Johanna Jacobsson
I'm originally from Helsinki, the capital of Finland, but I’ve lived in six different countries and speak six languages. I hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Law, qualifications in Russian and East European Studies, and completed my PhD in 2016. Australia, Italy, now Spain, and more—my time abroad has been the defining story of my life and given me an unshakeable global mindset. My career has allowed me to work in private practice and think tanks, and collaborate with prestigious institutions like the Finnish government and the European Union. Now, my focus is on my students and preparing them to be shapers of the future.
"The main idea is to enhance understanding and the capacity to think critically, and prepare them to be shapers of the future."
Globetrotter with an unshakeable global mindset
Johanna Jacobsson describes herself as a trade lawyer, with expertise in international economic and trade law, as well as European Union law. Over 15-plus years, she has built an exemplary career that transcends borders and has risen to the top of her field.
Originally from Helsinki—the capital of Finland—Johanna has fond memories of growing up and studying in the city. She always knew that she was meant for the global stage—at the tender age of seven, Johanna announced to her parents that there was no way she was going to live out her life in Finland. She was well on her way to achieving this goal even before starting university when she had her first experience abroad. Johanna went to study in Australia for a year during high school and this experience proved to be “the defining story” of her life.
Since then, she has been on a mission to build up an impressive professional profile. Johanna started her academic journey by earning both her Bachelor and Master of Law at the University of Helsinki, and her Bachelor in Russian language and literature from the institution at the same time. She then went on to pursue a second master’s degree in Comparative, European and International Legal Studies, EU Law, and International Trade Law. Johanna rounds off her notable accolades with a PhD, which she completed in 2016.
Apart from a glowing academic track record, Johanna has also built an international career that has taken her all over the world. So far, she has lived in six countries and speaks six languages. In the beginning, while she always knew that she would eventually want to practice law internationally, she really wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. She started with the idea to engage in diplomacy or international relations, but eventually opted to experience multiple sides of legal practice.
As it turns out, this was the best choice for Johanna. She immediately went into private practice at a law firm after graduation before transitioning into a more academic role. Later, her work as a law clerk—or référendaire—within the Court of Justice of the European Union stands out in particular. She also worked at a think tank for a while.
“I’m very happy that, after all my adventures, I ended up in Spain.”
Johanna completed her PhD in Italy, marking her pivot from private practice to an academic career. Law practice, governments, a think tank and academia—almost all sides of the legal profession. She joined the faculty at IE University at this point, where she has been working for the past five years. Johanna is happy that, after all her adventures, she ended up in Spain, which is fairly close to Finland—it’s only on the other side of Europe. She describes IE University as a “natural fit” for her because of the shared ethos and ideology. “There’s this deep global mindset that we see in everything,” she explains.
For most of her career, Johanna’s work has focused on economic integration between countries. This covers anything that touches on the cross-border transactions of states, business and people. Her focus now is on teaching, researching and consulting. “I work quite a bit with the European Union and have consulted on private projects with the European Commission and some private clients as well.”
In terms of research, she has recently been working particularly on international trade of professional services, looking into some of the market access barriers that regulated professionals face when they are working in an international setting, and the impacts of digitization. She has even published a book on the liberalization of trading services. This topic is quite relevant for her students—many of whom might not be qualified in the jurisdictions where they might end up working.
For Johanna, the future is a place full of possibility. In September, she will start doing more consulting work and also looks forward to joining a legal startup to help them in their expansion in the European market. Through all this, Johanna intends to continue teaching at IE University and be available to advise her students. By engaging them in practical exercises, Johanna hopes to give them the hands-on knowledge they need to join the workforce. “However, the most important thing is to enhance the students’ understanding and their capacity to think critically, and prepare them to be shapers of the future.”
Visit her LinkedIn Profile.
