Visiting Scholar from Finland Brings Global Insights to Hill and Levene Classrooms
The Hill and Levene Schools of Business recently welcomed Dr. Jesse Tuominen, a postdoctoral researcher in Corporate Communication at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Dr. Tuominen’s visit was part of a bilateral exchange agreement between the University of Regina and the University of Jyväskylä. His lectures—delivered to both undergraduate and graduate business students—focused on social media influencer culture and consumer activism, two topics shaping the future of marketing. During his visit, he presented to two classes: BUS 312 Consumer Behaviour and GBUS 841 International Marketing, and he also met with fellow Hill and Levene faculty to discuss teaching and research. He said he was drawn to the opportunity by the chance to connect with scholars such as Tatiana Levit and by the appeal of experiencing Canada for the first time. “I knew this could be a refreshing experience,” he added.
In his sessions, Dr. Tuominen blended Finnish context, academic research, and humour to spark engagement and dialogue. He observed that students were highly focused, active in group assignments, and eager to continue the conversation after class.
Dr. Tuominen sees topics like consumer activism as especially important in today’s business environment. “Consumer activism is a particularly timely topic because of the recent (and unfortunate) global turmoil. It is important for business students to understand how consumers can, for example, start boycotts against companies and how such actions can affect a company’s performance.”
Beyond the classroom, the visit was an opportunity to strengthen international academic ties. “This is a valuable opportunity for me to gain international teaching experience, see how university teaching functions in other parts of the world, and, of course, meet new colleagues and get to know the local culture.”
As for the future of marketing, Dr. Tuominen predicts a growing influence of artificial intelligence and an increasing emphasis on sustainability—trends today’s business students will need to navigate with both skill and awareness.
His advice for those pursuing marketing or consumer research: “Consumer research is a field that can be explored from many different perspectives, which makes it very flexible and inspiring. The academic field of consumer research is always changing, which keeps students and scholars refreshed. Also, consumption concerns almost everyone and consumer behavior has a lot of practical applications.”
Dr. Tuominen’s visit enriched student learning with global perspectives, practical insights, and lively discussion—reminding us of the value of international collaboration in shaping future business leaders.