Erja Kettunen-Matilainen
D.Sc. (Econ. & Bus.Adm.)
erja.kettunen-matilainen@utu.fi +358 40 577 1537 Rehtorinpellonkatu 3 Turku |
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.
- Nordic Asia Podcast: Finnish Maritime Interaction with China in the 18th Century (2022) Kettunen-Matilainen Erja, Pitkänen Ari-Joonas
- The New Silk Road, EU-China Connectivity and Global Logistics Crisis: Nordic Perspective to the Eurasian Land Bridge Rail Routes (2022) Asia-Europe Industrial Connectivity in Times of Crisis Kettunen Erja, Alvstam Claes G.
- China’s New Silk Road in a Nordic perspective: The origins and development of the Finland-China rail routes (2021) Crafting a Global Future Kettunen Erja, Alvstam Claes
- China’s New Trade Governance in Asia-Pacific
(Conference abstract) (2021) Kettunen Erja, Alvstam Claes - Finnish architects and urban planners in Asia and Africa (2021)
- UTU GSNETWORK Blog
- Hyvä oppikirja ja yleisteos Itä-Aasiasta kiinnostuneille (2021)
- Terra: Maantieteellinen Aikakauskirja
- Innovation districts in Bangkok: The ‘landing’ of an urban planning concept in an emerging economy mega-city
(Conference presentation) (2021) Kettunen-Matilainen Erja - Kiskot vievät Kiinaan, Koreaan ja Japaniin (2021)
- Kauppapolitiikka
- The EU-Japan EPA and the question of formal and informal trade barriers for European businesses in Japan
(Conference abstract) (2021) Kettunen Erja, Alvstam Claes - Towards the European aim of sustainable industry: Multi-stakeholder bargaining for circular economy
(Conference abstract) (2021) Abstract book of The Annual Meeting of Finnish Geographers 2021 Kettunen Erja - Cadet Israel Reinius and Finland's first China-dissertation in 1749 (2020) Erja Kettunen-Matilainen
- China’s New Silk Road in a Nordic perspective: The origins and development of the Finland-China rail routes (2020) Connectivity, Industry and Technological Change: Europe and Asia in a Global Context Kettunen Erja, Alvstam Claes
- Employment and Human Resource Development of Disabled Workers in Japan and Finland: A Comparative Study from the Perspective of Diversity and Inclusion (2020) Connectivity, Industry and Technological Change: Europe and Asia in a Global Context Futagami Shiho , Kettunen Erja
- Innovation Districts in Bangkok: The concept and its implementation
(Conference abstract) (2020) Kettunen Erja - Mapping out EU-South Korea relations: key member states' perspectives (2020) Mapping Out EU-South Korea Relations: Key Member States’ Perspectives (Volume II) Jordan Baev, Sunkung Choi, Lucia Husenicova, Erja Kettunen-Matilainen, Alica Kizekova, Elina Sinkkonen, Peter Ward, Andreea Zaharia
- Negotiating sustainable development (2020)
- UTU GSNETWORK Blog
- Sustainable development and Free Trade Agreements (2020)
- Baltic Rim Economies
- The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement as a Norm Model for Sustainable Development Issues in the Future EU FTAs in Asia (2020) Sustainable Development and Energy Transition in Europe and Asia Erja Kettunen, Claes G. Alvstam
- The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement: Multilateralizing Regionalism? (2020) The changing global environment in Asia and human resource management strategies Kettunen Erja
- 女性の雇用・人材開発に関する日欧比較:産学におけるダイバーシティ&インクルージョンの視点からの分析
[A Comparison on Employment and Human Resource Development of Female Professionals between Japan and Europe: An Analysis from the Perspective of Diversity and Inclusion in Industry and Academia] [In Japanese] (2020) 雇用・人材開発の日欧比較:ダイバーシティ&インクルージョンの視点からの分析 [A Comparison on Employment and Human Resource Development between Japan and Europe: An Analysis from the Perspective of Diversity and Inclusion] [In Japanese] Shiho Futagami, Erja Kettunen
[ 二神枝保、エルヤ・ケットュネン ]