Hannele Niemi, Ph.D, is Professor of Education (1998–) at the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki

She is Chair of the CICERO Learning Network (www.helsinki.fi/cicero) for multidisciplinary research on learning (2005–).

Hannele Niemi has been Scientific Director of the national research program "Life as Learning", Academy of Finland, 2002–2006 and a member of the Steering Committee of the British national research programme (TLRP, Teaching and Learning Research Programme (2003-2008).

She has been Vice Rector for academic affairs at the University of Helsinki (2003–2008, 2008–2009 ), Dean of the Faculty of Education (2001–2003), Head of the Department of Education and Vice-Dean at the University of Helsinki (1998–2000). She has been Professor of Education in Teacher Education Departments of Oulu, Turku and Tampere Universities (1987–1998) and Visiting Scholar at Michigan State University (1989). She has had many memberships in scientific councils, e.g. the Standing Committee of Social Sciences of the European Science Foundation, the Council for Society and Culture in the Academy of Finland and the Scientific Council of the University of Helsinki. She is an advisor or a reviewer in many scientific journals. She is a board member and vice-chairperson of the Finnish Virtual University. She is also a member of FINHEEC, The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (2004–2007, 2008–2009).

She has contributed in many EU and OECD projects as an expert or researcher and served as a keynote lecturer in several international forums, e.g. in Hungary, Slovenia, Spain, Portugal, German, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, England, France and Estonia. Her main research interest areas are teachers’ professional development, moral education and technology-based learning environments. She has published several articles and books on education in Finland and Finnish teacher education (e.g. Research-Based Teacher Education in Finland, 2006 and Education as a Societal Contributor 2007) and contributed in many international education research publications (e.g. Evidence in Education, Linking Research and Policy, OECD/CERI 2007). She has published in ten languages.

During the past 20 years, she has been a chairperson or a researcher in many national and international evaluation projects for development of educational research and teacher education. Professor Niemi has graduated as Master of Philosophy 1974, Master of Theology 1977, and Doctor of Philosophy 1978 at the University of Helsinki.