Lasse Lipponen

Lasse Lipponen is a Professor in the Department of Educational Sciences at the University of Helsinki, where he leads research on cultural-historical approaches to children's learning and development. He serves as a supervisor in the Doctoral Program in Cognition, Learning, Teaching and Communication, as well as the Doctoral Program in School, Education, Society and Culture. His academic work spans over two decades with 198 research outputs documented from 1997-2025.

Professor Lipponen's research primarily focuses on cultural-historical approaches to learning, with special emphasis on early childhood education contexts. His work explores collaborative care configurations, childhood grief processing within institutional settings, and digital play-based learning in marginalized communities. As director of the Learning, Culture & Interventions (LECI) research group, he examines how cultural practices shape children's developmental trajectories and learning experiences.

His recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a clear thematic progression toward understanding emotional development in educational settings, particularly children's grief experiences, and the integration of digital technologies in early literacy development. The research shows strong interdisciplinary connections between educational psychology, cultural anthropology, and developmental science.

His scientific contributions have been recognized with five major awards:

• HEI Schools awards (2018) - Best Product, Best Service, and Grand Prix of 2017 from Grafia
• Open Museo Project award (2013) - Museum Pedagogical Act of the Year
• Hyvä Opettaja - Magister Bonus award (2008)

Professor Lipponen has supervised numerous doctoral candidates and serves extensively in academic service roles, including 15 thesis examinations, 15 peer reviews, and leadership positions in international committees. He currently leads the Academy of Finland-funded project 'Children's grief and grieve in institutional early childhood education' (2021-2025) and is a key participant in the Playful Learning Center initiative (2014-2026). His external engagements include board membership with Mandai Park Development LTD (2017-2019) and chairing roles with Singapore University of Social Sciences.

His research ecosystem includes collaborations with international institutions and practical applications through HEI Schools, which he co-founded as an international education platform translating research into practice for early childhood educators worldwide.