Finland’s higher education reform can be a model example for Lithuania
President Dalia Grybauskaitė, who is currently on an official visit in Finland, visited Aalto University where she met with the university’s President Tuula Teeri, Lithuanians studying there, and viewed design and startup laboratories. Aalto University was established in 2010 by merging three uncompetitive institutions into one. After the merger, the university emerged as a leader on a global scale.
Aalto University ranks 115th among the world’s best universities; Lithuania’s top university is listed in 500th position. The merger resulted in a significantly higher quality of education: funding increased nearly twofold, the number of doctoral student rose by 39 percent, and the university is globally positioned as 14th in architecture and design. Aalto University is now considering the possibility to merge with the University of Helsinki.
Finland started to reform the system of higher education in 2009. The reform covers university funding, merging, inclusion of business, and investments in science. In Finland, universities are funded on the basis of agreements with the government. Budget allocations for higher education stand at 2.2 of GDP, compared to Lithuania’s 1.3 percent. Merging has reduced the number of universities in Finland, with a population of 5.5 million, from 21 to 15. Lithuania meanwhile has as many as 45 higher education institutions.
Business is actively engaged in the management of universities in Finland: at least 40 percent of university councils are comprised of external representation. Large investments are injected into research and innovation: budgetary allocations equal 1.1 of GDP, while business-provided funding stands at 2.1 percent, compared to Lithuania’s 0.7 and 0.3 percent of GDP respectively.
According to the President, Finnish experience in reforming higher education might be useful to Lithuania as it prepares to restructure its system of education.
For the press release of Press Service of the President of the Republic of Lithuania please follow the link
Photos by Robertas Dačkus, official Office of the President of the Republic of Lithuania
