Finnish academia has been discussing ‘the tyranny of the English language’ today, prompted by a provocative interview of a Prof of Fenno-Ugric languages. I’ve made the occasional snide remark on a discussion forum, whilst editing my own text (in the above mentioned language).

The Prof in question was incensed by ‘international and highly paid academic elites’ waltzing in, and defiling ‘our’ academic workplaces with their unwillingness to learn Finnish, and corrupting the use of Finnish as a language of academia.

I have not met these ‘elites’ but boy could I have stories to tell about how difficult it can be to ‘infiltrate’ Finnish academia. I didn’t recognise the unwilllingness to learn languages but rather a continuing mystification of Finnish as hard language to learn.

I mean, it’s not easy to learn but many are doing it. There are many higher obstacles to diversifying Finnish academia in my mind, and they don’t involve language use.

One of them is that it is quite hard to get to know people, it is hard to move from university to university, let alone come from another country. Helsinki is an expensive city where it’s difficult to grow roots (and afford a house, if you haven’t inherited one).

Fixed term academic gigs rarely give you the financial security to get settled, and learning a complex language is not just ‘a window to a different culture’ but one more way you can be measured against others.

I mean it’s not easy even if you are a Finn. The interview in question was read by the Profs current and former international colleagues. I wonder what they felt like reading that because they can’t speak Finnish they are perceived to dodge administrative responsibilities.

These are the kinds of positions that profs often complain about but are reluctant to let go for the above mentioned reasons.

But hey, if you see these ‘well paid international academic elites who reproduce the structures of oppression by publishing and infiltrating Finnish academia by way of the English language and its tyranny’, lemme know. I have not really seen these people, at least in Helsinki.

There’s a whole other story to be told about new public management in Finnish academia, but lecturing people about publishing in peer reviewed Intl journals which is expected from ECRs from the position of a Professor, is ahem not good.

Btw, plenty of admin in Helsinki can be conducted in English. They are often quite hard to get to because in addition to responsibility they also give you access to power (and a view to the inner workings of the university).