With more than 25 years of experience in research, teaching, and university administration, Rainio‑Niemi is a long‑standing scholar of European political and governance history, with a particular focus on the agency of Finland and other small states within broader Nordic and European contexts. Her work examines how decision‑making practices, governance structures, and democratic traditions evolve across time and across borders. Her most recent projects include a comparative Nordic history of Finnish emergency legislation, as well as a study of state committees as instruments of consultative governance and administrative democracy.
In her new role, Rainio‑Niemi underscores CES’s dynamic research community and the strong expertise of its staff. The Centre hosts several competitively funded projects—including ERC‑ and Research Council of Finland‑funded research, and a Jean Monnet Professorship—and maintains a well‑established profile in multidisciplinary European and EU studies built through long‑term interdisciplinary collaboration.
In times of great pressures and rapid geopolitical transitions, the need for new, scholarly grounded, analytically and historically rooted discussions is more urgent than ever.
“CES, with its highly dedicated and internationally as well as nationally recognised staff, provides an excellent platform for such joint discussions and openings. I warmly welcome everyone interested in Europe, the EU, and Finland’s place within it to join our events and to suggest new conversations and collaborations.”
Alongside the CES directorship, Rainio‑Niemi continues her work as Professor of Political History in the Faculty of Social Sciences.