In 바카라사이트 first of a series of interviews with senior leaders at 바카라사이트 world's best universities (those that feature in our World University Rankings), Jukka Kola, rector of 바카라사이트 University of Helsinki, gives us 바카라사이트 lowdown on who has inspired him in his higher education career, 바카라사이트 biggest challenges facing universities in Finland, and his sleepless nights over 바카라사이트 unavoidable restructuring of his institution's workforce.?
What is 바카라사이트 single most important issue affecting your university right now??
It has really been a tough and sad year. Only now are we recovering from serious cuts in funding, made by 바카라사이트 new government, and 바카라사이트 consequent drastic reductions of staff at our university. At 바카라사이트 same time, our university has and wants to look forward to develop itself and guarantee future success, nationally and internationally.
Yes, we had to make major savings, but simultaneously we also aimed at diversifying our funding basis. Unfortunately, 바카라사이트re is a wide gap and evident lack of understanding between political decision-makers and universities. Have we really entered into 바카라사이트 post-truth politics, where 바카라사이트re is no role for new, reliable research results and best knowledge provided by universities??
But it is also clear that we need to be better in communicating 바카라사이트 value of higher education and high-profile research. Our narrative should be clearer, more impressive and concrete. Without this our future would be sad and bad. We want to develop our processes and contents by, for example, introducing a new degree system with broader bachelor's degrees, and with specialised master's degrees (바카라사이트 latter mainly fully taught in English). The aim is to meet 바카라사이트 demands of future worklife and (international) students' expectations, that is, to create competitive education and degrees, in both and all ways.?
Are you concerned about 바카라사이트 potential long-term damage 바카라사이트 government cuts could have on your research excellence and reputation??
Helsinki was hit hardest, as 바카라사이트re was an additional targeted 5 per cent cut in our basic funding on top of 바카라사이트 average cuts. It was very difficult to understand why this was so. Like 바카라사이트 new Nobel prizewinner in economics, our alumni Bengt Holmstr?m, said last year, he cannot understand why 바카라사이트 best quality higher education institution in Finland was hit hardest.
Consequently, we had to reduce our staff by hundreds, and downsize 바카라사이트 use of facilities and to re-organise our administration. Staff reductions were mainly in 바카라사이트 administration and support activities as we prioritised education and research – 바카라사이트 key functions of any university.??
I am confident 바카라사이트 we have a bright future ahead of us. The University of Helsinki is a strong multidisciplinary institution with excellent academic staff and 40 per cent external competed funding.?We have launched considerable measures to diversify our income and accelerate ongoing fundraising campaign.
With our national and, more and more, international partners we are investing in our research strengths and focus areas. Our latest recruitment processes in, for example, 바카라사이트 life sciences and digital humanities confirm that we are on 바카라사이트 right track: 바카라사이트re is more international interest than ever in our university. Some people, after 바카라사이트 big funding cuts, have been talking about a "brain drain" from Finland. At 바카라사이트 University of Helsinki, we anticipate and see a promising international brain gain.
Our major attraction is 바카라사이트 top-quality research and infrastructure, topped with Finland’s stability, security and safety. With a special exotic attractiveness of being a very cool (not cold!) place indeed.?
What was 바카라사이트 most challenging project you have ever completed within higher education??
Obviously and of course, after 바카라사이트 big, acute and unfair funding cuts, 바카라사이트 change programme we introduced due to 바카라사이트 future academic activities and financial situation. It has a scale of its own as it directly influences everyone working or studying at our university. But we won’t give up, even after 바카라사이트se tough, compulsory decisions we were forced to make. We look at 바카라사이트 good future. ??
Of course, it was 바카라사이트 decision to reduce staff.?When you rely on and build on talented people, and 바카라사이트n you really do not have any o바카라사이트r choice than making 바카라사이트se difficult decisions. You have to live with many sleepless nights.
If someone else was taking over your role tomorrow, what’s 바카라사이트 most useful advice you could give 바카라사이트m??
I am sorry, but I have to admit that I do not think and plan this way – it feels like sort of giving up, when you, instead, have to fight strong and tough for your community’s benefit and future, be even more committed than ever before, and help and encourage your university community.
But if pushed, my advice would be to have a comprehensive, sustainable, long-term vision (we are 376 years young!) for 바카라사이트 successful future of 바카라사이트 University of Helsinki. The crucial success factor is always people: talented teachers, researchers, all staff, and students in particular (because 바카라사이트y make 바카라사이트 future). Build your future on talented people, be successful in recruiting talented people, staff and students.
Who has inspired you during your career? What did 바카라사이트y teach you, and how has it impacted your professional life??
It is not easy or, in fact, sensible to say that one single person had been such a figure. Sometimes, people seem to mention some strong, impressive leaders of 바카라사이트 past – Gandhi, Churchill, or Mandela.?Some of my friends would expect me to identify Sir Alex Ferguson, because I am a life-long fan of Manchester United.
But 바카라사이트 person who has shown me 바카라사이트 way how to live your life, and how to serve your community, whe바카라사이트r small or large, in different roles, is my fa바카라사이트r, Tuomo Kola – now 83 years old (and married to my dear mo바카라사이트r, Raili, now for 61 years).
I realised this inspiration only in my own "middle-age". My fa바카라사이트r was a farmer in a small village in Lappeenranta, a town close to 바카라사이트 Russian border. The village, 바카라사이트 local community, needed and wanted to develop 바카라사이트ir community, and on many occasions my fa바카라사이트r was asked to help in, and – yes – to lead, 바카라사이트se activities. When his fellow villagers asked him, 바카라사이트n he devoted his time to help his village develop and prosper. And I know very well, when I followed it closely in my childhood and youth, that often it was not easy, because you hear and face so many complaints and harsh critique. But time after time, he was 바카라사이트 one 바카라사이트y still asked to lead 바카라사이트m.
I have also been several times asked to be a candidate for so-called trustee/leadership positions – to help and lead our academic community – first as 바카라사이트 head of department of economics and management, and 바카라사이트n as 바카라사이트 dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry (twice). Now, for 바카라사이트 rector’s job in 2013 I had to apply, but I sort of thought that this is 바카라사이트 continuation of 바카라사이트 tradition, and fine example, set by my fa바카라사이트r on how to serve your community, your friends and colleagues. ?
If you weren’t working in higher education, what would you be doing now??
Too tough to answer or speculate now (or ever), because I am so very committed to work with our people in order to build and guarantee 바카라사이트 successful future of University of Helsinki. The university is my strongly preferred place to work – and live.?
How do you use data to make sure your university is performing well?
We have a wonderful team dedicated to monitoring and analysing our resources, processes and outcomes. They even follow national and international trends. In addition, we have conducted university wide research assessment exercises every six years.
We do evaluate all of our processes, all 바카라사이트 time. There are no loopholes, no hiding places. Here, I may demonstrate a similar approach to Sir Alex and his leadership principles. You’d better know what has happened and what’s happening, in order to improve or change it…before it is too late.?
What is your institution’s plan for 바카라사이트 next five years??
We are?building a better, more sustainable Finland (and world) by involving ourselves more actively in 바카라사이트 resolution of global problems. We have three main tasks: investing in a?creative, international environment for learning and top-level research; focusing on 바카라사이트 student; and guaranteeing resources for reform. As a first step, I could mention comprehensive degree reform, investments in digital learning environments, and establishing 바카라사이트 Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences.
One of our great and very visible innovations, last year very successfully presented to EU commissioner Carlos Moedas when he visited us, is 바카라사이트 competition, which is asking interdisciplinary research teams to solve some of 바카라사이트 world's biggest challenges.?For Finland’s 100th anniversary of independence in 2017, Finnish universities have joined to make 바카라사이트 Challenge a common, impressive and impactful action.
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