Publications

War in the Shadow of Gaza: Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon

Taavi Sundell's article providing a brief overview of the tensions caused by the Gaza war in the relations between Israel and Lebanon surveys the results from the heightened tensions up until now, particularly in Lebanon, discusses the possibilities of the conflict expanding, and provides background on the situation in Lebanon regarding its limited governance capacity amplified by the present exceptionally severe economic crisis.

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The Economic Foundations and Aims of Higher Education: Capitalism and Contingency in the Construction of Academic Worlds

The lectio praecursoria presented by Taavi Sundell in the public defense of his doctoral dissertation on March 4, 2023, has been published in Finnish. In his lectio, Sundell emphasized the importance of considering the diversity of economic and academic worlds in discussions about the relationship between universities and the economy. Economising discourses and policies are concerning as they often narrow the accepted goals for universities, science, and education. Furthermore, they are often based on simplistic views of the (capitalist) economy.

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Newly arrived students in the classrooms

The popular science book titled "Vastasaapuneet luokkahuoneissa: Ikkunoita valmistavaan opetukseen ja monikieliseen kouluun," (Newly arrived students in the classrooms: windows to preparatory education and multilingual school) published by Vastapaino, provides an accessible exploration of the multilingualism in schools, offering insights through vivid examples and delving into research. The book consists of an introduction, twelve peer-reviewed chapters, four concrete pedagogical perspectives, and four educational policy perspective chapters.

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Contingent Logics of Capitalism in Contemporary Academia: A Case for a Post-Foundational Political Economy of Higher Education

MIGDIA project researcher Taavi Sundell defended his doctoral dissertation "Contingent Logics of Capitalism in Contemporary Academia: A Case for a Post-Foundational Political Economy of Higher Education" (Unigrafia, Helsinki 2023) on March 4, 2023, at the University of Helsinki Faculty of Social Sciences.

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Capitalism in Academia and the Theory of Academic Capitalism: Political Economy of Higher Education in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Middle East Law and Governance, 15:2, 173–196 (2023). Taavi Sundell's research article critically examining the political economy of Jordan's higher education system and the theory of academic capitalism.

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