I moved to the Red Cross after ten years in an academic environment filled with mixed emotions and experiences. On the other hand, the transition from the Red Cross to the academic world is exhilarating. My extensive previous working history from academia, integrated with a short experience in the third sector, can contribute to a deeper understanding that bridges the gap between theory and practice.
My return to academia through the Kerttu Saalasti Institute gave me a new opportunity to work at the University of Oulu. Oulu University is much bigger than Lapland University. So do the academic community. Connecting with this larger community definitely will take time. Thus, from day one, I started fulfilling my academic expectations to explore new ideas for sensing purposes to further research and development. I knew that focusing on my task would ensure a new scope to build new networks.
Entrepreneurship is not a new topic for me for further research. Being an entrepreneur once, I know the reality micro-entrepreneurs face every day. As an immigrant researcher and entrepreneur, I hold the profound and multifaceted experience that ignites my passion for exploring new ideas, innovative business models, and the dynamics of startup ecosystems for those entrepreneurs who are marginalized.
Working with or for entrepreneurs intrigues me always. It pushes me to contribute valuable insights to the entrepreneurship field. Exploring entrepreneurship from a new research and development angle is my goal in this position. Being a Docent on the sociology of migration, my priorities incorporated inclusive and social Entrepreneurship. Addressing the needs of markets, analyzing the situations of entrepreneurs, and integrating social justice for disadvantaged groups of micro-entrepreneurs to welcome and encourage them in business is the sustainable way to practice business that could stabilize the economic growth of a society.
Sustainable development is a current trend aligned with social justice in post-modernism. Equal access to social resources and entrepreneurial endeavors is a panacea for development. My recent study goal is to recognize intersectionality in business to understand the ramifications of marginalized and micro-entrepreneurs. An intersectional approach within business strategies can reckon value and strengthen entrepreneur-community relations. Considering the sustainable global aspects, ethical entrepreneurship can create equitable environments for micro-entrepreneurs.
I started in this position hoping to collaborate with other researchers, colleagues, practitioners, and entrepreneurs. Returning to academia is the journey of dreams for admitting my professional growth and personal satisfaction that can allow my unique experiences to explode meaningfully. I will long for tangible results and a commitment to bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Read more: Nafisa Yeasmin appointed MicroENTRE® Development Manager at the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute
Author:
Nafisa Yeasmin, Master of Laws, Doctor of Social Sciences, and Associate Professor (docent) of Sociology of Immigration, University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute, Micro-entrepreneurship Centre MicroENTRE®
Photo: Minna Kilpeläinen
In Kerttu Saalasti Institute's blog we write about the topics of the Institute's research groups, micro entrepreneurship education and the Institute's general topics. The authors are researchers, experts and members of networks.
Our topics are: micro entrenepreneurship, future manufacturing technologies, regional excellence, micro entrepreneurship education