The Finnish Institute of International Affairs is a research institute whose mission is to produce high quality, topical information on international relations and the EU. The Institute realizes its aims by conducting research as well as by organizing domestic and international seminars and publishing reports on its research and current international issues. The Institute also publishes a journal, Ulkopolitiikka (Finnish Journal of Foreign Affairs), and maintains a specialized library.
FIIA has three research programmes: The European Union, The EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood and Russia and Global Security. The purpose of the research carried out by the Institute is to produce focused information of a high standard for use by the academic community and decision-makers,
and in public debate. The Institute maintains active international contacts in its activities and its researchers participate in public debate by writing articles for newspapers, periodicals and specialist journals. They also take part in seminars, conferences and similar events both at home and abroad. Furthermore, the researchers lend their expertise to various media. FIIA participates in or coordinates numerous national and international research projects. Similarly to universities, the Institute does not have a common view on issues related to its field of research and each researcher comments on topical issues based his or her own expertise and research.
The Institute was founded in 1961, and since 2007 it has operated in conjunction of the Finnish Parliament. It is autonomous in its research activities and is governed by a nine-member board, assisted by an advisory council and a scientific advisory council. There is close to 50 people working at FIIA – half of them are people working on research and the other half working on publications, seminars and administration.
EU-Turkey research in FIIA covers Turkish political history, Turkish foreign policy and EUTurkey relations, especially regarding historical narratives and political identities. This work is carried out by Dr Toni Alaranta. In addition, FIIA’s research fellow Dr Marco Siddi follows Turkey’s role in the EU’s energy policy. Turkey and the EU also features in the FIIA book project aimed to elucidate regional and external actors’ narratives on order and disorder in the Middle East and North Africa.
This work is coordinated by our MENA expert Wolfgang Mülhberger.
Website: https://www.fiia.fi/en/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upifiia/
Twitter: @FIIA_fi, https://twitter.com/fiia_fi
Main contact point for VIADUCT activities: Toni Alaranta