Juho Kähkönen

Juho Kähkönen is a researcher in International Relations and International Law at the University of Lapland. He works closely with local communities, and his expertise relates to Arctic governance, climate resilience, logistics, and land-use conflicts. His research at the Belfer Center focuses on sustainable Arctic logistics. Kähkönen is a Fulbright scholar in the Arctic Initiative IV programme from 2024 to 2026.

Kähkönen is a member of the Board for the Finnish International Studies Association (FISA). He served on the boards of the University of the Arctic (UArctic) from 2021 to 2024 and on the Arctic Society of Finland from 2018 to 2024. His research has taken him to various universities, including the United Nations University for Peace, Ilisimatusarfik, and the Arctic University of Norway. Kähkönen has studied in Australia, Brazil, and the United States. 

Before his academic career, Kähkönen led two EU consortia (valued at 2 + 1 million euros) that implemented the European Green Deal related to energy transition and mining in key regions across the Union. He has also worked in tourism across four continents. Born and raised 250 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, Kähkönen has extensive local knowledge of the North.