Dr. Marianne Teräs holds a doctorate (2008) in Developmental Work Research and Adult Education from the University of Helsinki, Finland. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Helsinki/Institute of Behavioural Sciences. She is also co-manager of the project «Opening Pathways to Competence and Employment for Immigrants» funded by the Finnish Academy.

Professional background

Dr. Teräs’ professional background includes working as a nurse for over four years in the City of Helsinki. She worked as a HIV/AIDS project manager in the Finnish Red Cross organization in 1989−1991, and during this time she was also a delegate for the World Health Organization and a consultant for the Finnish Nursing Association. After getting her Master’s degree in 1997 in Public Health and Education, she worked as a lecturer of health care and nursing in the Helsinki City College of Social and Health Care over 10 years. During this time she was also responsible for immigrant training of the College and for managing an European Union funded international project. She later served as a head of her department in 2007−2008. Further, in 1983−1984 she worked in Switzerland and lived in France in 1994−1995.

Research interests

In her doctoral dissertation, she developed an intervention method called a Culture Laboratory for intercultural learning and immigrant education. Upon graduation, her first post-doctoral research focused on co-operation and new types of educational methods of dental and oral-hygienist students in patient care. Her research interests are in the areas of professional and vocational education and training, and learning in multicultural learning environments with particular focus on children of immigrants’ access to education and on transition phases in their educational paths.
Dr. Marianne Teras and Dr. Johanna Lasonen have developed a theoretical model of «Dimensions of perceiving intercultural competence in action» http://www.c-s-p.org/flyers/Mapping-the-Broad-Field-of-Multicultural-and-Intercultural-Education-Worldwide--Towards-the-Developm1−4438−4031−9.htm

Other activities

Dr. Teräs is a board member of the Finnish Vocational Educational Research Association, and she has published in Finnish and in English in national and international journals. She has also presented her research in numerous international and national conferences. She is frequently lecturing about intercultural issues in different agencies in Finland and other venues. In 2010, she was invited as the keynote speaker, together with Professor Johanna Lasonen, in the European Conference on Educational Research/Network 2. In 2010, she spent some time in the University of Colorado at Boulder/School of Education as a visiting scholar and in 2011 in the University of South Florida/College of Education.