The Finland-Institut was founded by the Foundation for the Finnland-Institut and opened in 1994. The Foundation's Board is the Institute's operational and institutional link to Finland. The members of the Foundation's Board of Trustees serve in an advisory capacity to the Finnland-Institut, as does the Advisory Board, which consists of representatives from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Foundation for the Finnland-Institut
The purpose of the Foundation for the Finnland-Institut, located in Helsinki, is to foster and promote cultural, academic and economic relations between Finland and the German-speaking countries. To achieve this objective, the Foundation maintains the Finnland-Institut, secures the finances required for its activities, and expands the cooperation network.
Strategy 2023–2026 (in German)
Kimmo Grönlund works as a professor of political science at the Swedish-speaking university Åbo Akademi in Turku. His research interests include deliberative democracy, democratic innovations, citizens' council democracy, public opinion and electoral research.
Tanja Huutonen holds a Master's degree in Foreign Languages and Culture from the University of Tampere. From 1999 to 2018, she worked as a television journalist for the Finnish private broadcaster MTV3. She then worked as Counsellor for Culture and Media at the Embassy of Finland in Berlin until summer 2023.
Board Members
Eva Biaudet, Dr. Jan Feller, Hanna Haaslahti, Anna-Liina Kauhanen, Petri Sirviö
Authorised Representative of the Foundation
Aino Haanrinne
asiamies@finstitut.de, Tel. +358 40 822 8485
Advisory Board of the Finnland-Institut
The Advisory Board serves in an advisory capacity to the Finnland-Institut. Members represent academia as well as the cultural and economic sectors of Finland.
Klaus von Lepel studied law, politics, history and Finno-Ugrik studies in Göttingen, Helsinki, Freiburg and London. He worked for the Senatskanzlei of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg from 2001 to 2007, after which he joined the Hamburg Behörde für Wissenschaft und Forschung, where he leads the research department.
Advisory Board Members
Anu-Maaria Calamnius-Puhakka, Karl-Friedrich von Knorre, Mari Koskela, Timo Miettinen, Dr. Christine Nippe, Prof. Dr. Marko Pantermöller, Sebastian Pflum, Dr. Angela Plöger, Marianne Sinemus-Ammermann, Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Prof. Dr. Ralph Tuchtenhagen, Dr.-Ing. Ulrich Weise
Board of Trustees for the Finnland-Institut
The function of the Board of Trustees is to advise the Finnland-Institut. Members represent academia as well as the cultural and economic sectors of Finland.
Esa Hämäläinen is the Head of Administration, member of the group management and the Head Secretary of the Board at the University of Helsinki. He has previously worked as the Head of Administration at the Theatre Academy, Head of Unit at the University of Helsinki and as an expert at the School of Arts (now Aalto-University).
Board of Trustees Members
Ilkka Ahtiainen, Pia Bärlund, Anna Baijars, Alexander Bargum, Frank Brümmel, Joachim Bussian, Kimmo Elo, Annette Forsén, Hanna-Leena Hemming, Kari Hietanen, Pirjo Hirvonen, Tiina Kinnunen, Erkki Korhonen, Asko Lehmuskallio, Markus Lehtinen, Luise Liefländer-Leskinen, Marjo Mäenpää, Heikki Masalin, Arja Miller, Tiina Rajamäki, Lea Ryynänen-Karjalainen, Eija Salmi, Katariina Siltavuori, Samuel Wolf Sorainen, Tiia Strandén, Annika Tudeer, Liisa Tiittula