Public health care is under tremendous financial pressure. To find solutions to the various challenges in the social services and health care sector, a new professorship will be established on LUT University's Lappeenranta campus at the start of 2026 for a fixed five-year term ending in 2031.
“There is an enormous amount of work and a growing resource shortage in social services and health care, and LUT can offer expertise in process and organisation management. When processes are developed based on science, it leads to sustainable solutions for workplace well-being, the functionality of services, and organisational finance,” says Mari Kallioinen-Mänttäri, dean of the LUT School of Engineering Sciences.
The field of the new professorship will be industrial engineering and management, with a further specialisation in lean management. The launch of the professorship will coincide with the adoption of a new organisational model in the South Karelia well-being services county. The aim is to improve the operation of organisational departments and the functionality of processes in the field.
“The financial situation of social services and health care demands broader services with fewer resources. To achieve this, we need to create an organisation where individuals and teams continuously improve their activities, eliminating the silos typical of the health care and social services sector. The organisational model to be adopted in early 2026 aims for this. We must improve as an organisation and ensure that the customer's interests guide all our activity and development,” says Sally Leskinen, CEO at the South Karelia well-being services county.
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New professorship brings funding opportunities for local health care sector
The person appointed to the position would be both a senior expert for the South Karelia well-being services county and an LUT University professor. The planned division of work is 40 per cent for the county and 60 per cent for the university.
The senior expert role would involve coaching health care and social services staff, planning and implementing development projects, and publishing project results in scientific journals. At the university, the professor's role would include scientific research, establishing and leading a research team, teaching, and societal interaction.
“The new professorship at the university will provide us with even better opportunities to develop our expertise and understanding of public sector process development. I hope the professorship and its research will spark both national and international interest,” adds Kallioinen-Mänttäri.
“Publications on research and development are one of the rare ways for our county to gain funding beyond that of the government and customer service fees,” Leskinen continues.
The costs of the joint professorship will be divided between the South Karelia well-being services county and LUT University. The county’s annual share will be no more than 70,000 euros. The overall cost for the county over the five-year term will be roughly 350,000 euros.
The county executive will handle the matter of the joint professorship on Tuesday 29 April 2025. The matter will then be forwarded for decision-making to the county council in May.
More information:
Mari Kallioinen-Mänttäri
Sally Leskinen
CEO, South Karelia well-being services county
sally.leskinen@ekhva.fi
+358 400 497 418
