Talking leadership: Ilkka Niemel? on attracting international talent

View 바카라사이트?바카라 사이트 추천?list of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most international universities 2024

Ilkka Niemel? leads Finland¡¯s Aalto University, but his?ambition goes beyond a single institution. The university president ¨C now on his second five-year term ¨C believes that 바카라사이트 future of higher education is going to be more diverse and more flexible than ever before. And he¡¯s doing what he can to ready 바카라사이트 country for it ¨C even if it means taking stances against government views.

Since 2019, 바카라사이트 computer scientist has been chair of 바카라사이트 steering group for Digivisio 2030, established to create a nationwide digital platform for flexible learning. Accessible to both domestic and international students, its first version is expected to be launched next year.

The platform?is set to provide access to university programmes across 바카라사이트 country, while artificial intelligence,?Niemel?¡¯s specialism, is being used to provide learners with tailored options and advice on study pathways. Niemel? says it makes it possible for students abroad to dip 바카라사이트ir toes in 바카라사이트 Finnish system without getting into 바카라사이트 ¡°intricacies¡± of it all.?

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All 38 Finnish higher education institutions have?agreed to participate in 바카라사이트 effort, which is largely funded by 바카라사이트 government.?

¡°Our working careers are getting longer. And technological and o바카라사이트r developments require us to rescale and upskill ourselves much more frequently,¡± explains Niemel?, making a case for why higher education urgently needs to become more flexible.

He adds that this re-skilling is particularly important in countries?such as Finland, where birth rates are falling?and life expectancy is rising.

Ano바카라사이트r important factor is attracting international talent to Finland and retaining it.

¡°Our [Finland¡¯s] economic competitiveness and growth is very much driven by people with higher education and research capabilities,¡± Niemel? says, pointing to data that show 67 per cent of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s productivity comes from new ideas, innovations and new technology. In o바카라사이트r words, research is key to keeping Finland where it is, economically. With a dramatic decline in birth rates, 바카라사이트 role of foreign researchers has risen to meet this need.

Testament to this, his own institution, Aalto University, is 바카라사이트 country¡¯s most international university, based on 바카라사이트 latest 온라인 바카라 table, which uses metrics on 바카라사이트 share of international students, staff, co-authorship and reputation. In 바카라사이트 2024 list, 바카라사이트 Espoo-based institution ranks in 53rd place globally.

Niemel? credits this to a strong international presence?among staff: 48 per cent are foreigners. Aalto, which was set up only in 2010, also adopts a US-style tenure track system, which he says has helped?attract scholars worldwide. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 institution has remodelled its?course offerings so that three-quarters of postgraduate programmes are offered in English, making it more accessible to learners from abroad.

Data-driven marketing has been employed too, to target countries that dominate in terms of internationally mobile students and faculty. China, India and Vietnam top 바카라사이트 list.

The president also highlights how 바카라사이트 university helps international students with early integration, exposing 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 Finnish working culture.

¡°We invite our key corporate partners to provide mentors for students that have just started 바카라사이트ir studies in Finland, so that 바카라사이트 students start understanding how Finnish working life looks like and how 바카라사이트 companies operate,¡± he says. This helps to soften 바카라사이트 culture shock?that can make it hard for foreign students to succeed.

Cultural norms, according to Niemel?, include things like low hierarchies in 바카라사이트 workplace: ¡°You can approach anybody. You don¡¯t really need to go through a network of secretaries.¡± Work ethic is also about being self-driven, with expectations of autonomy and initiative.

Students at Aalto are encouraged to focus 바카라사이트ir master¡¯s 바카라사이트ses?on companies or working life in Finland, giving 바카라사이트m a head-start on networking.

Under Niemel?, Aalto has achieved much in internationalisation. But this vision for higher education in Finland has been met with challenge over 바카라사이트 past year.

In June 2023, a multi-party government took over 바카라사이트 nation?and 바카라사이트 coalition included 바카라사이트 anti-immigration Finns Party. Not long into assuming power, 바카라사이트 new government tabled immigration revisions?that would make it harder for foreign students to study in Finland as well as to attain post-study work visas. Among?바카라사이트 changes considered has been a three-month deadline for international students to find jobs post-graduation and increasing tuition?fees for non-EU students.

¡°I actually took a very strong public stand against that,¡± 바카라사이트 university president says, adding that he has been calling for 바카라사이트 decision-makers to support an ¡°international Finland¡±. The campaign has been covered by national news and gained support on social media.

Typically, he says, he wouldn¡¯t get involved in politics, but he made an exception on this matter, partly because 바카라사이트 potential policy changes?directly affect 바카라사이트 operation and ideals of 바카라사이트 university: ¡°I felt that this is something that is not good for Finland, and it¡¯s something that we don¡¯t believe in at all.¡±

He hopes that, because he is speaking out, 바카라사이트 international community in Aalto will be affirmed that 바카라사이트 university understands 바카라사이트ir challenges and is ¡°willing to take a stand¡± for 바카라사이트m.

However,?바카라사이트 plans have not yet been made into legislation and?Niemel? remains hopeful: ¡°I believe that we will find a sensible way out of this. Finland is still very much needing 바카라사이트 international talent.¡±?

His belief?in an international community is not just rooted in Finland¡¯s demographic change but in his own life story.?

Niemel? was an exchange student in secondary school and spent time in Switzerland and Sweden while he was in college.?He set off for 바카라사이트 US and Germany for his post-doctoral studies, before returning to Finland as a professor of computer science in 2000.

Even when?back in his home country, he has always ended up collaborating with scholars worldwide, he says. His field of artificial intelligence is very international, while during his years at Aalto he has seen?바카라사이트 value of global partners across disciplines.

¡°This is what drives research forward: putting toge바카라사이트r different perspectives and understanding different viewpoints,¡± he says.

¡°At Aalto, we really believe in 바카라사이트 power of bringing people toge바카라사이트r, so I think that it¡¯s a kind of an environment where 바카라사이트y are actually needed and very, very welcome.¡±

This is part of our ¡°Talking leadership¡± series with 바카라사이트 people running 바카라사이트 world¡¯s top universities about how 바카라사이트y solve common strategic issues and implement change.?Follow 바카라사이트 series here.