Himanen’s works have been translated into 20 languages.
The Hacker Ethic and the Spirit of the Information Age has been compared to Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Manuel Castells and others. Castells also writes: “Pekka Himanen's theory of the hacker culture as the spirit of informationalism is a fundamental breakthrough in the discovery of the world unfolding in the uncertain dawn of the third millennium.”
Himanen’s writings and research has been published by the world’s leading academic publishers, such as Oxford University Press. The most recent research publication is the volume The Aftermath: The Cultures of the Economic Crisis (Oxford University Press, 2012), including his article. Anthony Giddens has commented on this work: “This book marks a breakthrough.”
Himanen is one of the internationally most cited researchers in his field: his international works have been cited more than 2000 times (cf. Google Scholar citation index where you can check any researcher’s number of international citations).
Himanen seeks to approach his topics in a more synthetic way, in a manner in which the research work on the philosophy of the information age can also be applied to the actual advancement of his philosophical goal: a dignified life. For this reason, in addition to his research work, he has also been broadly in direct dialog with different sectors of society: from policy-makers to the general public, some examples of such wider outreach being his articles for publications like the TIME Magazine and The Financial Times.
Current main positions:
Professor, Aalto University
Mailing address:
Aalto University
School of Art, Design and Architecture (ARTS)
Hämeentie 135 C, Helsinki
P.O. Box 31000
00076 Aalto, FINLAND
Email: pekka.himanen@aalto.fi
Visiting Scholar, University of California, Berkeley
Mailing address:
University of California, Berkeley
School of Information
102 South Hall #4600
Berkeley, CA 94720-4600
Email: ph@ischool.berkeley.edu
Education
PhD in Theoretical Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, University of Helsinki, 1994.
Main Awards and Recognitions
Global Leader for Tomorrow – by the World Economic Forum, 2003
Young Global Leader – by the World Economic Forum, 2005
Governmental Award for exceptional teaching achievements, giving a university course that gathered an audience of over 10 000, 1995 (Valtion tiedonjulkistamispalkinto)
Helsinki University Alumnus of the Year 2007, for achievements in advancing science
Membership of selected international research networks
World Economic Forum, Global Leaders for Tomorrow 2003-2004
World Economic Forum, Young Global Leaders 2005-2012
The Club of Rome, 2012-
Selected key research projects (2000–)
Member of the Aftermath research network on the global crisis, with professors Manuel Castells, Craig Calhoun, John Thompson, Michel Wieviorka, Sarah Banet-Weiser, Terhi Rantanen, Rosalind Williams, João Caraça, and Gustavo Cardoso. This research group produced the book Aftermath: The Cultures of the Economic Crisis (Oxford University Press, 2012).
Member of the Zaragoza International Expert Committee on urban and regional development with professors Manuel Castells, Saskia Sassen, Peter Hall, Dennis Frenchman, François Bar, Michael L. Joroff, Véronique Kleck, Ángela López (and formerly William Mitchell and Guido Martinotti).
Member of the Lisbon research network that produced the book Network Society: From Knowledge to Policy (John Hopkins University, 2005). With Manuel Castells, Dale Jorgensen, Luc Soete, Geoff Mulgan and others.
Director of the Berkeley Center for Information Society and Principal Scientist at the Helsinki Institute of Information Technology, during which time e.g. the book The Network Society: A Cross-Cultural Perspective (Edward Elgar, 2004) was produced.
Sample of keynote speeches and talks (2000–)
World Economic Forum talk to the Technology Industry Leaders, a group of the CEOs of the world’s 60 biggest IT companies, from Bill Gates to the founders of Google, February 2004
World Economic Forum Open Davos session with Desmond Tutu, Richard Branson, Peter Gabriel, Crown Prince Haakon, John Hope Bryant, January 2009
World Economic Forum Closing Ceremony with Desmond Tutu, Chaired by Professor Klaus Schwab, February 2009
World Economic Forum Closing Ceremony with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, January 2008
World Economic Forum Closing Ceremony introductory remarks to a Global Dignity film, 2010
World Economic Forum keynote talk in China for the Young Global Leaders, September 2011
Keynote on a sustainable development model to the ministers and CEOs from 50 countries, with Dr. Pachauri, hosted by Chancellor Angela Merkel, Leipzig, May 2008
Closing Dialog with Al Gore on sustainability, Nordic Business Forum, 2010
Policy Network talk on the European Social Model with Anthony Giddens, 2010
Oxford University, Oxford Internet Institute, November 2011
Oxford University, Oxford Internet Institute, August 2007
London School of Economics, Systems and Innovation Group, October 2011
University of California Berkeley, International Computer Science Institute, March 2001 (and several other talks, as a visiting scholar of UC Berkeley and as the director of the Berkeley Center for Information Society)
Yale University, talk on The Hacker Ethic, March 2001
MIT Media Lab, talk on The Hacker Ethic, March 2001
Selected key academic publications (2000–)
The Hacker Ethic and the Spirit of the Information Age. New York: Random House, 2001.
translated into:
Chinese
Taiwanese
Japanese
Korean
Indonesian
Turkish
French
Italian
Spanish
Portuguese
German
Dutch
Catalan
Finnish
Estonian
Croatian
A ética dos hackers e o espírito da era da informação: a diferença entre o bom e o mau hacker. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Campus, 2001.
L'ètica del hacker l'esperit de l'era de la informació. Barcelona: Editorial UOC, 2003.
L'etica hacker e lo spirito dell'età dell'informazione. Milano: Feltrinelli Editore, 2001.
L'éthique hacker et l'esprit de l'ère de l'information. Paris: Exils, 2001.
Die Hacker-Ethik und der Geist des Informations-Zeitalters. München: Riemann, 2001.
The hacker ethic and the spirit of the information age. London: Secker & Warburg and Vintage, 2001.
Hakerska etika i duh informacijskog doba. Zagreb: Naklada Jesenski i Turk, 2002.
La ética del hacker y el espíritu de la era de la información. Barcelona: Ediciones Destino, 2002.
La ética del hacker y el espíritu de la sociedad de la información, 2002.
De hacker-ethiek en de geest van het informatietijdperk. Amsterdam: Uitgeverij Nieuwezijds, 2001.
Hacker etigi: Is Hayatina Yikici Bir Yaklasim. Istanbul: Ayrinti Yayinlari, 2005.
ISBN: 975-539-438-9
Hakkerietiikka ja informaatioajan henki. Helsinki: WSOY, 2001.
Häkkerieetika ja informatsiooniajastu vaim. Tallinn: Kunst, 2003.
黑客伦理与信息时代精神/(美)派卡·海曼 [Chinese]. Citic Publishing House, 2002.
駭客倫理與資訊時代精神. 大塊文化出版股份有限公司 [Taiwan Chinese]. Taipei: Dakuai wenhua chuban, 2002.
해커, 디지털 시대의 장인들 / 리누스 토발즈;페커 히매넌;마누엘 카스텔스 [공]지음;신현승 옮김 [Korean]. Seoul: Sejong Books Inc., 2002.
安原和見・山形浩生訳 「リナックスの革命 [Japanese]. Tokyo: Kawade Shobo Shiusha, 2001.
*
The Information Society and the Welfare State: The Finnish Model (with Manuel Castells). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
translated into:
Japanese
Russian
Spanish
Catalan
Ukrainian
Polish
Finnish
Portuguese
Italian
El Estado de bienestar y la sociedad de la información: El modelo finlandés. Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 2002.
La societat de la informació i l'estat del benestar: el model finlandès. Barcelona: Editorial UOC, 2003.
A Sociedade da Informação e o Estado-Providência. O modelo Finlandês. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, 2007.
Società dell'informazione e Welfare State: La lezione della competitività finlandese. Milano: Guerini e Associati, 2006.
Suomen tietoyhteiskuntamalli. Helsinki: WSOY, 2002.
Spoleczenstwo informacyjne i panstwo dobrobytu [Polish]. Wydawnictwo Krytyki Politycznej, 2009.
Інформаційне суспільство та держава добробуту: Фінська модел [Ukrainian]. Vakler, 2006.
Информационное общество и государство благосостояния. Финская модель [Russian]. Moscow: Logos, 2002.
情報社会と福祉国家フィンランド・モデル [Japanese]. Minerva, 2005.
*
The hacker ethic as the culture of the information age. In The Network Society: A Cross-cultural Perspective. Edward Elgar, 2004.
Institutional models of the network society: Silicon Valley and Finland (with Manuel Castells). In The Network Society: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Edward Elgar, 2004.
“The Nordic Model of the Information Society: The Finnish Case” in Palme, Joakim and Kangas, Olli (eds.) Social Policy in Late Industrializers: The Nordic Countries. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, 2004.
The Nordic model of the information society: the Finnish case. Social policy and economic development in the Nordic countries, 265-279, 2005.
Desafios Globais da Sociedade de Informação. In A Sociedade em Rede: Do Conhecimento à Acção Política, 2005.
Challenges of the Global Information Society. In The Network Society: From Knowledge to Policy. Johns Hopkins University, 2006.
Modelos institucionales de sociedad red: Silicon Valley y Finlandia (with Manuel Castells). In La sociedad red: una visión global. Alianza Editorial, 2007.
La ética hacker como cultura de la era de la información. In La sociedad red: una visión global. Alianza Editorial, 2007.
The New Incubators. World Policy Journal, 28(3), 2011.
Crisis, Identity, and the Welfare State. In Aftermath: The Cultures of the Economic Crisis, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012.
Selected academic publications in Finnish (linked to policy-making)
Information society research work on the request of the Committee for the Future of the Parliament of Finland:
Himanen, P. (2004). Välittävä, kannustava, luova Suomi. Katsaus tietoyhteiskuntamme syviin haasteisiin. Eduskunnan kanslian julkaisu nro, 4.
Himanen, P. (2004). Det intresserade, stimulerande och kreativa informationssamhället. Finland inför framtidens utmaningar. Framtidsutskottets teknikutvärdering, 21.
Himanen, P. (2004). Challenges of the Global Information Society. Parliament of Finland: Committee for the Future.
Comparative research on information society models for Tekes:
Himanen, P. (ed.) (2004). Globaali tietoyhteiskunta: Kehityssuuntia Piilaaksosta Singaporeen [Global information society: developments from the Silicon Valley to Singapore]. Helsinki: Tekes.
Himanen, P., & Castells, M. (2004). Piilaakson ja Suomen tietoyhteiskuntamallit. [Information society models of Silicon Valley and Finland] in Globaali tietoyhteiskunta: Kehityssuuntia Piilaaksosta Singaporeen.
Innovation research work on the request of the Finnish technology industry:
Himanen, P. (2007). Suomalainen unelma – Innovaatioraportti [Report on Innovation]. Helsinki: Teknologiateollisuus.
Research work on the culture of creativity based on the request of the Finnish government (Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen):
Himanen, P. (2010). Kukoistuksen käsikirjoitus [Culture of Flourishing]. Helsinki: WSOY.
International research project’s first report, based on the request of the government of Finland (Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen):
Himanen, P. (2012). Sininen kirja. Helsinki: Valtioneuvoston kanslia. (Based on the international research project on the sustainable growth model with Manuel Castells, AnnaLee Saxenian, You-tien Hsing, Fernando Calderon, Nico Cloete, and Isidora Chacon.)
University teaching lectures as Professor of Aalto University
The following lectures have typically been fully packed and ended with a standing ovation, such as for example the Helsinki University Grand Auditorium lectures that have had more than 1000 registered participants.
Helsinki University and Aalto University cooperation courses:
(as the University of Helsinki Alumnus of the Year and as a Professor of Aalto University)
Helsinki University, Grand Auditorium, October, 2011 (in co-operation with Aalto University)
Helsinki University, Grand Auditorium, September, 2010 (in co-operation with Aalto University and the Helsinki Festival of Arts)
Helsinki University, Grand Auditorium, September-October, 2008
Helsinki University Alumnus of the Year lectures, February and November 2007
Helsinki University, Grand Auditorium, for developing the teaching and learning culture, March 2011 (for the professors, teachers, and administration of the university)
Examples of individual lectures to advance the new learning culture:
Helsinki University, Faculty of Humanities, August 2011
Helsinki University, Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, August 2011
Helsinki University, Faculty of maatalous-metsätieteellinen, August 2011
Helsinki University, Faculty of Medicine, August 2011
Annual courses on the “Culture of Creativity” at the Aalto University:
Aalto University, School of Arts, Film Studio, September 2011 (in cooperation with the University of Helsinki)
Aalto University, School of Arts, Film Studio, for all schools of the Aalto University, September 2010
Aalto University, School of Arts, Studio Stage, September 2010 (in cooperation with the Theatre Academy)
Aalto University, School of Arts, Studio Stage, September 2009 (in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts and the Theatre Academy)
Aalto University, School of Arts, Studio Stage, September 2008
Aalto University, School of Arts, Sampo Auditorium, August 2007
Aalto University, School of Arts, Sampo Auditorium, October 2006
Individual lectures at the Aalto University for advancing the new learning culture:
Aalto University, School of Arts, August 2011
Aalto University, School for Sciences, August 2011
Aalto University, School for Engineering, August 2011
Aalto University, School for Chemistry, August 2011
Aalto University, School of Business, August 2011
Aalto University, Design Factory, for developing the learning culture, March 2011 (for the professors, teachers, and administration of the university)
Aalto University, Master of Arts Festival, May 2011
Aalto University, Master of Arts Gala, May 2008
Aalto University, Master of Arts Festival, May 2005
Selection of other talks in different countries
Argentina
Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, November 2012
FLACSO talk, Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Buenos Aires, November 2012
Austria
European Union Conference, ICT 2010 Conference, September 2010
European Union Conference on Culture keynote, Vienna, Austria, March 2006
Bhutan
Royal Institute of Management special talk, Thimphu, Bhutan, January, 2011 (invited by the government of Bhutan, hosted by the Prime Minister)
Chile
Universidad Diego Portales, November 2012
China
World Economic Forum, Young Global Leaders, Tianjin, China, September 2008
World Economic Forum, Young Global Leaders, Dalian, China, September 2007
Finland
Youth Chamber of Commerce, “The Outstanding Young Person” award recipient talk, Turku, April 2007
Helsinki University, talk at the reception of the Alumnus of the Year recognition as an academic ‘ambassador’ of the university, Helsinki 2006
The Presidential Forum keynote talk, Helsinki (with Presidents Tarja Halonen, Martti Ahtisaari, and Mauno Koivisto), March 2009
France
Université Paris Sorbonne, Paris-IV, CIGREF, September 2009
Centre Pompidou, Paris, October 2008
Germany
DLD talk, Digital-Life-Design, München, January 2009
Italy
University of Rome La Sapienza, April 2007
World Political Forum, Venice, June 2006 (invited and hosted by former President Mikhail Gorbachev)
Japan
Waseda University, Tokyo, October 2003
Netherlands
Policy Network talk, Amsterdam, November 2005 (with Anthony Giddens and others)
HAN Creative Masterclasses, Arnhem, November 2006
Creative Capital Conference keynote talk, Amsterdam, 2005
Poland
European Culture Congress, Wroclaw, Poland, September, 2011
Portugal
A special seminar of the President of Portugal on the Policies of Transformation to the Network Society, Lisbon, March 2005 (invited by President Sampaio)
Cultures of the Economic Crisis talks, Gulbenkian Foundation, 2009-2011
Qatar
World Economic Forum, Global Agenda Councils, Doha, Qatar, June 2010
Russia
The Center for Strategic Studies, talk on The Role of IT Policy in the Information Society, Moscow, November 2002
Vyshaja School of Economy, talk on The Interaction of Public Policy and Business in the Information Economy, Moscow, November 2002
Spain
UOC lectures, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, May 2010 (several talks as a Visiting Professor)
UAB inaugural keynote lecture, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, October, 2010
Guggenheim, Bilbao, November 2006
The Club of Madrid, March 2005 (for the network of former heads of states)
Sweden
Konstfack, Stockholm, May 2011
Switzerland
World Economic Forum, Young Global Leaders, Zermatt, July 2005
Singapore
National University of Singapore, Department of Sociology, talk on The Information Society and the Welfare State, October 2002.
United Arab Emirates
World Economic Forum, Global Agenda Councils, Dubai, September 2008
Turkey
Middle East Technological University, Ankara, Turkey, November 2006
United Kingdom
Oxford University, Oxford Internet Institute, talk on The Information Society and the Welfare State, November 2002
London School of Economics, talk on The Information Society and the Hacker Ethic, 2001
Policy Network, talk on the Inequalities in the Information Society, Selsdon Park, May 2006
United States
University of California Berkeley, the Web Rush conference keynote talk on the Hacker Ethic with Linus Torvalds, April 1999 (and several talks since that as a Director of the Berkeley Center for Information Society and a visiting scholar of the UC Berkeley)
University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication, The Hacker Ethic as the Culture of the Information Age, October 2003
New York University, Center for Advanced Technology, The Hacker Ethic, January 2001
International forum talks in Finland (for European or global forums)
InfoDev Global Forum keynote talk, World Bank, Helsinki, May 2011
Bright Conference keynote talk for students of the leading European universities, Helsinki University, Grand Auditorium, August 2008
World Social Forum in Helsinki, April 2005
European Centre for Parliamentary Research & Documentation, A Visionary’s Address, Parliaments on the Net, keynote, Helsinki, March 2002
Other research-related networks: Global Dignity
Professor Himanen is a Co-Founder of the Global Dignity initiative in 2005, with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and John Hope Bryant, a member of President Obama’s advisory council on financial capability. It has operated in over 50 countries worldwide. Global Dignity initiative includes Nobel laureates Professor Amartya Sen, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, President Martti Ahtisaari as well as Sir Richard Branson and Ambassador Andrew Young as its Honorary Board members.
Selected talks on dignity that have been given on all continents include:
Global Forums
Global Dignity Forum, with Desmond Tutu, President Martti Ahtisaari, Crown Prince Haakon, John Hope Bryant, 2011
Global Dignity Forum, Atlanta, with the living family of Martin Luther King Jr., chaired by Ambassador Andrew Young, November, 2012
One Young World keynote on dignity, Zurich, September 2012
One Young World keynote on dignity, London, February 2011
Austria
Dignity Day, Vienna, Austria, March 2008
Belgium
Dignity presentation, University of Leuven, CEGO, February 2008 (with Princess Mathilde)
Canada
Dignity Day school session, Young Global Leaders, Vancouver, June 2006
Finland
Global Dignity Day, Alppilan yläaste [Alppila junior highschool], October, 2010 (with President Tarja Halonen)
Ihmisarvon foorumi, Diakonissalaitos [Forum for Dignity at the Helsinki Diaconia], for homeless, substance abusers, unemployed, and otherwise excluded, October 2010
VoxHelsinki talk on dignity, Helsinki University, Grand Auditorium, September 2010 (in cooperation with Helsingin Sanomat)
Dignity lecture, Helsinki University, Grand Auditorium, November 2009 (in cooperation with the National Broadcasting Company YLE)
Global Dignity Day, Helsingin normal school, October 2008 (with President Tarja Halonen)
Dignity session, Helsinki normal school, November 2007 (with Crown Prince Haakon and John Hope Bryant)
India
Dignity Day school session, New Delhi, India, November 2009
Jordan
Dignity Day school session, Jordan, May 2007 (with Queen Rania)
Norway
Dignity Day, Asker highschool, April 2013 (with Country Chairs of Global Dignity)
Dignity Day, Drammen highschool, April 2012 (with Country Chairs of Global Dignity)
Global Dignity Day, Stovner highschool, October 2011 (with the Co-Founders of the Global Dignity)
Global Dignity Day, Bodo highschool, October 2010 (with Crown Prince Haakon)
South Africa
Dignity Day school session, Cape Town, South Africa, May 2008
Switzerland
Dignity Day, Zurich high school, March 2011
Dignity talk for the World Economic Forum management & staff, Geneva, October 2009 (with Paolo Coelho)
Tanzania
Dignity Day school session, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, May 2010
United Kingdom
Dignity Day, Dragon school, Oxford school, 2009
United States
Dignity Day school session, Washington D.C., October 2009
Selected advisory roles (2000–)
United Nations:
European Union:
Other international organizations:
Finland:
To companies:
Selected other activities: advancing support for culture
Advisory Board for Savonlinna Opera Festival
Advisory role for Helsinki Festival of Arts (with Erik Söderblom)
Advising Judge for the Bagnolet Dance Competion, chaired by Jorma Uotinen
Strategic recommendations and support for forming the University of Art, with increased funding (in strategic research reports, including Suomalainen unelma)
Strategic recommendations and support for securing strong role of basic science with the increased funding of Helsinki University (in strategic research reports, including Suomalainen unelma)
Strategic recommendations regarding the the Aalto University (in strategic research reports, including Suomalainen unelma)
Cooperation with the Theatre Academy, Sibelius Academy, and the School for Fine Arts, both in the shared Aalto University courses as well as in the form of individual talks
National Opera talk, August 2011
Gallery Kalhama & Piippo talk, April 2010
Negotiated the new funding for music export (negotiated with the Minister for Culture)
Events with Musex at Tavastia to advance pop music (with Ville Valo and others)
Award Presenter for the Best Rock Band at the EMMA gala
Tuusula symposium to advance culture, with Antti Herlin, Risto Siilasmaa, Krister Ahlström, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Jorma Uotinen, Stefan Lindfors, Minna Haapkylä
For all this advancement work, the important strategic research works have been Suomalainen unelma and Kukoistuksen käsikirjoitus.
“Pekka Himanen” as a cultural figure
There have been several books, novels, poems, plays as well as TV shows written on or with the figure “Pekka Himanen”, including e.g. the theatre play Cherished Disappointments in Love by Jouko Turkka, performed in Finland and London (Soho Theatre).