Laur Vallikivi

Laur Vallikivi is an Associate Professor of Ethnology at the University of Tartu's Faculty of Arts and Humanities, affiliated with the Institute of Cultural Research. His career spans roles including Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer, with a focus on Arctic societies, religious conversion, and Finno-Ugric cultures. He holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge (2011) and has been awarded multiple honors, including the 2024 Annual Research Prize and the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

His research explores the intersection of shamanism, Christianity, and indigenous identity among Siberian groups like the Nenets and Udmurts. Key projects include studying religious transformations in the Russian Arctic and preserving Finno-Ugric cultural heritage. Vallikivi has authored over 100 publications, including the book *Words and Silences: Nenets Reindeer Herders and Russian Evangelical Missionaries in the Post-Soviet Arctic* (2024).

Administratively, he contributes to international organizations such as the International Society for Academic Research on Shamanism and editorial boards like *Études Finno-Ougriennes*. His work bridges anthropology, religious studies, and cultural preservation, emphasizing the dynamics of belief systems and community resilience in rapidly changing environments.