Anu Koivunen is professor of Gender Studies. After finishing her PhD in Media Studies in Turku in 2003, she worked as postdoctoral researcher at the Christina Institute for Women’s Studies at University of Helsinki (2003–2005), as assistant and associate professor in Cinema Studies at Stockholm University (2005–2012) and as acting professor of Media Culture at University of Tampere (2006­–2007). She was appointed Professor of Cinema Studies at Stockholm university in 2012, working in 2015–2017 as Senior Research Fellow at Department of History, Philosophy and Art Studies at University of Helsinki and, before starting her current post in August 2021, acting as Professor of Gender Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tampere University. Koivunen was appointed docent in Media Culture at University of Tampere in 2004 and as docent in the fields of Cinema and TV Studies and Women’s Studies at University of Helsinki in 2004.

Current research projects

• Yle100 and Culture (Yle100 consortium 2022–2024), PI
  

• Politicized Intimacies (WP3), Intimacy in Data-driven Culture, IDA (STN-CULT 2019–2025), WP3 PI
  

Recent research projects

• Flows of power: media as site and agent of politics, FLOPO (Mediasoc, Academy of Finland 2019–2022), consortium PI
  
• Kulttuuritelevision aika (Koneen säätiö 2018-2022), PI
  

Koivunen currently serves as board member of Nordic Association of Feminist and Gender Research (since 2020), as editorial board member of Lambda Nordica (2017–) and as advisory board member for NORA – Nordic Journal of Women's Studies 2007– and Kvinder, Køn & Forskning.

Koivunen has extensive teaching experience in gender studies, media studies and cultural studies. She is in charge of undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Gender Studies, teaching BA- and MA-level seminars and modules of Feminist Theory. She is responsible for the Master's Degree Programme in Gender Studies, and participates in in MA and PhD supervision.