Higher education system in need of overhaul – collaboration between universities and universities of applied sciences poised to be the new normal

Population development, the public economy, and rapidly changing needs for expertise require reforms that improve the impact, quality, and international competitiveness of education. The Ministry of Education and Culture has started to prepare a new vision for higher education and research in order to respond to these challenges and set long-term guidelines extending to 2040.

Juha-Matti Saksa, rector of LUT University, and Turo Kilpeläinen, president of the LAB University of Applied Sciences, say it is evident that the higher education system in its current form does not meet international requirements when the population is declining and public expenditure is on the rise.

“Even though higher education groups such as LUT Universities offer many possibilities, we are still not taking full advantage their potential in terms of contents, operation, and finance,” Saksa and Kilpeläinen agree.

LUT and LAB consider that the next natural step would be to create a system where a single higher education institution – in practice, a university – would offer both university and university of applied sciences degrees and implement all areas of research, development, and innovation (RDI). This would allow directing a larger share of the institutions’ funding toward activities required under the Universities Act and Universities of Applied Sciences Act and to raise the level of education.

According to the rector and president, such reforms would require amendments to legislation, enabling one higher education institution to see to the statutory missions of both universities and universities of applied sciences. Strengthening international competitiveness, building solid core funding, improving the quality of education, and increasing the impact of RDI and regional development are crucial questions for the future of higher education.

“Ultimately, we want to increase the academic and societal impact of Finnish higher education institutions by all means available – together,” Saksa and Kilpeläinen emphasise.