Kara Viesca, professor in teaching, learning and teacher education, was named a docent with the University of Turku in Finland. The new title recognizes Viesca’s collaboration with the university and grants rights to independently supervise doctoral students, teach and apply for grants.
“Becoming a docent is an accomplishment in that it required extensive, rigorous review of my scholarship and teaching and is also the result of many years of meaningful collaboration with multiple scholars at the University of Turku,” Viesca said. “I see it as an opportunity to deepen and expand my research and teaching collaborations in Finland, while continuing to learn.”
The title of docent is an honorary rank signifying high-level research and teaching qualifications.
Viesca’s work with the University of Turku began in 2015 when her colleague, Nancy Commins, introduced her to a doctoral student from UTU. The next fall, Viesca visited UTU for the first time to participate in a conference and connect with individuals she had met and collaborated with online.
“It was a deeply impactful experience and we left the conference with a new study planned that turned into a publication,” Viesca said. “During that first visit, I stayed in the home of a colleague, got to know her family and was able to learn more about the day-to-day lives of real Finns. It was a wonderful experience that led to a meaningful friendship which has continued and grown over the years, making my affiliation with UTU important on both a personal and professional level.”
Since those early interactions with the University of Turku, Viesca’s collaborations have grown to include multiple data collection, presentation and publication opportunities, as well as multiple visits. In 2022, Viesca was an INVEST Fellow at the University of Turku, visiting the INVEST Research Flagship Centre. UTU scholars have also visited Lincoln and built relationships with other faculty in teaching, learning and teacher education.
“From my work at UTU, in other places in Finland, and other countries as well, I’m learning so many ways to explore possibilities that might not have occurred to me if I hadn’t experienced different approaches in different places,” Viesca said. “My students tend to enjoy learning about the way things are done in other countries and we often think together about what we can learn from those practices.”
Viesca is looking forward to continuing to learn from and build on those connections in Finland with her new title of docent.
“I think being a docent at UTU is going to help connect me with even more amazing scholars and provide me with opportunities to learn interesting and important things for my work in the U.S. and beyond. I’m grateful for this opportunity!”
College of Education and Human Sciences
Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education
