Finnish Institute in the Middle East

Finnish Institute in the Middle East carries out research on Middle Eastern languages, cultures and societies, and organises courses, seminars and conferences.

News

What’s going on in Turkey: Peace with the PKK, suppressing the opposition? -panel discussion

Turkey is currently witnessing a promising but precarious peace process between the state and the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), with…

12.5.2025

Badaro Talk 15.5. – Yasmeen al-Eryani: The Houthis: Between Local Power Consolidation and an Evolving Regional Role

The next Badaro Talks lecture ”The Houthis: Between Local Power Consolidation and an Evolving Regional Role” will be given by Yasmeen al-Eryani,…

8.5.2025

Student, come to FIMEs student evening 6.5.

Welcome to a networking evening for students interested in the Middle East, organized by the Finnish Institute in the Middle…

28.4.2025

Events

May262025

What’s going on in Turkey: Peace with the PKK, suppressing the opposition?

Tiedekulma, Think Lounge (Yliopistonkatu 4, 00100 Helsinki, 2nd floor)

May152025

Badaro Talk: The Houthis: Between Local Power Consolidation and an Evolving Regional Role

30 Badaro Street, Chaoui Building, 5th floor meeting room.

April242025

Badaro Talk: Ancient Lives, Modern Discoveries: Life and Death in Saida in the 2nd mill BC

30 Badaro Street, Chaoui Building, 5th floor meeting room

Blog

Mielenosoitus Assadin hallintoa vastaan Sweidassa elokuussa 2023. Etualalla Syyrian ja druusien liput. Kuva: Fahed Saad Kiwan.

Miksi Israel väittää puolustavansa Syyrian druuseja?

Israel on viime päivinä tehnyt laajoja ilmaiskuja Syyriaan. Syyksi se sanoo druusien suojelemisen. Miksi Israel on yhtäkkiä puolustamassa yhtä Syyrian…

8.5.2025Tiina Hyyppä

Turkin kansalaisyhteiskunta noussut apatiasta viimeiseen taistoon

Turkin pääoppositiopuolueen eli Tasavaltalaisen kansanpuolueen (CHP) valmistautuessa nimeämään suurta kansansuosiota nauttivan Istanbulin pormestarin Ekrem İmamoğlun presidenttiehdokkaakseen, Turkin viranomaiset vangitsivat hänet…

1.4.2025Toni Alaranta ja Tülay Yılmaz

Kurdipuolueiden järjestämä Nawroz-juhla Diyarbakirissa, Turkissa 2015.

Turkin ja PKK:n suhteissa tapahtui mullistava käänne

Vuosia ratkaisemattomina olleet kurdi- ja palestiinalaiskysymykset ovat saaneet yhä enemmän geopoliittista merkitystä. Lähi-idän mahtimaat näkevät molemmissa mahdollisuuksia laajentaa alueellista hegemoniaansa.…

12.3.2025Shahram Hatami

Support he institute

You can support the Institute by joining the Friends of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East. The purpose of the association is to make the countries of the Middle East known by organizing lectures, public events, educational trips and cultural exchange between Finland and the Middle East region.

Subscribe the newsletter

The newsletter is published six times a year and tells about the institute’s current affairs. In addition to the newsletter, you can order an email invite to the institute’s events in Beirut, and the MENA-letter, which informs about events related to the Middle East and North Africa in Finland.

Research

The Finnish Institute in the Middle East is a scientific institute that conducts research on the classical and modern languages, cultures, religions and societies in the Middle East, supports Finnish research on the Middle East and offers research-based views to the public discussion about the Middle East in Finland. The institute works as a network between Finnish researchers representing different disciplines and connects Finnish and Middle Eastern universities and research institutes.

Our researhers
Research projects
Resident Scholar Program
Grants

Education

The Institute organises various activities for university students including academic courses and excursions in the Middle East as well as training in Arabic and other Semitic languages. The topics of the academic courses are diversely related to different fields, areas, and eras of Middle Eastern studies. In addition, the institute offers inservice training for Finnish school teachers, and online courses open to everyone. The institute publishes blog posts and podcasts that help understand the cultures and events of the Middle East.

Student Courses
Online Courses
Studying in Finland
Explore the Middle East

Explore the Middle East

The Finnish Institute in the Middle East brings the Middle East to you in the form of articles and podcasts.