After my appointment as President of Aalto University, I expressed my excitement at the idea of joining three renowned universities. As I have now been a part of the actual development work for about a month, I am positively surprised at the energy and strong motivation of the entire university community participating in the project. Representatives from the three universities have been brought together in number of different teams. These teams have engaged in active, critical, pluralistic and, above all, enthusiastic discussion on the opportunities provided by the new situation.
Aalto University is also arousing interest in the international university community. The formation of a knowledge-based society requires reforms in universities around the world. Aalto University is perceived as an open-minded project and a pioneer in university reform. In particular, the speed and determination of the progress has aroused interest and even amazement. It is evident that this rapid advance would not be possible without the entire community’s commitment to a shared goal.
I have emphasized research and teaching in various different contexts, as well as the significant improvement of their prerequisites as the key to university change. The feedback I have received concerning this issue has inquired as to the role of the current administration and support services within the change and the new university framework. What kind of role will personnel working in administration and service tasks possess in the new Aalto?
In my opinion, the present university administration and range of service operations are high-quality and have successfully performed the task that they have been assigned to do. However, the change of the university’s juristic position and the demands for the quality of research and education will pose a challenge also to administration and service operations in the future. The job descriptions of the tasks will evidently change, simply because of the new juristic position. On the other hand, world-class research and teaching demand improved support structures and services that are based on strong professional expertise and continuous development. This generates the prerequisites for developing research and education, making courageous statements, and ensuring quality execution. University administration and services are therefore the key to accomplishing a successful change.
I perceive the university reform as a challenging and inspiring opportunity also for the personal development of administrative and service personnel. These are also among the sectors where we may pioneer on a national level and produce best international practices. The feedback I have received has also concerned issues such as occupational health and endurance at work. I believe that we can address these concerns in a positive manner by clarifying job descriptions, providing opportunities for career development and, above all, enhancing the support for expertise and personal development also for administration and service personnel. In order to achieve this, we should utilize best international practices and examples from both the academia as well as companies.
Changes corresponding in magnitude to the university reform are not common. Even changes on a smaller scale evoke uncertainty concerning personal future or the future of the unit. I have strived to emphasize Aalto University as an opportunity. Aalto is not a downsizing project, but the creation of a genuinely new university concept. Above all, it offers opportunities to develop expertise, embark on a new kind of career development, and create meaningful business functions.
12.5.2009
9.4.2009
Why the change?
I want to thank all of you for giving me such a warm welcome on 1 April 2009 when I started as the President of Aalto University. I hope that a similar team spirit will characterise our cooperation in the future, too.
Exchanging ideas is a prerequisite for all successful interaction: we cannot work together unless we understand each other’s motivation, experiences and dreams. As the President of Aalto, I have promised to listen to and take into account the opinions of the staff and students. To provide a forum for this dialogue, I will now launch a monthly President’s Blog, where I will discuss topics arising from your feedback and other issues concerning our university.
The establishment of Aalto University is a bold venture, which will change the face of the Finnish academic world. Why did we embark on it? The constant changes in the surrounding world both pressures and enables us to change the structures of society.
The reform of the European higher education systems aims at intensifying international cooperation and facilitating the mobility of expertise. Unlike, for instance, in Asia, the share of young people in the Finnish population is ever-decreasing - and our aging population needs new kinds of services.
Our traditional manufacturing industries are struggling and relocating their operations to other countries. To make up for the jobs lost in these industries, we need businesses based on new kind of expertise.
Today, satisfying the national needs for expertise requires innovation founded on basic research, cooperation between various actors and sectors and the adoption of a multinational approach. To address climate change and the ever-worsening waste problems, we need to take sustainable development as a shared goal.
In other words, the current need for renewal does not spring from prior failure; all the schools of the future Aalto University are internationally recognised experts in their fields. Instead, the change we are now undergoing is an opportunity for us to meet new challenges as described above.
It has become evident that a multidisciplinary approach and cross-disciplinary cooperation bring about new ways of thinking and stimulate innovation. Working together towards a common goal in teams of experts with very different backgrounds is inspiring and rewarding; exploring the interfaces between disciplines leads to unexpected results, and the surprises lead to new discoveries.
I have already had a chance to see the benefits of combining the viewpoints of science, arts and business even in my own work. Such cooperation does not undermine the importance of any party involved. Rather, the different fields complement and inspire each other, leading to new forms of expertise. To reach our ambitions goals, we also need our highly skilled support staff that contributes to this change.
Universities foster culture and education and represent an essential driving force of progress; we have to lead the way towards sustainable development at all levels. Let our broad goal be ‘a good life’; to define it more precisely, we need to engage in constructive discussion on the values of the University.
Exchanging ideas is a prerequisite for all successful interaction: we cannot work together unless we understand each other’s motivation, experiences and dreams. As the President of Aalto, I have promised to listen to and take into account the opinions of the staff and students. To provide a forum for this dialogue, I will now launch a monthly President’s Blog, where I will discuss topics arising from your feedback and other issues concerning our university.
The establishment of Aalto University is a bold venture, which will change the face of the Finnish academic world. Why did we embark on it? The constant changes in the surrounding world both pressures and enables us to change the structures of society.
The reform of the European higher education systems aims at intensifying international cooperation and facilitating the mobility of expertise. Unlike, for instance, in Asia, the share of young people in the Finnish population is ever-decreasing - and our aging population needs new kinds of services.
Our traditional manufacturing industries are struggling and relocating their operations to other countries. To make up for the jobs lost in these industries, we need businesses based on new kind of expertise.
Today, satisfying the national needs for expertise requires innovation founded on basic research, cooperation between various actors and sectors and the adoption of a multinational approach. To address climate change and the ever-worsening waste problems, we need to take sustainable development as a shared goal.
In other words, the current need for renewal does not spring from prior failure; all the schools of the future Aalto University are internationally recognised experts in their fields. Instead, the change we are now undergoing is an opportunity for us to meet new challenges as described above.
It has become evident that a multidisciplinary approach and cross-disciplinary cooperation bring about new ways of thinking and stimulate innovation. Working together towards a common goal in teams of experts with very different backgrounds is inspiring and rewarding; exploring the interfaces between disciplines leads to unexpected results, and the surprises lead to new discoveries.
I have already had a chance to see the benefits of combining the viewpoints of science, arts and business even in my own work. Such cooperation does not undermine the importance of any party involved. Rather, the different fields complement and inspire each other, leading to new forms of expertise. To reach our ambitions goals, we also need our highly skilled support staff that contributes to this change.
Universities foster culture and education and represent an essential driving force of progress; we have to lead the way towards sustainable development at all levels. Let our broad goal be ‘a good life’; to define it more precisely, we need to engage in constructive discussion on the values of the University.
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