Pipsa Salolammi

Communications and Sustainability Advisor

Pipsa is no longer working at Nordregio. For contact or more information please contact nordregio@nordregio.org

Creating linkages between science and people by showcasing our results and our researchers is my main task. Easy access and understandable format is my motto. Visual packaging through design and modern communication technologies are my tools.

Pipsa works as a Senior Communications Advisor at Nordregio.

Main projects include State of the Nordic Region 2016, Nordregio Forum 2015, Nordregio Forum 2016

Academic qualifications
MSc in Forest products marketing, University of Helsinki, Finland
Visual journalism program 2009-2010 at the Faculty of Arts, Finland

Languages
Finnish
English
French
Swedish

Prior positions
Communication specialist at the Finnish Village Action Association, running an organisational magazine Rural+ (Maaseutuplus) 6 times a year, cooperation projects with the Rural Policy Committee at the Ministry of Economy and Employment as well as Rural Development program 2014-2020 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Head of communication at the Finnish Rural Development program 2007-2013 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Communications Officer at the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.

Editor and Digital Editor at the Fine Magazines.

Pipsa Salolammi‘s spatial story

“Home is where the heart is”


Cliche – but true

About ten years ago I managed to surprise myself. Grown up in Helsinki, and always having considered myself proudly as a city girl, I found myself travelling across Finland’s countryside for years for work. I was working first with EU rural issues and after for a village action movement. So suddenly right after graduating I found myself in a very unfamiliar ground. I have to say that I always wondered why they chose me out of 80 applicants for the ministry position, with EU rural affairs after my reply at the job interview question “What is your relation to countryside” was “My grandparents live in the countryside and I love visiting them”. Well, I got it. First I wasn’t sure if that was what I wanted to do, as it did not sound very sexy to a city girl. But that’s when the surprise happened.

During those couple of years, I visited finnish villages and small municipalities. I met a lot of people working at the local level, municipal and regional level, also rural researchers and developers. I learnt about the questions and issues that people living in the countryside are struggling with, and also just about the nature of people living in the countryside. It is a totally different ball game, where you need to keep your eyes open and fight for a good quality of life. These people amaze me with their communal spirit and activity to create their own happiness, as they have learnt not to expect things to be given to them.

After a few years among rural issues I started fantasizing about moving into the countryside myself . To me, it felt like they have a “deeper” understanding of the important things in life. In a small community everyone has a place, and everyone counts. You are accepted just as you are. Their lives circulate around issues like helping each other on daily basis rather than trying to choose if you should have skimmed or oatmilk with your daily latte from the neighborhood café. I do love a good coffee and I still live the citylife, but I have kept working with rural issues and expanded that beyond Finnish boarders to the Nordic countries and Nordic Arctic areas, as these issues feel close to my heart.

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