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Higher education is facing increasing expectations on accountability, better quality, outcomes and social relevance. Recruitment of academic staff is often considered the single most important component in creating a successful university. This paper describes a model for proactive strategic recruitment that can be seen as a way to improve strategic academic recruitments and, consequently, outcomes of academic work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the campus-based tensions which are emerging in the multi-campus university during a critical period of structural development. A multi-campus system easily generates intrinsic tensions between ‘localist’ campus-based interests and system-level interests, in which the interests of external stakeholders often play a central role. These campus-based tensions are empirically explored through two illustrative examples involving the University of Eastern Finland, which is a multi-campus university established through the merger of two universities in 2010. The key theoretical idea of the analysis derives from a multi-scalar framework, in which the actors and processes of structural development are analyzed across multiple geographical scales. The findings of the case studies are divided into four types, addressing the competitive spatial horizons of the main university actors and stakeholders. From a management perspective, structural development in a multi-campus university is seen as a difficult balancing act between campus-based and system-wide interests. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines how institutional positioning has emerged in the meaning-making activities between Finnish higher education institutions and the Ministry of Education and Culture. The study is based on a qualitative analysis of the performance agreement documents of all higher education institutions filed with the ministry for contract periods 2010–2012 and 2013–2016. The results show that, in the first cycle, higher education institutions used profiling vocabulary in vastly different ways, and their lists of priority areas were quite wide ranging. By the second cycle, profiling statements had become more specific and structurally more alike, but the lists of priority areas continued to have a wide scope. As a response, the Ministry has consistently demanded and rewarded more focused profiling efforts and used the concepts of profiling to support other steering measures. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Mergers are common phenomena in higher education institutions. Improving educational quality is typically one of the stated goals of university mergers. Yet, little information exists about how merging institutions approach this goal. This paper presents results from a study of planning documents created prior to four mergers in the Finnish higher education system. These documents show that there was little concrete attention given to the educational issues related to the mergers. Most attention was placed on administrative issues and issues related to research. When educational issues were mentioned, it was almost always in the form of vague goals with few details provided about how the goals were to be reached. We conclude that this lack of attention to the educational aspect of mergers is a significant weakness of the planning process in these mergers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses some current problems and challenges of the Finnish AMKs (polytechnic institutions), and whether financial autonomy could contribute to finding solutions for some of these problems. It provides an overview of the current status of financial autonomy of polytechnics in 6 European countries, and finally attempts to find links from financial autonomy to the AMKs’ role as regional ‘boosters’. The AMKs are still faced with some administrative and cultural traditions related more or less to secondary level vocational institutions. The new Polytechnic Act (2003), 351/2003, guarantees self-governance for the AMKs as regards with their internal issues. At the same time, the Act stipulates that budget power and strategic steering belongs to their public or private maintainers. This raises the question of to what extent institutions actually are autonomous. The essence of autonomy rests on independent decision-making processes. The study shows that the Finnish maintenance system reflects strongly on the area of financial autonomy compared with the similar institutions in other European countries. Financial autonomy may be a factor that strengthens a higher education institution in becoming an organisationally uniform, responsive and flexible entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines alternative attitudes to internationalisation, using Australia and Finland as case studies. In Australia, the principal thrust of `internationalisation' has been one of the export of educational services. The fees paid by the majority of the 84 000 international university students have become a critical part of the funding of Australia's university system. In Finland, universities continue to be funded almost exclusively through government grants, and official philosophy towards the internationalisation of higher education differs from the more direct economic Australian model. Comparative philosophy, mobility and comparative numbers are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building up of a non-university sector of higher education in Finland was realised in a form of educational experiment. Polytechnic (ammattikorkeakoulu) reform contained at the outset several elements of a genuine social experiment. Quite soon the experimental set up was transformed into a reform in which experimental elements were minimal. The article explores the factors which hindered the realisation of experimental method and raises general questions about the possibilities and limits of social experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities in Europe face a variety of reform initiatives, and university reform can be seen as a wicked problem that should be resolved through collaborative efforts. In Finland, there has been considerable resistance to proposed reforms, with university personnel complaining that they have not been heard. Students, on the other hand, seem reluctant to participate in the debate. The situation does not lend itself to the collaborative resolution of wicked problems. Organizational changes are liable to failure, if wicked problems are not addressed effectively. This article presents a deliberative jury method in a university setting as a participative way to solve wicked problems and to pave the way for change. The method is tested through two cases in a Finnish university. These cases suggest that students and staff working together can devise and explore more comprehensive solutions to wicked problems, overcome the participation dilemma and generate change in their organization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Finland has performed, as one of the first Bologna countries, a national evaluation of the outcomes of the implementation of the Bologna process. The evaluation was organized by the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council and performed by an independent expert group during 2010. In general, the reform was conceived as a significant development project which was carried out in a well-organized manner in a relatively short period of time. A closer look at the details show, however, that many of the objectives of the reform were not achieved. This article describes the background and procedures of the evaluation and discusses the main results and conclusions for Finnish higher education policy. The reception, success and implications of the evaluation will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an evaluation of the centres of excellence in higher education in Finland. This approach is an example of enhancement-led evaluation aiming to improve the long-term development of education. The study presents the Degree Programme in Civil Engineering of the Turku University of Applied Sciences, which was awarded the distinction as a centre of excellence. The pedagogical development of the degree programme is essential to achieve high quality in operation and outcomes. The methods of active learning are efficient in engaging students in working life and improving learning outcomes. The results of this study are useful for those who want to improve the quality of higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

University of Joensuu launched a two-year development and training project on academic management and leadership in the beginning of 2002. Open seminars were arranged for heads for departments, deans and administrative managers. In addition, personnel administration started pilot projects with two departments in co-operation with the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. The idea was to develop both (a) leadership and management and (b) division of work, work ability and workplace health. The author's book Academic Leadership (Nova Science Publishers, New York) provides a background for this practical development project. The article deals with academic leadership, leadership philosophy and the system of personnel management at the University of Joensuu, the development projects, and lessons learned from them so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]