Malaurie Institute of Arctic Research Monaco-UVSQ welcomes Laura Njunnas as a new PhD student. Her dissertation project is dedicated to the importance of mother tongue education for well-being in Sámi communities.
Laura holds a master’s degree in education and graduated from the Sámi University of Applied Sciences in Norway, Kautokeino as a Sámi language teacher. She has a strong pedagogical background and experience in Sámi language education at various educational levels. She spent the last eight years working in Finland, Helsinki on the development of Sámi language education pathways, from early childhood education to basic education.
Her master’s thesis focused on the organization of Sámi language education in the Helsinki metropolitan area and its impact on students' language identity. This research sparked her interest in exploring the broader relationship between Sámi language education and well-being.
She continues this research by focusing on the significance of mother tongue education in cultural and social well-being of Sámi people and the strengthening of language identity. The goal is to produce research that supports the revitalization of the Sámi language based on cultural continuity and understanding of history. This will allow to develop education policy to meet the changing needs, particularly from the perspective of Sámi people living in urban environments.
