Other interaction

Related to its duty of advance oversight of legality, the Intelligence Ombudsman seeks to contribute to the legal debate on intelligence activities. The Intelligence Ombudsman keeps up with research and teaching in the field of intelligence and publishes news on intelligence research on its website. Intelligence research and teaching is gaining ground in Finland, as the following publications, among others, show.       

National Defence University       

  • Dr Toni Mononen, Editors of the information received: The General Headquarters Intelligence Office as an enemy image builder 1939–1944, Doria, 2023 (in Finnish)
  • Dr Heidi Ruotsalainen, The producers of classified information: The development of the Finnish military attaché system 1918–1939, Doria, 2020 (in Finnish)
  • Dr Vladimir Panschin, Dilettantes or experts?: Surveillance and counter-intelligence led by the Headquarters Surveillance Division in the Winter and Continuation Wars, Doria, 2018 (in Finnish)
  • Dr Martin Bang, Military Intelligence Analysis: Institutional Influence, Doria, 2017
  • Prof. Tommi Koivula (ed.), On the trail of Finnish intelligence culture, Doria, 2020 (in Finnish).

The Intelligence Research Network of the National Defence University brings together public intelligence research conducted within the Defence Forces. The network has been in operation since 2019 and aims to contribute to the emergence of a Finnish intelligence research community and maintain a snapshot of ongoing research projects and theses. 

University of Turku                                                                                                                               

Dr Mari Luukkonen, In the shadow of the Iron Curtain. Supo in the tension between East and West 1978–1990, Otava, 2022 (in Finnish).

University of Vaasa                                                                                                                               

  • MSc Joonas Widlund, More Than Just Blind Guardians?: A Legal Analysis of Finnish Parliamentary Oversight of Intelligence, Scandinavian Studies in Law, 2023   
  • MSc Joonas Widlund, Originator Control in international intelligence cooperation, Lakimies, 2022 (in Finnish)
  • MSc Joonas Widlund – Adjunct Prof. Jyri Paasonen, Information, power and intelligence control: An evaluation of the Intelligence Ombudsman, Oikeus, 2021 (in Finnish).

University of Jyväskylä                                                                                                               

  • Col. (ret.), MSc Jyrki Isokangas (ed.), World of Intelligence: China: Reports from the Intelligence Analysis course I, JYX, 2023 (in Finnish)
  • Col. (ret.), MSc Jyrki Isokangas (ed.), World of Intelligence: Changing intelligence: Reports from the Intelligence Analysis course I, JYX, 2023 (in Finnish)
  • Col. (ret.), MSc Jyrki Isokangas – MSc Marja-Leena Rantalainen (eds.), World of Intelligence: Reports from the Intelligence Analysis course I, JYX, 2022 (in Finnish).

University of Jyväskylä offers the opportunity to study in the Master's programme in Security and Strategic Analysis. The public Master's theses completed under the programme can be found here (in Finnish).

The Introduction to intelligence online course can be accessed via this link.