Dr Anna-Maria Wiljanen, PhD, MSc, was appointed Director of the Finnish Institute in Japan in January 2018. Prior to this, she served as Executive Director of the UPM Kymmene Cultural Foundation in Helsinki, and spent 10 years in various roles at the Finnish National Gallery. Dr Wiljanen also brings extensive experience from the corporate sector. Her research interests include women’s empowerment, 19th-century European artists' colonies, network theory, social well-being, connections among artists, women artists, artists' residences, and the mobility of artists.