Finland in the 21st Century World
August 2 @ 2:00 pm CDT
/ $11 – $159Event Navigation
This event is being held in-person and is open to everyone. Ticket prices vary and are available on the FinnFest website at the link below.
Held at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, FinnFest is a unique international event, providing a meeting place for people of various backgrounds, intrigued by and connected to the Nordic cultures. For over 40 years, the festival has featured lectures, films, live music, dances, tours, seminars, demonstrations, exhibits and the Nordic Fair with shopping and food. Join Global Minnesota at FinnFest in Duluth for a fireside chat with the Ambassador of Finland to the U.S. Leena-Kaisa Mikkola and Diplomat in Residence Tom Hanson.
Ambassador Leena-Kaisa Mikkola is the Ambassador of Finland to the United States and was appointed to this role in September 2024. Prior to that, she served as the Ambassador of Finland to the People’s Republic of China from 2021 to 2024. Ambassador Mikkola is a career diplomat and joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in 1992. She has served as Finland’s Ambassador to Israel (2011–2016) and as the Director General for Africa and the Middle East (2017–2021). Previous posts include the diplomatic missions in Australia, Belgium, Greece, and Hungary.
Tom Hanson is a former Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State whose diplomatic postings included East Germany, France, Norway, the Soviet Union, Sweden, and the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. A frequent Global Minnesota Great Decisions speaker, he is currently the Diplomat in Residence at the Alworth Institute for International Affairs at the University of Minnesota – Duluth and serves as Chair of the Minnesota Committee on Foreign Relations.
This program is presented by FinnFest USA. FinnFest is an annual festival that celebrates the culture and history of Finland. Held in Duluth, Minnesota, the festival runs from July 31- August 3 and features dozens of exhibits, panel discussions, and concerts celebrating Finland. Global Minnesota is participating in this discussion during the festival.