Teija Tiilikainen, Doctor of Political Science, has been appointed Director of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) for a five-year term.
Dr Tiilikainen is currently the Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). Before her appointment to this position in 2010, she was the Director of the Network of European Studies at the University of Helsinki (2003–2009). Dr Tiilikainen has also served as Secretary of State at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland from 2007 to 2008.
“Hybrid CoE is a great new challenge as my second and final term ends at FIIA. The Centre has achieved a strong position in the field in a short space of time by bringing together actors from the EU, NATO and from their member states and allies, as well as providing training and exercises. Hybrid threats have become a permanent part of the security environment in both Finland and other democratic societies, which is why it is important that the challenges they pose to the community are addressed in a cooperative manner,” Dr Tiilikainen said.
“I am very pleased that Dr Teija Tiilikainen was chosen for the position. With her background and skills, she brings a wealth of knowledge and solid leadership experience to the Centre. After a few years of startup, the Centre has reached a situation where it is good to assess the direction in which it should be developed in the future. This requires vision and leadership. Cooperation within the European Union and NATO in preparing for hybrid threats has progressed well over the last couple of years. The Centre must be able to focus its activities so that it continues to bring added value to its member countries, the EU and NATO,” said Jori Arvonen, Chairman of the Board of Hybrid CoE.
Matti Saarelainen has been the Director of Hybrid CoE since its establishment in 2017. He will take up his new position at the Finnish Security Intelligence Service on 1 October 2019.
Hybrid CoE is a network-based hub for practitioners and experts, building the capabilities of member states to counter hybrid threats via the sharing of best practices, testing new ideas and approaches, and providing training and exercises. The Centre currently has 23 member states. Membership is open to all EU member states and NATO allies.
Inquiries: Jori Arvonen, State Under-Secretary for EU Affairs, tel. +358 295 160 320, Prime Minister’s Office, Finland; and
Teija Tiilikainen, Director, tel. +358 9 432 7701, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
