Henri Vanhanen

Henri Vanhanen is a foreign and security policy professional with experience in government affairs as well as research and think-tank work. He holds a joint Master’s degree in contemporary history from the University of Turku.

He is currently a Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and is part of the research project analyzing Finland’s evolving role in Euro-Atlantic security, where he focuses on Finnish security and defence policy and Northern European security. Vanhanen is specialized in foreign, security and defence policy topics concerning Finland, Northern Europe and the Euro-Atlantic region.

Vanhanen has previously worked at the National Coalition Party Parliament of Finland, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the European Parliament, and the US Embassy in Helsinki. He is an alumnus of the George C. Marshall Center, the State Department’s IVLP Programme and the French PIPA Programme.

In addition to his previous positions, Mr. Vanhanen has an expert profile both domestically and internationally. He is a routine commentator in the Finnish media and has also given interviews to the The Economist, Washington Post, Washington Examiner, Financial Times, NPR, Le Monde, Deutsche Welt, la Repubblica, Euractiv, ABC News, TRT World and other similar news agencies. He has also written articles for several platforms, such as RUSI, CEPA, Brookings Institution, Wilson Center, and is a frequent podcast guest speaker.

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