Keijo Aarre Virtanen (born 28 August 1945 in

Naantali Naantali (; sv, Nådendal) is a town in southwestern Finland, and, as a resort town during the summer, an important tourist centre of the country. The municipality has a population of (), and is located in the region of Southwest Finland, west ...

), is a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

, PhD 1980. In 1970 Virtanen was affiliated with the

University of Turku sv, Åbo universitet , latin_name = Universitas Aboensis , image_name = University of Turku.svg , motto = ''Vapaan kansan lahja vapaalle tieteelle'' , established = 1920 , type ...

, where he became professor 1990 in cultural history. He served as the Rector of the University of Turku in 1997–2012. Virtanen has focused on the spread of American culture and the cultural exchange between the European and American cultures, which has resulted in a doctoral dissertation ''Settlement or return'' (1979), where the return of Finnish emigrants from America is studied. He has published widely on migration history and ethnicity, U.S. and Canadian history and society, European integration processes, methodology of history, and university and science policies.

Awards

*2001

Honorary degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...

of Doctor from

Klaipėda University Klaipėda University ( lt, Klaipėdos universitetas or KU) is a university in the Lithuanian port city of Klaipėda. Overview Klaipėda University was formally founded on January 1, 1991, by a decree of the Seimas (the Lithuanian parliame ...

(Lithuania). *2003 Honorary degree of Doctor from Tartu University (Estonia). *2016 Honorary degree of Doctor from Lakehead University (Thunder Bay, Canada). *Decorations: Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland, as well as decorations from Estonia, Italy and Russia

Education, career and scholarly work

* Degrees: M.A. 1972 and Ph.D. 1980 (University of Turku). * Research associate, assistant, senior lecturer, acting associate professor and acting professor at the University of Turku (1969-1989), full professor of cultural history at the University of Turku (1990-2012). * Researcher, Academy of Finland 1976, 1978–1982. * Research assistant 1974-1975 and Fulbright Senior Scholar 1988-1989 (The

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

). * Rector of the University of Turku 1997–2012, Vice-Rector of the same university 1993-1997 * Several long-term research periods esp. in the United States and Canada * Honorary Consul of Estonia in Turku and Southwest Finland 2001-2020

References

* ''

Uppslagsverket Finland ''Uppslagsverket Finland'' ('Encyclopedia Finland') is a Swedish-language encyclopedia with a focus on Finland and in particular Finland-Swedish subjects. The encyclopedia is published by initiative of an association dedicated to this task, ...

'', 5 (2007) * Kuka kukin on (Who's Who in Finland) 2015
http://www.lakeheadu.ca/about/news-and-events/news/archive/2016
* http://www.utu.fi/faktat/organisaatio/rehtorit.htms * https://www.utu.fi/fi/Yliopisto/historia/historia/Sivut/keijo-virtanen.aspx {{DEFAULTSORT:Virtanen, Keijo 1945 births Living people People from Naantali 20th-century Finnish historians Academic staff of the University of Turku Rectors of the University of Turku University of Michigan people