email:
mikael.wigell@fiia.fi
telephone:
+358 9432 7786
mobile:
+358 40 583 1371
Social:
LinkedIn

Mikael Wigell is Research Director at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and Adjunct Professor in International Political Economy at the University of Tampere. He belongs to the World Economic Forum Expert Network, currently curating the WEF’s Geoeconomics section. Wigell has also been a Member of the Development Policy Committee of the Finnish Government and Chairman of the Finnish International Studies Association. He earned his PhD at the London School of Economics and he has been a Visiting Fellow at the Changing Character of War Centre, Oxford University. 

His work on great-power politics, geoeconomics, hybrid threats and the political economy of development has been published in top-ranked international academic journals such as International Affairs, World Development, The Washington Quarterly, Comparative Strategy, Democratization, Asia Europe Journal and Global Affairs. He has also written policy reports for the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Government of Finland, as well as a number of briefings for international organizations such as the World Economic Forum, the Japan Development Bank and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. He led the International Business Risk and Resilience Monitor-project funded by the European Commission, as well as the Nordic Security of Supply in an Age of Disruption-project funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. His latest publication (ed. together with Mika Aaltola and Sören Scholvin) is Geo-economics and Power Politics in the 21st Century: The Revival of Economic Statecraft (Routledge, 2018; 2020).

Honorary title

Adjunct professor, University of Tampere

Expertise

International economic relations, geoeconomics and sanctions, hybrid threats and hybrid warfare, Chinese and Russian grand strategies, EU's external economic relations

Degrees

PhD, London School of Economics, 2011

Language skills

English, Finnish, Spanish, Swedish (working languages); French, German, Italian, Portuguese (receptive skills)

Projects

Power politics by economic means: The geoeconomics research initiative
Europe facing great-power competition: Mapping Finland’s risks and options in the geoeconomic rivalry
Nordic Security of Supply in the Age of Disruption
International Business Risk and Resilience Monitor for Strengthening National Economic Preparedness (IBRRM)


Latest FIIA Publications

Expertise

International economic relations, geoeconomics and sanctions, hybrid threats and hybrid warfare, Chinese and Russian grand strategies, EU's external economic relations

Honorary title

Adjunct professor, University of Tampere

Positions of responsibility

Non-Resident Associate, European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE), 2019-
Chairman, Finnish International Studies Association, 2017-
Senior Editor, Journal of Autonomy and Security Studies, 2017-
Vice-Chairman, Finnish International Studies Association, 2015-2016
Board Member, Development Policy Committee, 2014-2015
Board Member, Scientific Board, The Åland Islands Peace Institute, 2011-
Board Member, Editorial Board, Graduate Journal of Social Science, 2003-

Work experience

Visiting Fellow, Oxford University, 2018
Post-Doctoral Researcher, Academy of Finland, 2013-2016
Visiting Researcher, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, 2008
Visiting Researcher, Universidad Torcuato di Tella, 2005
Consultant, Development Bank of Japan, 2003
Teaching Assistant, Johns Hopkins University, 2002
Trainee, Council of the European Union, 2001

Degrees

PhD, London School of Economics, 2011

Education

PhD, London School of Economics, Department of International Development, 2011
LSc, Åbo Akademi University, Department of Political Science, 2003
Diploma, Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, 2002
MSc, Åbo Akademi University, Department of Political Science, 2001

Language skills

English, Finnish, Spanish, Swedish (working languages); French, German, Italian, Portuguese (receptive skills)

Select category

Multi-Stakeholder Cooperation in Global Governance.

Global governance Multilateralism FIIA Working paper

Select category

Helwig, Niklas & Wigell, Mikael (2023). Euroopan voima geoekonomiassa. Ydin : rauhanpoliittinen aikakauslehti, 15.12.

E Publications intended for the general public

Wigell, Mikael (2021). Geopolitics, geo-economics and Russian revisionism. In Almqvist, Kurt; Linklater, Andrew ed(s): The Return of Geopolitics: A Global Quest for the Right Side of History. Bokförlaget Stolpe.

EU's external relations Geoeconomics Russia Security and Defence Policy D Publications intended for professional communities

Wigell, Mikael & Forsberg, Tuomas ed(s) (2020). IR 100 years. London: Taylor & Francis.

C Scientific books (monographs)

Wigell, Mikael (2019). Politiikkaa hybridisodan varjolla. Ulkopolitiikka, 56 (2):77.

Hybrid warfare Russia Security and Defence Policy D Publications intended for professional communities

Scholvin, Sören; Wigell, Mikael & Aaltola, Mika (2018). Conclusion. In Wigell, Mikael; Scholvin, Sören; Aaltola, Mika ed(s): Geo-Economics and Power Politics in the 21st Century: The Revival of Economic Statecraft. London and New York: Routledge. 219-227.

Geoeconomics A Peer-reviewed scientific articles

Scholvin, Sören & Wigell, Mikael (2018). Geo-economic power politics: An introduction. In Wigell, Mikael; Scholvin, Sören; Aaltola, Mika ed(s): Geo-economics and power politics in the 21st century: The revival of economic statecraft. London and New York: Routledge. 1-13.

Geoeconomics A Peer-reviewed scientific articles

Wigell, Mikael (2017). Geopolitics, Geo-economics and Russian Revisionism. In Almqvist, Kurt; Linklater, Alexander & Mackenzie, Andrew ed(s): The Return of Geopolitics. Axson Johnson Foundation.

European Union Geoeconomics Russia Security and Defence Policy B Non-refereed scientific articles

Wigell, Mikael (2017). Rysslands geostrategi och dess konsekvenser i Norden. In Almqvist, Kurt ed(s): Sverige och Finland. Engelsberg: Axel och Margaret Ax:son Johnsons stiftelse.

European Union Russia Security and Defence Policy Sweden B Non-refereed scientific articles

Wigell, Mikael (2014). Kaivostoiminnan kehitysvaikutukset ja hallintamallit. In ed(s): Kestävää kasvua kaivoksista: Mahdoton yhtälö vai mahdollisuus?.

Climate governance Economic policy D Publications intended for professional communities

Mattlin, Mikael; Vihma, Antto; Wigell, Mikael & Salonius-Pasternak, Charly (2012). Löydä sisäinen viikinkisi. Talouselämä, 23.11.

Nordic cooperation E Publications intended for the general public

Wigell, Mikael (2009). Till Europas försvar. Finsk Tidskrift (5):229-240.

Europe European Union B Non-refereed scientific articles

Wigell, Mikael (2008). Globalismens kollaps. Internationella Studier, 31.12.

Globalisation E Publications intended for the general public

Wigell, Mikael (2007). Fascism igår och idag. Ny Tid, 16.8.

Democracy Latin America Russia E Publications intended for the general public

Wigell, Mikael (2002). Liberaldemokratisk utveckling i Latinamerika: en jämförande studie av elva länder. Åbo: Åbo Akademi University.

Latin America G Theses

Wigell, Mikael (2001). Demokratisk utveckling i Latinamerika - mot liberaldemokrati? En jämförande studie av elva demokratier i Latinamerika. Åbo: Åbo Akademi University.

Democracy Latin America G Theses