Professor Raimo Väyrynen was President of the Academy of Finland from 2004 to 2007 and Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs from 2007 to 2009. He has been Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, and at the University of Helsinki, Finland. He was also the Director of the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki, from 2002 to 2004.
Between 1975 and 1987, he was a member or adviser in seven diplomatic delegations appointed by the Government of Finland on the law of the sea, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, disarmament and development and the UN General Assembly. From 1988 until 1991, he served as the Chair on the Advisory Board for Disarmament at the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He has also served as a Consultant of UNESCO, UNIDO, UN Centre on Transnational Corporations, United Nations University, UN Development Programme and UN Department for Disarmament Affairs.
He is a member of several organisations and boards including: the Board of the International Peace Research Institute – Oslo (PRIO), European Union Research Organisations Heads of Research Councils (EUROHORCs); European Research Advisory Board; the High Council of the European University Institute; member of the General Assembly and the Governing Council of the European Science Foundation.
He has authored numerous books and articles.