Chair of the Board of the University of Vaasa, Mari Kiviniemi, at the anniversary celebration: "Increasing the number of students is essential to ensure the rise in skill levels"

According to Mari Kiviniemi, Chair of the Board of the University of Vaasa, it is important to invest in education and research to accelerate economic growth.

– A shortage of skilled professionals prevents strong economic growth. Raising the level of education and skills in Finland is absolutely essential, Kiviniemi reminded.

However, the proportion of young adults with higher education in Finland is only 40% – lower than in our competitor countries. In the Ostrobothnia regions, the figure is even lower.

The government aims to increase this proportion to 50% by 2030. According to Kiviniemi, the measures taken so far are not sufficient, as the problem lies in the decreasing basic funding for universities.

To raise the level of education, she believes a long-term plan that extends beyond government terms and a commitment to increasing funding are needed.

– We should achieve the same cross-party consistency as we have seen in the guidelines concerning R&D expenditures, Kiviniemi reminded.

The share of R&D expenditures is planned to be increased to 4% of GDP in Finland by 2030. However, the allocation of funding needs to be changed from the current state.

– According to the guidelines of the government program, funding is now needed directly for universities and for university R&D activities, with better targeting of doctoral education, said Kiviniemi.

The University of Vaasa plans to educate more than before

In her speech, Kiviniemi emphasised that the strategy of the University of Vaasa excellently supports Finland's important goal of accelerating growth through education and research.

– The University of Vaasa will significantly increase the number of domestic and international students in the coming years. This is essential if we want to catch up with competitor countries and ensure a rise in skill levels.

According to the strategy, the number of students will increase to 7,500 by 2030, and the number of graduates with master's and engineering degrees will rise to 900. Additionally, the number of doctorates is planned to increase.

"In the technology industry, up to 60 percent of recruits must have a higher education degree"

Minna Helle, CEO of Technology Industries of Finland, who spoke at the anniversary celebration, emphasised the importance of economic growth, as public sector savings alone will not save Finland's economy. Like Mari Kiviniemi, she stressed the importance of skilled professionals and R&D activities for economic growth and industry. According to Helle, the challenge of raising the level of education is significant.

– We are nowhere near achieving the 50 percent target. At the same time, in the technology industry, Finland's largest industrial and export sector, already 60 percent of recruits must have a higher education degree. The figure is even higher for entirely new positions.

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According to Helle, it is clear that the need for highly educated individuals will continue to grow in the future, especially as productivity needs to be increased, R&D expenditures are to be raised, and Finland aims to be an attractive country for high-value-added investments.

– We need both high-quality education for all and top expertise that is also globally attractive. The energy ecosystem in the Vaasa region is a great example of this.

She said that the role of universities in enabling companies' R&D activities is crucial.

– The model of the University of Vaasa, where cooperation with companies extends from the beginning of studies to the doctoral level, is a great example of how academic expertise and practical needs are combined.

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In her speech, Minna Martikainen, Rector of the University of Vaasa, stated that the university has strong cooperation with companies in both research projects and teaching. The university has also established new strategic partnerships. The goal is also to promote new business activities.

– The University of Vaasa aims to offer the highest possible quality to its partners. Last year, we were among the top 500 universities in the Times Higher Education university ranking, the 17th best small university in the world, and the 73rd best young university. In the Shanghai Ranking, we were the top university in Finland in business studies. Additionally, we have received AACSB accreditation, which only six percent of universities offering business degrees worldwide have achieved.

University of Vaasa awarded its best research and teaching acts

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During the anniversary celebration, the University of Vaasa awarded the research and teaching acts of the year. The Research Act of the Year 2024 was awarded to Professor of Energy Technology MaciejMikulski, Head of Financial Services Elina Blomqvist, Laboratory Manager Sonja Heikkilä and Dean of the School of Technology and Innovations Raine Hermans for the service model of joint laboratory research infrastructure. University teachers Susanna Mantila and Mia Juthman got the Teaching Act of the Year 2024 for their online course “Finnish as a Foreign Language”. 

In addition, University Lecturer Juho-Pekka Mäkipää received the Good Teacher award and University Lecturer Teemu Mäenpää an honorary mention from the Students' Union of the University of Vaasa. The Student Support Award was given to Specialist in Study Affairs Hanna Korpela. Read more.

Watch a streaming video of the event:

Vaasan yliopiston 57. vuosijuhla 27.1.2025

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