HE in Finland Birgitta Vuorinen Counsellor of Education

HE in Finland Birgitta Vuorinen Counsellor of Education Department for Higher Education and Science Ministry of Education, Science and Culture 23. 4. 2013 birgitta. vuorinen@minedu. fi

Changing environment

Challenging and changing environment Changing drivers of R&D&I&HEIpolicies: -Globalisation, emerging countries, emerging knowhow Emerging economies, grand challenges, global networking Financial crisis – coherence and quality? -Financial crises Joint efforts such as JTIs, ETPs, JP, ERC, Horizon 2020, Bologna –process/European Higher Education Area -National policies versus European policies? National versus regional policies? Local and organisational strategies? Lisbon Treaty - Researcher careers/ Tenure track EUROPE -Grand societal and Environmental Challenges -Need of a broad based innovation concept and multidisciplinary approach Changing mechanisms in STI&HEI: Global environment EU/ ER(I)A POLICIES A Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth EU 2020 Strategy Innovation Union flagship Budget Review, Financial Regulations -Research infrastructures Different actors and levels: European, national, regional, local, organisational -Modern universities and RTOs -Joint programmes and joint degrees -Distribution of knowledge -Joint pooling of funding (virtual common pots, real common pots, others) -Joint evaluation and assessment activities -Virtual learning

Role of HEIs in the changing world - critical, creative thinking - social dimension and values of the mature HEI-system - public common good Internationalisation strategy 2009 – 2015/ Finland: To create a genuinely international higher education community Increase in the quality and attractivenes s of higher education institutions Education and expertise export Supporting a multicultural society Promotion of global responsibility

GDP, change in volume, per cent

Education in Finland

Ylempi korkeakoulututkinto 5 4 3 2 1 Ylempi 1 ammattikorkeakoulututkint o työkokemus 3 v. 4 Alempi korkeakoulututkinto Ammatti 3 2 korkeakoulututkinto 1 Erikoisammattitutkinto työkokemus Ammattikorkeakoulut Yliopistot Tohtorin tutkinto, lisensiaatin tutkinto Ammattitutkinto Lukiot Toinen aste Korkea-asete Suomen koulutus- ja tutkintojärjestelmä 3 2 1 Ylioppilastutkinto Lukion oppimäärä 3 Ammatillinen 2 perustutkinto 1 Ammatilliset oppilaitokset työkokemus/ osaaminen Perusaste Valmistavat ja valmentavat 10 Peruskoulut Perusopetus (perusopetuksen oppimäärä) Alakoulut, päiväkodit ym. Esiopetus 1 8 1 -9

FORMAL EDUCATION IN FINLAND ISCED classification Doctoral degrees Licentiate degrees Universities 5 A 4 – 5 6 Polytechnic master's degrees Polytechnics Work experience 3 years Master's degrees Bachelor's degrees Universities Polytechnic bachelor's degrees Polytechnics 3 1 – 3 4 Matriculation examination General upper secondary schools Vocational qualifications 0 1– 9 Duration in years 1 Further vocational qualifications * Vocational institutions Basic education, 7 – 16 -year-olds Comprehensive schools Pre -primary education, 6 -year -olds ISCED -classification 1997 * *Also available as apprenticeship training 2 & * Special vocational qualifications 0 Pre -primary education 1– 2 Primary education or lower secondary education 3 Upper secondary education 4 Post -secondary non -tertiary education 5 First stage of tertiary education 6 Second stage of tertiary education

Selected higher education facts about Finland • Population of 5, 4 million • Higher education institution network covers the populated parts of the country – 14 universities (four in the great Helsinki area) – 25 polytechnics • Student enrollment altogether ca. 316 000 University (blue) Polytechnic (green) Research institute (red)

The Finnish Higher Education System • The Finnish higher education system comprises two parallel sectors • University sector – 14 research universities – Student enrollment 168 000, (114 000 FTE) • of which 18 000 doctoral students – All institutions funded by the state • Polytechnic sector [universities of applied sciences] (est. in the mid 1990 s) – – – 25 institutions Student enrollment 148 000, (114 000 FTE) Institutions partly funded by the state, partly by municipalities Regional development tasks Bachelor degrees (vocational and professional degrees) (Professional) Master’s degrees in selected fields

EUA: University autonomy in Europe 2010 • Finnish universities scores well in autonomy comparison: - organisational autonomy: highly autonomous (3. ) - financial autonomy: medium low autonomy (15. ) - staffing autonomy: highly autonomous (6. ) - academic autonomy: highly autonomous (5. )

The Finnish Higher Education System degrees by level

Steering and Funding of HEIs

Steering and funding of HEIs • Legislation and norms • Programme of the Finnish Government – Education and research - Development Plan • Mo. E steering – Negotiations and performance agreements – Information exchange • State budget • State funding for HEIs Universities € 1, 8 bn Polytechnics € 0, 9 bn + Public research funding allocated to universities (Academy of Finland & Tekes) € 0, 3 bn • Tuition-free system

Performance Agreements 2013 -2016 Structure of the agreement between Mo. E and HEIs 1. Objectives set for the higher education system as a whole – – Verbal goals formulated in dialogue with HEIs Comprise the statutory duties, structural development, quality, competitiveness, effectiveness, internationalization, the viewpoint of staff and students, and the costeffectiveness and productivity of the activities. 2. Mission, Profile and Focus Areas of the HEI 3. Key Development Measures – 1 -5 projects per HEI linked to the implementation of the HEI's strategy 4. Financing – The government core funding in total 5. Monitoring and Evaluation

Quantitative targets for universities 2013 -2016 UNIVERSITIES 2010 2011 Target 2013 -2016 Bachelor’s degrees 12 300 10 775 14 200 Master’s degrees 14 384 12 515 15 023 Ph. Ds 1 518 1 653 1 635 Foreign degree students 7 809 8 752 8 950 Exchange students (incoming & outgoing, > 3 months) 10 444 10 257 11 950

Quantitative targets for polytechnics 2013 -2016 POLYTECHNICS 2010 Polytechnic degrees Target 2011 2013 -2016 20 294 21 064 21 907 Vocational teacher education 1 684 1 669 1 600 Polytechnic Masters 1 253 1 521 2 018 Foreign degree students 7 724 8 727 7 475 Exchange students (incoming & outgoing, > 3 months) 8 390 8 539 8 830

Performance indicators 2013 -2016 1(2) Universities • Masters' degrees/ teaching and research personnel • Doctoral degrees/ professors • Scientific publications / teaching and research personnel • Percentage of students who have passed more than 55 study credits • Percentage of competive funding from the university total funding • Staff international mobility / teaching and research personnel

Performance indicators 2013 -2016 2(2) Polytechnics • Polytechnic degrees/ teaching and research personnel • Percentage of students who have passed more than 55 study credits • Study credits passed in R&D-projects / students • Publications, public artistic and design activities, audiovisual material and ICT software / teaching and research personnel • Staff international mobility / teaching and research personnel • Percentage of external R&D-funding from the polytechnic total funding • Percentage of chargeable services from the polytechnic total funding

Monitoring • The HEIs must provide the information requested by the Ministry for the purpose of evaluation, development, statistics and other information needed for monitoring and steering insofar as this information is not otherwise available. • The HEIs are expected to present correct information on their performance and finances in a way that enables their progress be evaluated against the set goals. – Development is annually monitored through indicators which gauge effectiveness and quality – The universities must manage their finances efficiently and use their resources to good effect • From 2010 universities close the books according to the accounting legislation – universities' financial statements are public documents • The Ministry of Education gives feedback to the HEIs on their activities and development needs during the agreement period. – The feedback procedure is used to steer and monitor the implementation of higher education policy objectives during the agreement period. – Feedback is given during the intervening years between negotiations.

Evaluation • The HEIs are responsible for the quality of their education, research and other activities, and for their continuous development and utilisation. • The quality of performance is indirectly taken into account in the Mo. E indicator targets and in the monitoring of their attainment. • Regular evaluations and external audits of quality assurance systems are undertaken to enhance the quality and impact of the educational, research and artistic activities of the universities. • The evaluations are organised by the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC), and the Academy of Finland. – The findings and reports of the evaluations are public • The universities, the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) and the Ministry of Education and Culture are developing a national university student feedback system.

Developing HE

Higher Education • Higher education network is still too fragmented, structural development to be continued – starting in 2013, an art university was created though a merger of the Sibelius Academy, the Academy of Fine Arts and the Theatre Academy – to enhance the quality and efficiency of higher education, measures will be taken to promote joint use of facility services and teacher resources across institutional boundaries • Polytechnics to be reformed – the steering of polytechnics based on financing and statutes will be reformed from the beginning of 2014 to expedite their structural reform and to improve the quality and impact of their operations. – operating licences of polytechnics will be revised from the beginning of 2014 • Quality education expedites entry into the labour market – the reform of higher education admissions and study structures by the end of 2015 in order to expedite entry into higher education – first-time applicants' chances of being admitted to be improved • Promotion of researcher training and research careers – the annual target for the number of doctorates is 1, 600. – universities will shift the focus from researcher training to the development of researcher careers (tenure tracks) • Measures will be taken to improve conditions for basic research in universities and for innovation and product development in polytechnics Great emphasis on internationalisation of HEIs

University reform (2010) • The Universities Act (558/2009) includes – provisions on the mission, administration, operational funding and steering of universities, and matters relating to research and education, students and personnel • 1. 1. 2010 universities became legal persons separate from the State, either as corporations under public law or foundations under the Foundations Act. • Universities took the place of the State as employers • The Ministry of Education and Culture ensures by means of steering that university activities conform to the higher education policy aims set by Parliament and the Government. • Lighter and more strategic level performance agreement procedure between Mo. E and universities • Evaluated 2012 - short term results of the evaluation indicate improvements especially in strategic, economic and internal management and in co-operation with surrounding society

University reform (2010) Aims of the university reform • • Greater autonomy Stronger financial and administrative status: independent legal persons and supplied with sufficient capital. Greater latitude with finances: donations, income from capital and business activities As legal persons, the universities are better able to operate with the surrounding society. – Having their own capital, the universities will have more scope for operating based on their own decisions. – Stronger community relations – e. g. external members of the board Reform did not change • • • The freedom of research, art and education Self-government and academic decision-making Research and higher education remain as the main tasks of the universities Education leading to a degree free of charge The government continues to be responsible for funding the public duties of the universities

Universities' core funding formula reform 2013 • Joint working group of the Ministry and Finnish universities – proposal published November 2011, act passed by government April 2012 • Vision 2020 for the Finnish universities – – – Improved quality Deeper internationalisation Clearer profiles Greater efficiency Stronger impact • New core funding formula from 2013 – A step towards the vision • Improved steering effect – Limited number of indicators – Enhanced transparency • Funding allocated to universities in a lump sum

Universities core funding from 2013

Universities' core funding formula review 2015 • Review of the 2013 funding formula – Aim is to improve quality aspect of the model – Essentially the same joint working group which made proposition for 2013 funding formula • Data from the new quality-based Publication Forum will be included to the funding formula – Federation of Finnish Learned Societies has completed the Publication Forum Project at the initiative of the Universities Finland (UNIFI) • Data from new student feedback system will be included to the funding formula – In January 2012, Universities Finland (UNIFI) set up a working group to prepare a national student feedback survey for universities • Funding formula revision will come into effect 2015

The polytechnic reform Aims of the Polytechnic Reform • To give the polytechnics a stronger position to meet the changes and challenges of the working life, society and regions • As independent legal persons polytechnics will have more independent status and more flexibility to better react and response to the needs of the surrounding society • To enhance the quality and effectiveness of teaching and RDI • To strengthen their role within the system of innovation • To ensure international competitiveness of the polytechnic system • Efforts will be made to gain the commitment of other actors in society to support the polytechnics' mission

The polytechnic reform Timetable and stages • The 1 st strage of the reform is expected to take effect on 1 January 2014 (amendments to legislation) concerning: – new funding model – new operating licenses – updated educational responsibilities – amendments currently discussed in the parliament • In later stage: – transferring the polytechnic financing from local authorities to the government – change of the legal personality of polytechnics

Polytechnics core funding from 2014 (draft)