Senior Research Associate, Media Innovation Studio, University of Lancashire

Marja is an independent author, researcher, entrepreneur, journalist, coach, poet and emerging environmental activist. She holds a Doctor of Social Sciences (D.Soc.Sc.) in Communications from the University of Helsinki.

She brings over 30 years of experience in media digitalisation, alongside more than 20 years in coaching and consulting, and over 15 years in teaching and researching media at university level. Her professional background also includes more than three decades of work as a journalist, editor and writer.

Marja has held senior leadership roles, including Head of Development at the Finnish Broadcasting Company’s News and Current Affairs division, working with a team of 600 journalists, and Director of the Hypermedia Laboratory, a 60-person research unit at the University of Tampere in Finland.

In recent years, she has focused on sustainability, recognising her generation’s responsibility in shaping the future of the planet and society. This has driven her to apply her expertise to promote sustainable development. She is currently co-editor of the sustainable development media platform ykspilkkuviis.fi and facilitator of a monthly, science-based Zoom discussion series, Hyvän tulevaisuuden aamukahvit (Morning Coffee for a Bright Future). Both initiatives aim to deepen understanding of sustainable living.

Outside her professional work, Marja is an enthusiastic sports activist who lives by the motto “anything goes”. She has a strong appreciation for literature and art in all forms, and finds her greatest joy in slowing down, being present and spending time in nature.

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