Linda Hyökki was born in Finland but identifies as a cosmopolitan and a life-long learner of languages and cultures, having lived, studied and worked so far in four foreign countries. She currently resides in Turkey and is a Research Associate at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs, Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, where her focus of research is on Islamophobia and Muslim minorities.
She is also pursuing her Ph.D. at the Ibn Haldun University (Istanbul, Turkey) with a thesis on Finnish Muslim converts’ experiences on Islamophobia. She graduated in 2011 from the M.A. program “Language, Culture, and Translation” at the University of Mainz/Germersheim, Germany. As a fellow at the Center for Postnormal Policy and Future Studies (CPPFS) she teaches in workshops on Futures Studies for the Muslim youth. Linda’s research interests include Islamophobia Studies, conversion to Islam, identity formation, critical theory, qualitative study methods, multiculturalism and alternative epistemologies.