Nelli Piattoeva appointed as a new Tampere Congress Ambassador

5.5.2025

The City of Tampere’s congress ambassadors are professors and researchers who have played a key role in summoning and organising congresses in Tampere. In 2025, the City of Tampere appointed a new congress ambassador. She is Professor Nelli Piattoeva, a professor of sociology of education at Tampere University.

The congress ambassadors of the City of Tampere are Tampere University’s faculty members who have made significant contributions to inviting and organising international congresses in Tampere. The ambassadors are successful professors and researchers in their field who represent Tampere University and Tampere’s scientific expertise globally and encourage others to organise congresses.

In March 2025, the City of Tampere appointed Nelli Piattoeva as a new congress ambassador. Piattoeva, a professor of sociology of education, is particularly interested in the societal and political and aspects of education. She researches, among other things, how education is used as a tool of governance. Piattoeva is currently preparing for the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), which will be held in Tampere in August 2026. With Piattoeva’s appointment, the City of Tampere has 11 congress ambassadors.

“I was very honoured when I was invited to become a congress ambassador. I am happy to represent both the City of Tampere and Tampere University,” Piattoeva says.

“Congresses benefit both participants and organisers. As a participant, it is nice to meet other researchers, get comments on your work and gain new ideas. You can also hear and see what is happening in your field and what the research trends are. As an organiser, there is the benefit that your university and research gain much visibility. You also become well-known in your field, and congresses make both the organiser and the university more approachable. Congresses enable the meeting of people and ideas,” Piattoeva explains.

Get to know Nelli Piattoeva on the City of Tampere website for congress ambassadors.

There are congress ambassadors at all the faculties of Tampere University. The current ambassadors are Professor of Practice Kalle Vaismaa, Professor of Regional Development Science Markku Sotarauta, Research Director Tiina Soini-Ikonen, Professor of Communications Engineering Jari Nurmi, Professor of Molecular Biology Katri Lindfors, Emeritus Professor of Molecular Biology Howy Jacobs, Emeritus Professor of Hydraulic Engineering Kalevi Huhtala, Professor of Signal Processing Atanas Gotchev, Emeritus Professor of Sociology Pertti Alasuutari, Professor of Information Studies and Interactive Media Frans Mäyrä. 

Read more about the congress ambassadors on the City of Tampere website.