Curriculum vitae

Florencia Quesada is an Associate Professor in Latin American Studies at the Department of Cultures, University of Helsinki (UH). Trained as a historian, her research interests encompass urban cultural history, sustainable tourism, and urban studies. She holds affiliations with several research centers at the UH, such as the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Center (HELSUS), the Helsinki Institute of Urban and Regional Studies (Urbaria), and the the Helsinki Inequality Initiative (INEQ), reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to research.

Her extensive research experience spans multiple countries, including Guatemala, Costa Rica and Honduras, as well as archival work in France, Spain, and the United States. Her works traverse a broad and interdisciplinary spectrum of topics, showcasing her expertise in Central American urban cultural history, architectural history, historiography, planning, sustainable tourism, and the complex challenges surrounding violence and environmental risks in precarious settlements.

Formerly, she was a university researcher at Global Development Studies (2011-2014 and 2019-2020), participating in various projects such as FCITIES: Societal security, environmental vulnerability, and redistributive justice in fragile cities of the global South. She also worked as a research fellow at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies (HCAS) (2016-2019).

Her academic journey includes a PhD in Latin American Studies from the University of Helsinki, a Diplôme d'Études Approfondies in history from Université Paris 1-Sorbonne, and a Master’s degree in history from the University of Costa Rica. Quesada also pursued undergraduate studies at Cornell College as an exchange student (1992-93) and completed doctoral studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris (2000-2003).

Apart from her academic endeavors, Quesada has actively engaged in diverse cultural projects both in Finland and internationally. In 2005, alongside a collective group led by Latin Americans and Finnish women, she played a key role in establishing Cinemaissí—the first Latin American and Caribbean Film Festival in Helsinki. In 2014, she was co-curator and co-fundraiser for the first Costa Rican Pavilion at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition Fundamentals. This exhibition, curated by Rem Koolhaas, delved into the theme of "Absorbing Modernity 1914-2014.

Quesada's scholarly achievements include receiving the 2011 Cleto González Víquez Award from the Academy of Geography and History of Costa Rica for her book Modernization amidst coffee fields. San José, Costa Rica, 1880-1930.  Currently, she is engaged in writing her third monograph focusing on the urban cultural history of Guatemala City from 1880 to 1930.