Mila Oiva

Mila Oiva is a Senior Research Fellow in Cultural Data Analytics at the School of Humanities, Tallinn University, where she works with the ERA Chair for Cultural Data Analytics (CUDAN). Her research focuses on the transnational circulation of knowledge across different historical periods and technological contexts, examining how information flows, transforms, and sometimes becomes distorted as it moves across borders and through different media.

Dr. Oiva received her PhD in Cultural History in 2017 from the University of Turku, Finland. Her academic journey includes:

• PhD in Cultural History (2017), University of Turku, Finland
• Visiting Fulbright Scholar (2014-2015), Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ISEEES) at UC Berkeley
• Participant in Culture Analytics program (Spring 2016), Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM) at UCLA

Mila Oiva's research spans multiple historical periods and media forms, investigating how knowledge circulates transnationally. Her work combines traditional historical methods with computational approaches to analyze large datasets of textual and visual materials. She examines historical news flows from the 19th century, Soviet-era newsreels, and contemporary online environments where pseudohistorical narratives proliferate. This longitudinal perspective allows her to identify patterns in how information spreads, transforms, and is received across different technological and political contexts.

Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on digital approaches to historical research, with particular attention to transnational connections and the movement of ideas. Oiva frequently employs computational text and image analysis methods to study large collections of historical materials, collaborating across disciplines to develop innovative approaches to understanding historical phenomena. Her work bridges traditional humanities scholarship with data-intensive research methods, contributing to the growing field of digital history and cultural analytics.

Dr. Oiva has made significant contributions to understanding:

• The transnational circulation of news and ideas in historical contexts
• The computational analysis of historical media forms
• The spread of pseudohistorical narratives in digital environments
• The interdisciplinary transfer of knowledge in digital humanities

As a Senior Research Fellow at Tallinn University's School of Humanities, Dr. Oiva contributes to research projects examining:

• 19th century global news flows
• 20th century newsreel representations of the world
• Contemporary dissemination of historical knowledge (and misinformation) online