LASER Talks Aalto: Building belonging in Espoo

Lectures and seminars, Networking

Why should you move to Espoo? Can research play a meaningful role in making Espoo genuinely the best place for integration in Finland? Register for the event below.

Photograph: Aalto University / Mikael Niemi

Event Info

When: 3.6.2025 16:00 – 18:00 (UTC +3)

Where: Marsio & Online, Otakaari 2, Espoo, Finland

Event language(s): English

Registration: HERE

The City of Espoo and Aalto University maintain a close, long-term research collaboration focused on developing services for international residents and immigrants. But how should these services be developed – and why through research? What do researchers contribute to the practical work of the city, and conversely, what does research gain when it is rooted in local life and decision-making?

Espoo has outlined a strategic goal to be the best City for integration in Finland and a leader in supporting internationalization. This goal cannot be achieved alone, it takes two to tango; this requires partnership, knowledge, trials, and above all, a joint will.

How can the impact of research be made visible – to researchers, decision-makers, and the public? This edition of LASERtalks is ideated and organized by researchers themselves. It showcases the results of the research collaboration between Espoo and Aalto and explores the possible forms of impact this collaboration might have in the future.

Welcome to Marsio for an intriguing Aalto LASERtalks event with these panelists:

·       Ivone Arazo Silva, Urban Planner & Architect, City of Espoo

·       Betsy Korhonen, Project Manager, Editor, Aalto University

·       Astrid Puumala-Thévenet, Development manager for immigration, City of Espoo 

·       Uttishta Varanasi, Doctoral researcher, Department of Computer Science, Aalto University

·       Moderator: Annukka Svanda, Doctoral researcher, Department of Design, Aalto University

Speakers Bios

Ivone Arazo Silva, Urban Planner & Architect, City of Espoo  

Urban architect with over 20 years of experience in sustainable urban planning and development. She integrates urban design, regulations, and urban governance principles to balance growth, heritage and cultural conservation, and resilience. In Colombia, she led multidisciplinary teams in the revitalization of historic centers, public spaces, and sustainable mobility, coordinating public, private, and community stakeholders. She is proficient in geographic information systems (GIS), regulatory analysis, and participatory methodologies, promoting inclusive planning and diverse citizen participation. She has experience in government, private, and international projects in smart cities and sustainable infrastructure. She is an expert in urban planning for climate adaptation, risk management, mobility, and territorial planning. She promotes urban innovation and sustainable development through collaboration with diverse communities and key stakeholders.

Betsy Korhonen, Project Manager, Editor, Aalto University

Betsy Korhonen’s educational background is in service design with a focus on design for governmental organizations. After finishing her master’s at Aalto University, her work has included developing capacity building materials based on the results of the Horizon 2020 project REFLOW for municipal employees and decision-makers, as well as developing communities and services for the Economic Development unit of the city of Espoo. Currently, she is the project manager and editor for the Nokia Design Archive project where she is writing about the professionalization of design during the heyday of the Finnish tech giant.

Astrid Puumala-Thévenet, Development manager for immigration, City of Espoo 

Astrid works at the intersection of strategy, policy, and service development, transforming ideas into actionable change. Her expertise is in service development, public policy, impact assessment, and process design, with a strong commitment to support decision-making better, through data and real-world results.

Uttishta Varanasi Doctoral researcher, Department of Computer Science, Aalto University

Uttishta is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Computer Science at Aalto University. His current research focuses on designing digital public services for migrants through the lens of equity. With a focus on building agency and capacity for migrants using participatory methods, his research looks at how public institutions can be meaningfully inclusive in their structures and practices. His previous experiences include critical algorithmic literacy, sense-making in crises, and pluriversal AI.
 

Host

Annukka Svanda - Doctoral researcher, Department of Design, Aalto University

Event host Annukka is experienced in organizing participatory design projects with special target groups as well as engaging public organizations in service design processes. Committed to inclusivity, she emphasizes making the results of her academic research work visible in the form of popular sources accessible to the different stakeholders of the research projects. Currently finalizing her PhD on the role of service design in promoting inclusion and justice in public service development and working in the Kasvatuskumppanuus -project with City of Espoo learning and education department to support children’s learning outcomes.
 

SPONSORS

The Leonardo/ISAST LASERs are a program of international gatherings that bring artists, scientists, humanists and technologists together for informal presentations, performances and conversations with the wider public. The mission of the LASERs is to encourage contribution to the cultural environment of a region by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and opportunities for community building to over 50 cities around the world. To learn more about how our LASER Hosts and to visit a LASER near you please visit our website. @lasertalks