Kuisma Kinnunen

Name: Kuisma Kinnunen
From: Finland

Why I chose this programme: Before entering the Master’s Degree Programme in International Human Rights Law I had military crisis management experience from Kosovo and Afghanistan as well as studies in international relations and international law. My aim was to work in the field of civilian crisis management and peace building, where one of the most important cross-cutting themes is human rights. Thus it was essential to get firm understanding of international human rights law and the Institute for Human Rights at Åbo Akademi University has established itself as one of the leading institutes in the field.

The studies: The variety of backgrounds of international students within the Master’s Programme provides an excellent learning environment. I was working quite a lot while studying so the flexibility of the programme was important. Students could tailor their curriculum based on their own interests from a broad range of high-quality courses covering different aspects of international law. Moreover, it was possible to study from distance when needed.

Additional comments: I have permanent position as a Training Specialist in the Crisis Management Centre Finland (CMC Finland). It is a governmental institution within the Ministry of the Interior, responsible for training and recruiting experts for international civilian crisis management and peace building missions, as well as conducting research in this area. Currently, I am seconded by Finland to the European External Action Service (EEAS), the European Union’s diplomatic service, where I work as a Policy Officer in the Integrated Approach for Security and Peace Directorate, dealing with knowledge management and training. One of the cross-cutting themes is indeed human rights, and Åbo Akademi University gave me excellent tools to work in the field of crisis management and peace building.