HE in FinlandBirgitta VuorinenCounsellor of EducationDepartment for Higher Education and Science

Ministry of Education, Science and Culture23.4.2013

birgitta.vuorinen@minedu.fi

Changing environment

Challenging and changing environment

EUROPEFinancial crisis – coherence and quality?EU/ ER(I)AJoint efforts such as JTIs, ETPs, JP, ERC, Horizon2020, Bologna –process/European Higher Education Area

POLICIESA Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth EU2020 StrategyInnovation Union flagshipBudget Review, Financial Regulations

Global environment Emerging economies, grand challenges, global networking

Changing mechanisms in STI&HEI:- Researcher careers/ Tenure track- Research

infrastructures

- 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

Changing drivers of R&D&I&HEI-policies:- Globalisation,

emerging countries, emerging knowhow

- Grand societal and Environmental Challenges

- Financial crises

- Need of a broad based innovation concept and multidisciplinary approach

- National policies versus European policies? National versus regional policies? Local and organisational strategies? Lisbon Treaty

Different actors and levels: European, national, regional,local,organisational

Internationalisation strategy 2009 – 2015/ Finland:

To create a genuinely

international higher

education community

Promotion of global

responsibility

Supporting a multicultural

society

Education and

expertise export

Increase in the quality

and attractivenes

s of higher education

institutions

Role of HEIs in the changing world- critical, creative thinking- social dimension and values of the mature

HEI-system- public common good

GDP, change in volume, per cent

Education in Finland

Suomen koulutus- ja tutkintojärjestelmä

1Perusopetus (perusopetuksen oppimäärä)Esiopetus

PeruskoulutAlakoulut, päiväkodit ym.

101 - 9

Tohtorin tutkinto, lisensiaatin tutkinto

Ylempi korkeakoulututkinto

Alempi korkeakoulututkinto

Ylempi ammattikorkeakoulututkint

o

Ammatti-korkeakoulututkinto

Ylio

pist

ot

Am

mat

ti-ko

rkea

koul

ut

4321

154321

työkokemus 3 v.

Peru

s-as

teTo

inen

ast

eK

orke

a-as

ete

Valmistavat ja valmentavat

YlioppilastutkintoLukion oppimäärä

Luki

ot Ammatillinen perustutkinto

Erikoisammattitutkinto

Ammattitutkinto

321

321

Ammatilliset oppilaitokset työkokemus/

osaaminen

työkokemus

8

FORMAL EDUCATION IN FINLAND

Pre-primary education, 6-year-olds

Basic education, 7–16-year-oldsComprehensive schools

Matriculation examinationGeneral upper

secondary schools

Bachelor'sdegrees

UniversitiesPolytechnic

bachelor'sdegreesPolytechnics

Master'sdegrees

Polytechnicmaster's degrees

Polytechnics

Doctoral degrees

Licentiate-degrees

Universities

6

5A

4

3

2

&

1

0

ISCED-classification

ISCED- classification 19970 Pre- primary education

1– 2 Primary education or lower secondary education 3 Upper secondary education

4 Post- secondary non- tertiary education5 First stage of tertiary education6 Second stage of tertiary education

Dura

tion

in y

ears

1–9

1

–3

4–5

Vocational institutions*Also available as apprenticeship training

Furthervocational

qualifications*Vocational

qualifications*

Specialvocational

qualifications*

Work experience 3 years

FORMAL EDUCATION IN FINLAND

Pre-primary education, 6-year-olds

Basic education, 7–16-year-oldsComprehensive schools

Matriculation examinationGeneral upper

secondary schools

Bachelor'sdegrees

UniversitiesPolytechnic

bachelor'sdegreesPolytechnics

Master'sdegrees

Polytechnicmaster's degrees

Polytechnics

Doctoral degrees

Licentiate-degrees

Universities

6

5A

4

3

2

&

1

0

ISCED-classification

ISCED- classification 19970 Pre- primary education

1– 2 Primary education or lower secondary education 3 Upper secondary education

4 Post- secondary non- tertiary education5 First stage of tertiary education6 Second stage of tertiary education

Dura

tion

in y

ears

1–9

1

–3

4–5

Vocational institutions*Also available as apprenticeship training

Furthervocational

qualifications*Vocational

qualifications*

Specialvocational

qualifications*

Work experience 3 years

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-1990s)– 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• MoE steering

– Negotiations and performance agreements– Information exchange

• State budget• State funding for HEIs

Universities € 1,8 bnPolytechnics € 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 MoE and HEIs1. 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 cost-effectiveness and productivity of the activities.

2. Mission, Profile and Focus Areas of the HEI3. Key Development Measures

– 1-5 projects per HEI linked to the implementation of the HEI's strategy 4. Financing

– The government core funding in total5. Monitoring and Evaluation

Quantitative targets for universities 2013-2016

UNIVERSITIES2010 2011

Target 2013-2016

Bachelor’s degrees 12 300 10 775 14 200

Master’s degrees 14 384 12 515 15 023

PhDs 1 518 1 653 1 635Foreign degree students 7 809 8 752 8 950Exchange students (incoming & outgoing, > 3 months)

10 444 10 257 11 950

Quantitative targets for polytechnics 2013-2016

POLYTECHNICS2010 2011

Target2013-2016

Polytechnic degrees 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 MoE 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 MoE 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

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

University reform (2010)

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 reformTimetable and stages• The 1st 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)