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

EUROPE

Financial crisis – coherence and quality?

EU/ ER(I)A

Joint efforts such as JTIs, ETPs, JP, ERC, Horizon2020,

Bologna –process/European Higher Education Area

POLICIES

A Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth

EU2020 Strategy

Innovation Union flagship

Budget 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

GDP, change in volume, per cent

Education in Finland

Suomen koulutus- ja

tutkintojärjestelmä

1

Perusopetus (perusopetuksen oppimäärä)

Esiopetus

Peruskoulut

Alakoulut, päiväkodit ym.

10

1 - 9

Tohtorin tutkinto, lisensiaatin

tutkinto

Ylempi korkeakoulututkinto

Alempi korkeakoulututkinto

Ylempi

ammattikorkeakoulututkint

o

Ammatti-

korkeakoulututkinto

Ylio

pis

tot

Am

matti-

kork

eakoulu

t

4

3

2

1

15

4

3

2

1

työkokemus 3 v.

Peru

s-

aste

To

inen

aste

Ko

rkea

-asete

Valmistavat ja valmentavat

Ylioppilastutkinto

Lukion oppimäärä

Lukio

t Ammatillinen

perustutkinto

Erikoisammattitutkinto

Ammattitutkinto

3

2

1

3

2

1

Ammatilliset

oppilaitokset työkokemus/

osaaminen

työkokemus

8

FORMAL EDUCATION IN FINLAND

Pre -primary education, 6 -year -olds

Basic education, 7 –16 -year -oldsComprehensive schools

Matriculation examination

General upper secondary schools

Bachelor'sdegrees

Universities

Polytechnic bachelor's degrees

Polytechnics

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 education1– 2 Primary education or lower secondary education 3 Upper secondary education4 Post -secondary non -tertiary education5 First stage of tertiary education6 Second stage of tertiary education

Dura

tio

nin

ye

ars

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 examination

General upper secondary schools

Bachelor'sdegrees

Universities

Polytechnic bachelor's degrees

Polytechnics

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 education1– 2 Primary education or lower secondary education 3 Upper secondary education4 Post -secondary non -tertiary education5 First stage of tertiary education6 Second stage of tertiary education

Dura

tio

nin

ye

ars

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 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 MoE 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 cost-

effectiveness 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

PhDs 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 2011

Target

2013-2016

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 reform

Timetable 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)