of Torun (Poland) and Kaunas (Lithuenia) in 2006, Kleipeda in 2005, la Sapienza University of Rome 2003 and 2004, in Tallin (Estonia), Lueneburg (Germany) 2002 and Veszprém (Hungary) in 2002 and 2004, San Francisco (USA) in Deputy director at the Department of Business, Economics and Tourism at the University of Lapland Professor of tourism, University of Lapland and Preston University, USA (Founder of the first university study program for tourism and the first Professor of this field in Finland) Docent at the Faculty of Education, University of Lapland, Docent at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Tampere, Chief of the Lapland Research Unit, University of Oulu (specializing in working life, entrepreneurship and tourism in Northern areas) Director of the Centre for Continuing Education, Univ. of Lapland (organizing several intensive courses for tourism and other enterprisers) Senior researcher at the Research Institute of Northern Finland, Lapland Unit (reports on unemployment, entrepreneurship and structural changes of economy) Acting assistant professor of development policies at the University of Joensuu, Northern 1

2 2 Karelia 1978 Teaching and research positions at the University of Helsinki Ph.D. scholar at University College London Assisting researcher & planner at Pentti Ahola s Architecture Office and Kaupunkisuunnittelu Oy, Secretary (part- time) of the Youth Section of the Finnish National Committee for UNESCO, Project experience: Director (from 2005) of the EDM Master Program in arts and tourism, finances mainly from the ESR funds. Founder and director of a research & development project on Second homes in the Finnish countryside, starting Founder and director of a project concerning innovations in tourism, housing and networking in the Finnish countryside (started in 2003) Founder and director of a large attractivity of Finnish regions -project clarifying migration motivation and preferences of people to locate, Chief researcher and co-ordinator in a five years EU project on tourism expertise in Finland (Matkailun osaamiskeskus) Project director in a EU & TEKES project on new information technologies in tourism Enterprises of Lapland Organizer of some very successful voluntary projects: Kyläkaivokampanja for building 25 village wells in southern Tanzania in 1983 and the first very successful marketing compaign of Lapland as the Santa Claus Land in Japan in Several other smaller projects on tourism, enterprises, new jobs, unemployment and Publications include twelve books and some 160 scientific and popular knowledge articles. Recent publications include books on attractiveness of Finnish regions, media technologies in tourism (2000) and on the formation of emotional experiences in tourism. Own theme article on the birth and development stages of touristic experiences ( matkailuelämysten synty ja kehitysvaiheet ) also internationally introduced and recognized. The most recent publications relevant for the project: Aho, S. & T. Saarelainen & L. Suopajärvi (2004) Creating the North by Innovations. 2

3 3 In Innovations in the Nordic Periphery. Ed. by Nils Aarsaether. Nordregio. Stockholm. Aho, S. Long-Seosonal and Polarized Development in the Top of Europe: The Case Study of Northern Finland. In Abwanderung, Geburtenrueckgang und regionale Entwicklung. Ed. by C. Dienel. Verlag fuer Sozialwissenschaften. Wiesbaden. Other roles Editor-in-chief and special reporter of Matkailu - the oldest journal for travel and tourism in Finland The most popular theme paper at the IFITT (International Federation for Information Technologies and Tourism) Seminar, Dipoli, Espoo in May Memberships in several research societies including IFITT (International Federation for Chairman of the Research Society for Lapland , vice chair Tens of key note speeches and papers at a great number of international and national conferences over the last 25 years. Founder and editor-in-chief of the Academic Newsletter of Finnish Tourism Research SAMU ( ). Memberships in national and international expert groups (e.g. for OECD). Executive Member (from 1995) in ATLAS: a world-wide association for tourism, leisure President of the Finnish Tourist Association , vice-president in Lecturing capasity in four languages (Finnish, English, Swedish and German). Vice-chairman of the cultural committee (kulttuurilautakunta) of the Rovaniemi city Networking experience Executive member of the Nordic Research Networks (covering, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) on the themes (1) Inniovations and Institutions and (2) Place Reinvention Founder of the Finnish Network of Academic Tourism Researchers in 1991 and coordinator of this group until the establ. of the Finnish Society for Tourism Research. Founding Member of the Finnish University Network for Tourism Studies (FUNTS) The national core person in Finland and European Executive Committee Member for Regional Science Association in the 1980s (establishing the Finnish network of this field Secretary of the joint Nordic NordREFO Working Group for new technologies

4 4 Organizer of several seminairs and conferences, both national and international within themes of entrepreneurship, innovation, tourism and working life. Founding Member (1992) and Board Member ( ) of the Finnish University Secretary of a NordREFO Expert Group on new technologies 1982 to Recent new networks include themes of emotional experiences and place reinvention. Examples of recent international activities: Other foreign experience: Developer of international exchange relations for the University of Lapland at the Universities of Dresden, Gothenburg, Kleipeda, Lueneburg, Madrid, Petrozavodsk, Rome, Tallinn, Torun, Veszprem and Vienna. The only Finnish speaker in the Conference programs of Cultural Heritage, Man and Tourism organized by Asia-Europe Foundation organized in Hanoi, Vietnam, 5 to 7 Nov Leading Festivals and Events in Europe, Conference in Bonn, February 2002 Reinventing a Tourism Destination in Dubrovnik, Croatia, 18 to 21 Oct Tourism and Entrepreneurship in Radenci, Slovenia, 6 to 8 Nov Invited expert to the UNESCO Seminar in Havana, Cuba, 3 to 6 Nov Invited expert to the EU Seminar on Cultural Tourism and European Integration, Luxembourg, 21 to 22 April 2005 Invited key note speaker in Grosseto (Italy), Tromssa, Iniö and Kuronia (Liettua) in 2006 An Invited Expert (from end 2006) in United Nations World Tourism Organization Expert panel assessing changes in tourism development. As an OECD expert group member evaluations of regional development in eight countries. Five years living abroad (mainly 1972 to 1976), of which four years studying at five universities in five countries. Several shorter academic conference and study trips. University Studies abroad in Sweden, Germanies, Britain, Chechoslovakia., Ttraineeship work in Sweden, USA, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia., Language studies in Sweden, Britain, Germany, Norway, Iceland and Russia. Language knowledge Hobbies excellent in Finnish and English, good in Swedish, fair in German and (to be activated) satisfactory in Russian. Rotarian activities, skiing, theatre, opera and other forms of culture in winter, 4

5 5 farm life, carpenter s work, swimming and photography in summertime. 5