Martti Koskenniemi

Koskenniemi, international lawyer, former diplomat, and intellectual historian, is an influential interpreter of the history of international law. His book The Gentle Civilizer of Nations (2001) is a foundational text in the field. He is best known for bringing critical theory to the study of international law and thus sharpening it intellectually. At the same time, his scholarship remains tempered by his own diplomatic experience with the actual working of the law, including at the United Nations. As Director of the Erik Castrén Institute, he has actively promoted research and intellectual exchange on international law and human rights.