Juha Saarinen

Biography

Juha Saarinen is Visiting Fellow in the Europe in the World Programme at the Egmont Institute. He also pursues a PhD in War Studies at the Finnish National Defence University, focusing on the Islamic State’s terrorism campaign in Europe. His primary research interest is jihadism in Europe, particularly in the context of Finland. His research at Egmont focuses on the transnational jihadist network Rawti Shax active in several countries in western Europe. In particular, the research examines the history and evolution of the network’s structure, its activities in various countries in western Europe, and relationships with jihadist actors outside the region – particularly IS. Juha holds postgraduate degrees in Defence Studies from King’s College London, in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and in Middle East and Central Asian Security Studies from the University of St. Andrews.