The Board of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs has appointed Dr Mika Aaltola as the Director of the institute for the next five-year term (1 January 2020 – 31 December 2024). The Director is responsible for the management, development and performance of the Institute.
Mika Aaltola has worked as the Programme Director of the Global Security research programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs since 2011. His areas of expertise are US foreign and domestic policies as well as the international system and major-power relations. Dr Aaltola is a professor (part-time) at the Tallinn University since 2012 and he holds the rank of docent from the University of Tampere. He has been a visiting researcher at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (fall 2013) and at the CERI Sciences Po (fall 2010). He obtained his PhD in social sciences from the University of Tampere in 1999.
The statute governing this appointment requires the successful applicant to have a doctorate or equivalent academic record, full familiarity with the field of work of the research institute, and proven managerial skills and experience. The Board of the institute was very pleased with the quality of the interviewed applicants.