1. Higher Education & Research Strategies
in Finland
Séminaire TAIEX sur le développement de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche
Alger 14 – 15 Novembre 2016
Reijo Aholainen
Counsellor for Education, MoE

2. Higher Education & Research Strategies in Finland 2006 - 2016
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Higher Education & Research Strategies in Finland
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

3. Finnish Higher Education & Research
1. Introduction

4. Finnish Higher Education & Research
1.1.Suomi - Finland
History and culture influenced by location between east and west
Part of Sweden 600 years up to 1809
Grand Duchy of Russia in
Independent since 1917
EU member state since 1995
Relatively sparsely populated
km², 5,5 mill. inhabitants
Two national languages, two churches
Finnish 88%, Swedish 5%
Lutheran 76%, Orthodox 1%
Competitive economy
BKT/capita € in 2015
Unemployment level 7,2% in 08/2016

5. 1.2. About Finnish Education
Finnish Higher Education & Research
1.2. About Finnish Education
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

6. Finnish Higher Education & Research
Education Reforms
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

7. Finnish Higher Education & Research
1.3. Strategy Documents
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Government’s Education and Research Development Plans (MoEC)
Education and Research 2007 – 2011
Education and Research
Government Communication to the Parliament (MEE)
National Innovation strategy (2008)
Research and Innovation Policy Review (RIC)

8. 2. Higher Education Reforms
Finnish Higher Education & Research
2. Higher Education Reforms
Alvar Aalto

9. Finnish Higher Education & Research
2.1. Background of Reforms
Background
Globalisation and its consequences in the economy and society
Demographic change: ageing population
Changes in working life: incidence of jobs and competences
Changes in society and children’s environment

10. Finnish Higher Education & Research
Objectives of Reforms
General Objectives
Increase top international expertise
Establish more effective higher education units
Improve competitiveness of the higher education system
High quality research to bolster innovation capacity of the economy

11. University Reform Targets
Finnish Higher Education & Research
University Reform Targets
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

12. Finnish Higher Education & Research
2.2. New University Act (558/2009)
Mission
Autonomy
Legal Capacity
Administration
Financing and funds
Steering
Education and Research
Evaluation
Students
Staff, employment relations

13. Main Changes brought by the University Reform
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Main Changes brought by the University Reform
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

14. Public and Foundation Universities
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Public and Foundation Universities
Public Universities (14)
Foundation Universities (2)
Legal status: Corporations under Universities Act (2009).
Board: The highest executive body; members: elected professors, other staff and students, plus externals (at least 40%)
University collegiate body Elects external Board members, confirms election of university groupings to board, confirms financial statement, etc.
Legal status: Foundations un der Universities Act (2009) and Foundations Act (1930).
Board: Decides the strategy, operations, finances and other far-reaching plans; 7 members, appointed by the Multi-member body
Multimember collegiate body Decides on curricula, degree requirement, admission criteria, general rules of teaching and research; ,

15. Structural Development
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Structural Development
In 2005
In 2015
20 Universities;
students enrolled
doctoral students
29 Polytechnics (UAS)
students enrolled
21 Research Institutes
Internal and inter-university structural development: prioritising, profiling
14 Universities;
students enrolled
doctoral students;
24 UAS (Polytechnics)
students enrolled
13 Research Institutes
Structural development continues: pooling resources, agreements on division of labour

16. Construction of the Aalto University
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Construction of the Aalto University
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 students and 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.

17. Steering and funding of Universities
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Steering and funding of Universities
Steering instruments:
Legislation
Education Development Plan of the Government
Steering of the Ministry
Performance agreements
Negotiations and feedback
Site visits
Information steering
Budget steering
Financing criteria

18. Steering with Budget Formula
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Steering with Budget Formula
Impact
Quality
Internationalisation
Education
41%
Master’s degrees %
Master’s degrees awarded to foreigners 1%
Bachelor’s degrees %
Study credits in open university 2%
Students with at least 55 credits 12%
Student mobility to and from Finland %
Number of employed graduates 1%
Research
34%
PhD degrees 9%
PhD degrees awarded to foreigners %
Scientific publications 13%
International teaching and research staff 2%
Competed research funding 9%
Other policy issues 25%
Strategic development 10%
Field-specific funding 8%
National responsibilities 7%

19. Qualifications and Quality
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Qualifications and Quality
Quality Assurance
External Evaluation
National Center of Education Evaluation
Internal Quality Assurance and self-evaluation
University Act
Polytechnic Act
Basic Education Act
Vocational Education Act
Vocational Adult Education Act
Liberal Adult Education Act
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

20. Finnish Higher Education & Research
2.3. Reform of Universities of Applied Sciences (Polytechnics)
Objectives
Strengthen the Universities of Applied Sciences to meet the challenges of the surrounding society
Strengthen the strategic competence for profiling, focus area choices, leadership and decision making
Enhance the quality and effectiveness of teaching and RDI
Strengthening their role in innovation
Ensure international competitiveness
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

21. 3. Research and Innovation Reforms & Policies
Finnish Higher Education & Research
3. Research and Innovation Reforms & Policies
A.I. Virtanen
Martti Ahtisaari
Bengt Holmström

22. 3.1. Key Actors in Finnish STI Policy
Finnish Higher Education & Research
3.1. Key Actors in Finnish STI Policy
GOVERNMENT:
Mini
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Employment and Economy
Other Ministries
Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation
TEKES
Academy of Finland
Finnish Innovation Funds
SITRA U
Universities
Research
Institutes
Universities of Applied Sciences
Universities
Universities of Applied Sciences

23. 3.2. Research Policy Reforms
Finnish Higher Education & Research
3.2. Research Policy Reforms
Research Policy Objectives
R&D financing target: 4% of GDP
Enhanced Doctoral Education
International cooperation, EU RDI Programs (FP7, Horizon)
R&I infrastructures, ESFRI
Input in the innovation strategy
Open science, open data, open innovation
Strategic centres of STI (SHOKs) and regional Centres of Excellence

24. Doctor Education, Graduate Schools
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Doctor Education, Graduate Schools
Development Plan 2007–2011
Increased cooperation in researcher training with foreign universities, research organisations and researcher training programmes
The Academy of Finland will take over the administration of graduate schools in 2010.
Increase the size of Graduate Schools, to reduce their number and to strengthen national networking
Target of doctoral student places in graduate schools by 2012
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

25. Funding of Research and Innovation
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Funding of Research and Innovation
GOVERNMENT:
R&D Financing in 2015: € 2,2,´bn in the Government Budget
Mini
Ministry of Education
Ministry of Employment and Economy
Other Ministries
Finnish Innovation Funds (SITRA)
Academy of Finland
Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation (TEKES) U
Universities
Universities of Applied
Sciences
Other Research
Institutes

26. Finnish Higher Education & Research
Funding of Research
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

27. Research Funding Agencies
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Research Funding Agencies
RDI funding from TEKES
(231 million € in 2016)
Research funding from the Academy of Finland (230 million € in 2016)
Research Councils (4 sectors)
Researcher posts and researcher mobility
Research programmes and projects, Centres of Excellence, Development research, Strategic research
Research infrastructures, FiDiPro, Universities’ research profiling, SHOKs
Start-ups (under 5 years)
SMEs boosting export
Large companies seeking renewal
Research organisations to commercialise research results
Public sector service providers seeking to improve quality of services

28. Finnish Higher Education & Research
Open science, open data
Open Science:
Open Access publishing & publications
Digitalisation of reports & research data
Open Source
Open Data
Open Innovation:
Crowd sourcing: users, consumers, employees

29. 3.3. Research and Innovation Council (RIC)
Higher Education Research & Innovation
3.3. Research and Innovation Council (RIC)
Research and Innovation Council
advises the Government and Ministries in matters concerning research, technology, innovation and their utilisation and evaluation. 
responsible for the strategic development and coordination of Finnish science and technology policy as well as of the national innovation system as a whole.  
Composition the RIC:
Prime Minister, the chair
Ministers of Education, of Economic Affairs, of Finance and other Ministers
Academy of Finland, Tekes,
Business and Industry, Trade Unions
Universities etc.

30. 3.4. National Innovation Strategy 2008
Finnish Higher Education & Research
3.4. National Innovation Strategy 2008
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

31. Research and Innovation Policy Review and Reform Programme 2014
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Research and Innovation Policy Review and Reform Programme 2014
Key development areas
Other key targets
A radical reform of the higher education system
Promoting the exploitation and impact of R&I results
Strengthening new sources of growth, intellectual capital and entrepreneurship
Improvement of the overall knowledge-base of the population and selective support for cutting-edge skills
Reform of public sector and closer cross-administrative cooperation
Adequate and targeting of R&D funding

32. Find more information in: http://www.minedu.fi
Finnish Higher Education & Research
Find more information in: