Erja Kettunen-Matilainen
 D.Sc. (Econ. & Bus.Adm.)
 erja.kettunen-matilainen@utu.fi Rehtorinpellonkatu 3 Turku ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2670-2388  | 
EU-Asia trade; Trade policy; Sustainable development; Asian business environments; International trade; Free trade agreements; Responsible society; Southeast Asia; Japan; China; Indonesia; ASEAN; Regional economic integration
PALMOIL project (2023-2027), GLO-RES project (2025-2026)
Research project Good and bad palm oil: Food security, paradigm shift and stakeholder negotiations in Indonesia and the EU (PALMOIL) 2023-2027 (PI), Kone Foundation
Research project Strengthening societal resilience and security of supply in global stakeholder collaboration (GLO-RES) 2025-2026 (PI), Foundation for Economic Education
Research visits and prior positions: Visiting Researcher, Center for Asian Studies / European Institute for Japanese Studies (EIJS), Stockholm School of Economics, Jan-Feb 2025; Guest Researcher, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies (NIAS), University of Copenhagen, April 2023; Visiting Scholar, Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Oct 2022; Affiliated Researcher, TSE 2019-2021; Associate Professor, University of Gothenburg 2019; Senior Research Fellow, CCR 2017-2018; Research Manager, Aalto University School of Business 2006-2018; Visiting researcher, Economic Geography, University of Gothenburg 2011; Researcher, Helsinki School of Economics 2005-2006. Research visits: Nordic Institute of Asian Studies; Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Singapore. Academic fieldwork in Japan, S.Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Malaysia, Singapore.
Title of Docent, University of Turku, Economic Geography.
Dr.Sc.(Econ.); Lic.Sc.(Econ.); M.Sc.(Econ.), Helsinki School of Economics, Economic Geography.
Academic activities:
Steering Committee Member, International Geographical Union (IGU) Commission on the Dynamics of Economic Spaces (CDES), 2025-2028
Board member, Geographical Society of Finland, 2023 -
Deputy NNC Representative for Aalto University at Nordic NIAS Council, Nordic Association of Asian Studies (NIAS), 2008-2017
Board member, Representative of Aalto University, Finnish University Network for Asian Studies 2010-2016
Board member, Doctoral Programme of Contemporary Asian Studies, former Finnish Graduate School of Contemporary Asian Studies 2005-2013
Member of Doctoral Committees, Examiner of Doctoral theses, Examiner of Licentiate theses; Sweden and Finland, 2005 -
Board member, Nordic Association for Southeast Asian Studies 1995-2004
Conference co-organizer: ICAS panel 2024 Surabaya, Finland-Korea symposium 2023 Helsinki, Sustainable Science Days panels 2022 and 2023 Helsinki, Finnish Geography Days sessions 2023 Joensuu and 2021 Oulu, Understanding Korea symposium 2018 Helsinki, Nordic-China business symposia at Fudan University 2007 and 2011 Shanghai, Nordic NIAS Council (NNC) Asia conference 2012 Helsinki 
Book editor, Southeast Asia: Economy, Environment and Society [in Finnish], Gaudeamus 2019
Societal activities:
President, Finland-Republic of Korea Association 2023-, Vice President 2018-2022, Board member 2017-
Member, Representative of Aalto University, Finland-ASEAN Trade Association 2008-2016
Member, Finland - Hong Kong Trade Association, 2006 -
Chairman of the Board, Finland-Malaysia Association 2001-2006, Board member 1997-2010
Societal resilience; Good and bad palm oil; Sustainable food trade: the case of Finnish export to China (intl collaboration); Employment, diversity and inclusion in Japan and Finland (intl coll); European Green deal and Circular economy; Finland-China rail transports (intl coll); EU-South Korea relations (intl coll); The EU’s Free Trade Agreements in Asia and responsible business (intl coll); Innovation Districts in Emerging and Advanced Economies (IDeaS); China’s Belt and Road Initiative and trade governance; The participation of Finns in 18th Century Swedish East India Company; Edited book Southeast Asia – Economy, Environment and Society [in Finnish].
MJO4 Vastuullisen liiketoiminnan eettiset kysymykset (Ethical questions of responsible business; in Finnish) (coordinator and teacher)
TM1 Yritys- ja markkinointimaantiede (Geography of firms and marketing; in Finnish) (teacher)
TM37 Kansainvälisen kaupan maantiede (Geography of international trade; in Finnish) (responsible teacher)
TMS31/KVS33 Global trade networks and trade policies in Asia (responsible teacher)
TMJ Economic geography doctoral seminars (teacher)
Previous: Organizer and lecturer of several Master's and Bachelor's level courses at University of Gothenburg 2019; Finnish University Network for Asian Studies 2007-2018; Community of European Management Schools CEMS 2007-2008; Helsinki School of Economics 1995-2008. Organizer of a Nordic PhD course on Asia 2012. Topics: Business in East and Southeast Asia; Economic geography of Asia; Economic integration in the EU; Economic geography of EU; Trade and and Asia.
Supervised ca. 20 M.Sc. theses in Finland and Sweden.
Co-supervisor of Doctoral theses: Kari Mäkeläinen, TSE, Heinz Munzinger, Tampere University.
Visiting lecturer in Finland, Sweden, Japan.
- Disability Inclusion at the Workplace
(Presentation at the 28th International Euro-Asia Research Conference 2025) (2025) Futagami, Shiho; Kettunen, Erja; Jaussaud, Jacques
(Other publication) - Exporting Nordic food to Japan : SME perspective on the EPA enforcement and trade barriers
(Presentation at the 19th Annual Conference of the Nordic Association for the Study of Contemporary Japanese Society (NAJS) 2025) (2025) Liias, Eva; Kettunen, Erja
(Other publication) - Global Disruptions in Seafood Trade during COVID-19 : The Effects of Mobility Restrictions on Crustacean Exports from Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam  (2025)  Geoeconomics of the Sustainable Development Goals Pratiwi, Ayu; Lee, Guenwoo; Marjanen, Heli; Kettunen, Erja
(A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book) - Global trade and geopolitics : the case of EU-Japan EPA and agri-food trade
(Presentation at the 28th International Euro-Asia Research Conference 2025) (2025) Liias, Eva; Kettunen, Erja
(Other publication) - Nexus of Migration and Regional Economic Development : Evidence from Regions and Municipalities in Finland  (2025)  2025 RSA Annual Conference  Pratiwi, Ayu; Marjanen, Heli; Kettunen, Erja
(Abstract) - Stakeholders' interest and power contestation in Indonesian palm oil network governance
(Presentation at the 28th International Euro-Asia Research Conference 2025) (2025) Pratiwi, Ayu; Kettunen, Erja
(Other publication) - The Adoption of Green Technologies in Indonesia : Shrimp Farmers' Facebook Group as an Online Community of Practice  (2025)  
- International Journal of Training and Development
 
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - The influence of work from home on work-family conflict and well-being of women employees : An analysis from a gender equality perspective
(Presentation at the 28th International Euro-Asia Research Conference 2025) (2025) Cinteza, Andreea; Futagami, Shiho; Kettunen, Erja
(Other publication) - Towards collaborative EU-Indonesia bargaining on palm oil policy : deconstructing the public discourse  (2025)  
- Asia Europe Journal
 
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Aasiantuntijat -podcast "Suomen ja Etelä-Korean kauppasuhteet ja EU-Korea -vapaakauppasopimus", Turun yliopisto  (2024)   Pitkänen Ari-Joonas, Kettunen-Matilainen Erja
(I1 Audiovisual publication) - Stakeholders' interest, networks and power in Indonesian palm oil governance and responses to EU Deforestation Regulation  (2024)  Finnish Geography Days / Maantieteenpaivat 2024 Pratiwi, Ayu; Kettunen, Erja
(Abstract) - The palm oil debate
(The Sustainable Palm Oil Choice Blog) (2024) Kettunen-Matilainen, Erja
(Other publication) - The Palm Oil Debate
(This blog post was previously published at the SPOC website.) (2024)- UTU GSNETWORK Blog
 
(E1 Popularised blog post) - The palm oil debate: European NGOs as stakeholders in the policy dialogue
(Conference abstract: The 13th International Convention of Asia Scholars ICAS13 "Crossways of Knowledge" 2024) (2024) Crossways of Knowledge: The 13th International Convention of Asia Scholars, Conference - Festival Kettunen, Erja
(Abstract) - Competing Regionalisms in the Asia-Pacific? Versatile Sustainable Development Issues in FTAs  (2023)  
- Peace Review
 
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - EU-Indonesia policy dialogue on palm oil amidst global food security crisis
(Presentation at Maantieteen päivät/Finnish Geography Days 2023) (2023) Kettunen Erja, Pratiwi Ayu
(Other publication) - Good and bad palm oil: The EU-Indonesia bargaining on palm oil policy
(Presentation at the 27th International Euro-Asia Research Conference: "Evolving Euro Asia Business Management. Changing Political and Economic Perspectives" 2023) (2023) Kettunen Erja, Pratiwi Ayu
(Other publication) - Innovation districts in context: Emerging networked models on six continents
(Conference abstract: Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting 2023) (2023) Oinas Päivi, Gómez Lucía, Kalliomäki Helka, Kettunen Erja
(Other publication) - Onko elintarvikevienti Kiinaan kestävää?  (2023)  
- Kauppapolitiikka
 
(D1 Article in a professional journal) - The EU-Japan EPA and the question of formal and informal trade barriers for European businesses in Japan  (2023)  
- Trames: Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences
 
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) 



