The Finnish Institute of International Affairs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA, Finnish: Ulkopoliittinen instituutti, UPI) is an independent research institute that produces topical information of a high standard on international relations and the European Union. The Institute takes an active role in public debates and its expertise supports political decision-making. The core of the Institute’s funding comes from the Parliament of Finland. The Institute is located on Katajanokka in Helsinki.
The Institute has four research programmes: The European Union; Environment and Natural Resources; Russia in the Regional and Global Context; and Transformation of the World Order. The FIIA organises conferences, seminars and round-table meetings on topical subjects related to research programs. These seminars provide a forum for high level discussions between academics and decision-makers. The research findings and current analyses on international topics are published in the FIIA-Report and Briefing Paper –series. In addition, the Institute publishes Ulkopolitiikka, a quarterly journal on international relations.
The staff of the new Finnish Institute of International Affairs consists of around 40 members. The Director of the Institute is Professor Raimo Väyrynen. The work of the FIIA is directed by a nine-member board, appointed by the Parliament and chaired by Minister Antti Tanskanen. The Institute also has an advisory council, chaired by Seppo Kääriäinen, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament.
The institute was set up at the centennial session of the Finnish Parliament in June 2006 and started to function 1 January 2007 under the auspices of the Parliament of Finland. Previously, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs functioned as a private research organization that was founded by the Paasikivi Society in 1961 and maintained by the Foundation for Foreign Policy Research.
