Trust-M is a partnership between Aalto University, University of Helsinki, Tampere University, and City of Espoo. The project aims to create trustworthy digital public services for improved integration of migrants in Finland, hence strengthening Finnish society through increased inclusion and economic vibrance.
Building belonging in Espoo – Aalto LASER Talks
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.
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
Examples of collaboration projects and outcomes
A new project in Espoo aims to improve disparities in children's learning outcomes – with the goal of preventing social segregation
Supporting children's learning skills has a major impact on their further education and employment, among other things.
The Competence Centre for Highly Educated Immigrants supports unemployed international professionals in Espoo with job seeking, competence building and contacting employers. We help jobseekers to find their strengths and develop their professional skills.
Building belonging in Espoo
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| 16:00 | Opening & welcome |
| 16:20 | Panel & questions from the audience |
| Topic: Social impact in research collaboration – how to make it visible | |
| 17:30 | Stage program ends, mingling begins |
Join us at the Marsio Stage on the Otaniemi campus or watch the live stream on Aalto’s YouTube channel.
LASER Talks welcome everyone who is interested in challenging conventions and advancing new ways of thinking and working. The event is particularly relevant for doctoral students and alumni who seek to broaden their horizons. The language of the event will be English.
Our LASER Talks panelists
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.
Leonardo/ISAST LASER Talks is 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 LASER is to encourage contribution to the cultural environment of a region by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and opportunities for community building to over 50 cities and 5 continents worldwide.
Marsio events are tailored for simultaneous on-site and online participation. The venue has robotic cameras that cover the whole event area. Please note that the audience might appear in the live stream and recordings.
More information:
- Hanna-Mari Ylinen, Aalto Networking Platform, hanna-mari.ylinen@aalto.fi
How to get to Marsio?
- Marsio is close to the the Aalto University metro station and tram 15 stop. The street address is Otakaari 2, 02150 Espoo, Finland
- Directions on | |
Marsio
The new meeting place on Aalto University campus. Experience tomorrow!
LASER Talks
The mission of LASER is to encourage contribution to the cultural environment of a region by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and opportunities for community building to over 40 cities worldwide.
Aalto Networking Platform
The Aalto Networking Platform brings together research expertise across departments, supporting collaboration both inside and outside of Aalto.