Higher Education Reforms

Introduction

• Introduction

• About Finland
• Finnish Education
• Strategy Documents

• Higher Education Reforms

• University Reform
• Reform of Universities of Applied Sciences

• Research and Innovation Reforms & Policies

• Main Actors
• Research Policy Reforms
• Research and Innovation Council
• Innovation Strategy

History and culture influenced by location between east and west

• History and culture influenced by location between east and west

• Part of Sweden 600 years up to 1809
• Grand Duchy of Russia in 1809-1917
• Independent since 1917
• EU member state since 1995

• Relatively sparsely populated

• 338 000 km², 5,5 mill. inhabitants

• Two national languages, two churches

• Finnish 88%, Swedish 5%
• Lutheran 76%, Orthodox 1%

• Competitive economy

• BKT/capita € 38 162 in 2015
• Unemployment level 7,2% in 08/2016

99,7% of pupils complete basic education by 16; Finnish youth on top in OECD PISA survey since 2000

• 99,7% of pupils complete basic education by 16; Finnish youth on top in OECD PISA survey since 2000

• 86% of young adults complete upper secondary education by the age of 25

• 40% of young adults complete higher education by age of 30

• 53% adults take part in adult education annually; Finnish adults on top in OECD PIAAC s in 2012

1970ies

• 1970ies

• Comprehensive School Reform

• Teacher Education Reform

• 1980ies

• Secondary VET Reform

• 1990ies

• Decentralisation of Governance

• Polytechnics Reform

• 2000 -

• Vocational College Strategy

• Total Reform of Adult Education

• University Reform

• Polytechnic Reform

Government’s Education and Research Development Plans (MoEC)

• Government’s Education and Research Development Plans (MoEC)

• Education and Research 2007 – 2011
• Education and Research 2011 - 2016

• Government Communication to the Parliament (MEE)

• National Innovation strategy (2008)

• Research and Innovation Policy Review 2015 - 2020 (RIC)

Background

• Background

General Objectives

• General Objectives

New University Act

• New University Act

• Financial Autonomy
• Professional Management
• Legal Status
• MoE Steering

• Structural Development

• Stronger HEIs

• Quality and Quality Assurance

• Qualification Reform
• Enhancing basic and applied research
• Internationalisation

Mission

• Mission

• Autonomy

• Legal Capacity

• Administration

• Financing and funds

• Steering

• Education and Research

• Evaluation

• Students

• Staff, employment relations

Universities became legal persons

• Universities became legal persons

• Corporations under public law or Foundations under Foundation Act

• Universities gained larger autonomy and stronger financial status

• Better connected with society and economy

• External board members
• Own capital

• Universities became employers of their staff

• Government budget funding complemented with donations and own business activities

• Public Universities (14)

In 2005

• In 2005

Aalto University is a foundation university with 6 schools (Arts, design and Architecture; Business; Chemical Technology; Business, Electrical Engineering; Engineering; Science) and strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, start-ups, internationalisation and top quality (e.g. Design Factory, Start-up sauna). In total 20 000 students and 4 500 staff.

• Aalto University is a foundation university with 6 schools (Arts, design and Architecture; Business; Chemical Technology; Business, Electrical Engineering; Engineering; Science) and strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, start-ups, internationalisation and top quality (e.g. Design Factory, Start-up sauna). In total 20 000 students and 4 500 staff.

• Constructed by a merger of the University of Technology, the School of Economics and the University of Art and Design. The purpose is to create an interdisciplinary top quality university to boost new innovation.

Steering instruments:

• Steering instruments:

Degree reform 2005: three cycles of degrees in line with the Bologna process

• Degree reform 2005: three cycles of degrees in line with the Bologna process

• Right to award degrees determined for each HEI in legislation / in operation licences

• General objectives and the extent of degrees defined in legislation

• HEIs are responsibility of their curricula

Means

• Means

• Universities of Applied Sciences (Polytechnics) as legal persons, limited companies

• The responsibility for core funding entirely transferred from local authorities to the state

• New funding model

• New operating licences

• Updated educational responsibilities

• Research Policy Objectives

Development Plan 2007–2011

• Development Plan 2007–2011

• Target for doctorates 1 600/year with the aim of business and industry employing more PhDs.

• Universities take over the doctoral programmes, compiling them primarily into one Graduate School

• Academy of Finland takes care on financing Graduate Schools

• Focus on researcher careers (tenure tracks)

• Evaluation after the planning period

Basic funding from MoEC

• Basic funding from MoEC

• Part of Budget Formula
• Professors’ legal duty for education and research

• Competitive funding

• Academy of Finland
• Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation (TEKES)
• EU (Horizon) and other international sources
• Private donations

Research funding from the Academy of Finland (230 million € in 2016)

• Research funding from the Academy of Finland (230 million € in 2016)

Open Science:

• Open Science:

• Open Access publishing & publications

• Digitalisation of reports & research data

• Open Source

• Open Data

• Open Innovation:

• Crowd sourcing: users, consumers, employees

Government’s Communication to the Parliament

• Government’s Communication to the Parliament

• Reinforcing the competence base

• Broad-based innovation activity

• Internationalisation

• Strong networked innovation centres

• Internationally competitive higher education

• Support growth businesses

• Strengthen demand and user orientation

• Central Government corporate steering

• Resources for innovation activity

• International review of the innovation system

Key development areas

• Key development areas