Fellows

• Environmental policy (environmental engineering)

• PhD Student at the University of Tampere, Department of Regional Studies (December 2006 -)
• MSc in Environmental Policy (2005 – University of Tampere)
• BSc in Environmental Engineering (1999 - Satakunta Polytechnic, Pori Institute of Technology)

• Knowledge and values
• Local ecological knowledge
• Gender
• Policy output

• Public participation in urban planning, environmental NGOs, local ecological knowledge (work experience also in environmental management and as engineer e.g. at CERN, European Organization for Nuclear Research)

• Laine, Markus; Leino, Helena & Santaoja, Minna (2007). Keskustan rajattu merkitys: Tapaus Tampereen keskustan liikenneosayleiskaava. In Yhdyskuntasuunnittelu 2007:1.
• Santaoja, Minna (2007). Luontoharrastusta tositarkoituksella. Ympäristö ja terveys 2007:4.

Summary

Minna is the Early Stage Researcher based at the University of Stuttgart. Her project focuses on integration of different types of knowledge and values in participatory processes. Minna's research interests are in the areas of different types of knowledge, values, local ecological knowledge, theories on democracy, gender issues, grassroot resources in participation and ecological output of environmental policy.

Minna has a MSC in Environmental Policy from the University of Tampere, Finland and an engineer's degree (BSc) in Environmental Engineering form the Satakunta Polytechnic, Pori Institute of Technology. She gathered international work experience at CERN, the European Organization of Nuclear Research, Switzerland. However, Minna longed for a more comprehensive understanding of environmental questions and converted into an environmental social scientist. Her master's thesis focused on local environmental and nature associations and their role in local environmental governance.

In 2005-06 Minna worked in an Academy of Finland-funded project Politics of the Environment: Searching for New Forms of Citizen Participation in Local Environmental Governance, led by professor Yrjö Haila. She also received small grants to start work on amateur naturalists and local ecological knowledge.

Minna has been active in local environmental associations and has first-hand experience in citizen participation in issues such as land use, forest management, waste management, traffic planning, energy and environmental education.

Minna was born and raised in southern Finland. In addition to the two domestic languages (finnish, swedish) she is fluent in english, getting good in german and has also some knowledge of spanish and french. Minna fills her freetime with two cats and a spanish partner, vegetarian food, writing (blogging, letters, occasional poetry, columns), movies and other visuals (urban exploration with camera, handicrafts, modern art). Minna dreams of a plot of land to grow veggies and would like to have time to paint and learn to play piano. She would like to travel with purpose, so far her most memorable trips have been to Mexico and to Iran.