Mika Haapanen appointed professor of economics
Mika Haapanen, D.Sc. (Econ.), has worked as associate professor of economics since September 2019, and served as the vice dean responsible for research and innovation at JSBE since 2022. In addition, Haapanen has worked in several other development roles. He has worked on the development of doctoral education since 2008 and in various roles in JSBE’s development group for research since 2010. Haapanen is also a member of the Research Council of the Ģֱ.
During his long career at JSBE, Haapanen has worked as a senior assistant and an acting substitute professor, as well as in various teaching roles.
Haapanen has also worked as a substitute professor at Tampere University and a docent since 2018. In addition, he has taught labour economics at Tampere.
From regional economics to the economics of education
In his teaching and research, Haapanen has focused on the economics of education and labour and, more extensively, microeconomics.
“At beginning of my career, my research often dealt with issues concerning regional economics and I did a lot of research collaboration with, for example, Professor Emeritus of Economics Hannu Tervo,” says Mika Haapanen, who completed his doctoral degree in economics in 2003. “In recent years, I have shifted to examining issues of education economics, especially from the perspective of health economics. In my research, I focus on education, job markets and health, because these are interconnected in several ways.”
Haapanen considers it important that research on economics is carried out in close cooperation with different research institutes, such as the Labour Institute for Economic Research (LABORE), VATT Institute for Economic Research and ETLA Economic Research (Etla).
Haapanen has also been part of international research cooperation on educational issues with, for example, Professor Christopher Jepsen from University College Dublin.
Research based on extensive register data
Haapanen has always spoken in favour of register-based research materials. The use of such materials is subject to authorization. The acquisition and use of these materials require money, time, as well as experience and know-how. On the other hand, high-level, internationally unique research can be carried out with the help of register-based materials.
“In our research, we use various registers related to education and register-based information on mental health and purchases of pharmaceuticals. Such materials cover the entire Finnish population. We aim to find causal effects between, for example, participation in education and mental health, or job success,” explains Haapanen. “We carry out long-term monitoring, with the help of which we will be able to identify how the effects spread across generations as well as, for example, the impact of education on the health of aging parents.”
For the love of research
Haapanen says that JSBE aims at bigger national research projects with the help of the existing large-scale research cooperation, but the fundamental questions in research remain the same. He considers internal cooperation within the University to be important as well.
“We want to be part of developing our cooperation in education research,” says Haapanen. “We are also working on some cooperation plans and pending funding applications with the Finnish Institute for Educational Research.”
“Even if my areas of responsibility expand with the professorship, I hope that in the future I will continue to have the time to do concrete research, work on materials and further develop scientific modelling,” says Haapanen. “I get a sense of accomplishment and joy by doing research with a hands-on approach.”
