Join the Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship to discuss progress on EU defense policy, EU-NATO cooperation and the best means to tackle transnational security challenges in the digital age with Janne Kuusela, Director General for Defense Policy at the Ministry of Defense, Finland. A light breakfast will be served.
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The Defence Policy Department provides grounds for defence policy and planning guidance for the Defence Forces. The Department covers issues such as national defence capability, defence cooperation, military crisis management, disarmament and arms control, as well as defence research.
Mr. Kuusela joined the MoD in 1999 working with Finland's defence support for the Baltic States. Later on he was specialist on European Security and Defence Policy (2001-2003) and Finland's cooperation with NATO (2003-2006). He served as Defence Adviser at the Mission of Finland to NATO Headquarters (2006-2009) and after that as Ministerial Adviser at the MoD (2009-2012), working with Finland's multinational and bilateral defence cooperation.
Prior to the current posting Mr. Kuusela acted as Head of Corporate Planning Unit at the MoD (2012- 2015). His main tasks included coordinating the results-based management for Defence Forces, overall development of defence administration's organization and structures, overseeing the implementation of government's work programme as well as supporting the work of MoD's management boards.
Mr. Kuusela is graduate of the University of Tampere, Finland. In addition to his Master of Social Sciences degree (International Relations and Economics) he has conducted graduate studies on International Relations in Berlin and Geneva, as well as post-graduate studies in the University of Helsinki. He has authored and co-authored numerous publications and articles on European defence cooperation and Finland's relations to NATO.
Mr Kuusela was born in Rovaniemi, Finland, in 1972. He is married and has two children.
Mr Kuusela has been awarded the decoration of a Knight of the Order of the White Rose of Finland and a Medal for Military Merits. Mr. Kuusela has completed national military service in the Finnish Navy and holds the rank of lieutenant 1st grade in reserve.
