Aleksanteri-instituutti - Aleksanteri Institute

Warm congratulations to our students for success in the FAREES VIETS/Venäjän- ja Itä-Euroopan tutkimuksen seura ry. MA Thesis Competition!

MAREEES student Sierra Salazar won the award for the best master’s thesis, and MAREEES student Tabea Böing received an honorable mention together with Essi Saborit from Tampere University, who is one of our ExpREES/VIExpert students.

Read more about their research and experience of completing studies at the Aleksanteri Institute in the interview below!

Aleksanteri Institute students recognized for outstanding theses | Aleksanteri Institute | University of Helsinki We warmly congratulate our students for success in the FAREES MA Thesis Competition! MAREEES student Sierra Salazar won the award for the best master’s thesis, and MAREEES student Tabea Böing received an honorable mention together with Essi Saborit from Tampere University, who is one of our ExpRE...

The Call for Proposals of the Aleksanteri Conference 2026 has been extended to Friday, 15th of May! You can find the CfP and submit your individual paper, panel, and roundtable proposals here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/mapping-security-central-and-eastern-europe-and-eurasia/call-proposals

We're excited to announce our Keynote Speakers for the Aleksanteri Conference "Mapping Security in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia: Fault Lines and Frontlines" on 21-23 October 2026!

Prof. Petr Fiala is a political scientist, politician and a professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Masaryk University in Brno. He served as the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 2021 to 2025.

Dr. Nina Græger is Director at Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Her latest publications include "Handbook of Nordic Cooperation" (2025, Edward Elgar Publishing).

Prof. Henry E. Hale is Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University (GW), where he also directs the Petrach Program on Ukraine and the The Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES).

Dr. Kristi Raik is Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute at the International Centre for Defence and Security in Tallinn, Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs - FIIA and official at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.

Dr. Polina Sinovets is the Founder and Head of the Odesa Center for Nonproliferation (OdCNP) at Odesa I.I. Mechnikov National University (Ukraine). She is the author, co-author of multiple publications on nuclear weapons policy of the US and Russia, nuclear deterrence, strategic stability, and European security.

Read more about the Keynote Speakers here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/mapping-security-central-and-eastern-europe-and-eurasia/keynote-speakers

Call for proposals for the Aleksanteri Conference 2026 is open until 7 May: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/mapping-security-central-and-eastern-europe-and-eurasia/call-proposals

The Aleksanteri Conference in 2026 is organised in cooperation with the EU-funded Central and Eastern European Security Cooperation Cluster (CENTREPEACE) project. Read more about the project here: https://centrepeace.cz/

Apply by the 14 April for the nationwide, master's-level minor in Eastern European, Russian and Central Asian and Southern Caucasus Studies! You can find more info in English linked in the comments.

Hae VIExpert-opintoihin 14.4.2026 mennessä | Aleksanteri-instituutti | Helsingin yliopisto VIExpert - tiesi itäisen Euroopan, Venäjän, Keski-Aasian ja Etelä-Kaukasian alueasiantuntijaksi.

In the latest Aleksanteri Insight, Doctoral Researcher Yuliya Brin points out how Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine is also fueling gendered violence in Russia. Meanwhile, state policies prioritize fertility over protection of women.

The War Beyond the Front: Domestic Violence and Women’s Rights in Wartime Russia | Aleksanteri Institute | University of Helsinki As Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine continues, its impact is not limited to the war zone, but it is seeping into domestic spaces, exposing how militarisation, state ideology and gender violence can become interconnected during war.

We now welcome applications for Visiting Fellowships for the academic year 2026-2027!

Visiting Fellows Programme's Call for Proposals and link to the application form here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/aleksanteri-institute/research/visiting-fellows-programme/call-proposals

Please submit your application by 28 March 2026.

Call for proposals | Aleksanteri Institute | University of Helsinki The Aleksanteri Institute welcomes applications for its Visiting Fellowships for the academic year 2026-2027. The Aleksanteri Institute is the Finnish Centre for Russian, Eurasian, and Eastern European studies, affiliated with the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Helsinki.

The Call for Proposals of the 25th Aleksanteri Conference is now open!

This year’s conference addresses challenges of global insecurity by analysing responses to them in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia. The conference aims to advance our understanding of sources and mechanisms of security dynamics in the region and beyond through empirical research and theoretical engagement, addressing resilience of countries, communities, and individuals in the face of these challenges.

Learn more and send in your proposal here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/mapping-security-central-and-eastern-europe-and-eurasia/call-proposals

The Aleksanteri Conference in 2026 is organised in cooperation with the EU-funded Central and Eastern European Security Cooperation Cluster (CENTREPEACE) project. Read more about the project here: https://centrepeace.cz/

Would you like to incorporate expertise in Russian and Eastern European Studies into your Master’s degree? Read more about this opportunity for students at Finnish universities here: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/aleksanteri-institute/news-and-events/news-archive/preliminary-information-call-applications-exprees-studies-opens-march

Haluatko hankkia erityisosaamista ja kouluttautua alueasiantuntijaksi osana maisterintutkintoasi?
Kiinnostaako sinua itäinen Eurooppa (mukaan lukien Ukraina, itäisen Keski-Euroopan, Kaakkois-Euroopan ja Baltian maat), Venäjä, Keski-Aasia tai Etelä-Kaukasia? Haku VIExpert-opintoihin avautuu maaliskuussa 2026!

Would you like to specialise in Eastern Europe (incl. Ukraine, countries in Eastern Central Europe and South-Eastern Europe, the Baltic countries), Russia, Central Asia or the Southern Caucasus in your master’s? The call for applications for ExpREES studies opens in March 2026!

Ukrainian Studies Research Community of the Faculty of Humanities Humanistinen tiedekunta – Humanistiska fakulteten organizes a roundtable discussions event on the 24th of February to commemorate four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Making Sense of the Unthinkable: Four Years After the Full-Scale Invasion. Roundtable discussions to commemorate four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine These roundtables bring together scholars and practitioners from security, cultural studies and literature to reflect on the shifts four years after Russia started its full-scale war in Ukraine.

Anna‑Liisa Heusala takes the lead at the Aleksanteri Institute. She began her tenure as Director this January, with Senior University Lecturer Sirke Mäkinen stepping in as Deputy Director. Get to know the new Director in this interview:

The new Director, Anna-Liisa Heusala: “At the heart of our work is passion for what we do and mutual support" | Aleksanteri Institute | University of Helsinki Anna-Liisa Heusala assumed the role of the Director of the Aleksanteri Institute in January 2026. In this interview, she reflects on the successes, opportunities, and challenges of the Aleksanteri Institute.