The Åbo Akademi Doctoral Training Network for Minority Research (MinRes) is a new network at the Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology. It is based on cooperation between the disciplines of psychology, theology (systematic theology and ethics), and religious studies at Åbo Akademi University.

The ambition of the doctoral network is to create a much needed cross-disciplinary network for PhD students to conduct research related specifically to understanding the current nature, conditions, and effects of devaluating attitudes and relations towards minorities. This can include themes such as the current polarization of values and populist anti-minority speech; institutional, cultural and public models of accepted identities and logics of surveillance; religious and/or ideological frameworks as motivational structures in relating to and understanding minorities; verbal or physical violence against minorities; effects of negative attitudes and violence on e.g. subjective well-being; means to prevent radicalization and decrease associated violence; and novel alternative public strategies that better foster and guarantee the protection of minorities.

In this network doctoral students pursue their projects as a team and under the supervision of Prof. Peter Nynäs (religious studies), Prof. Mikael Lindfelt (theology) and Prof. Pekka Santtila (psychology). The Åbo Akademi University Minority Research profile provides an additional important resource for the network.