Board of planned Aalto University to convene Friday

Three institutions to join forces

Matti Alahuhta

Marja Makarow

Sari Sarkomaa

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The merger of the Helsinki School of Economics, the University of Art and Design, and the Helsinki University of Technology into the new Aalto University will get a major boost on Friday, when the board of the foundation that maintains the university meets for the first time.
      At the meeting the board will choose a director. Leading candidates for the post include Kone CEO Matti Alahuhta, Boston University President Robert A. Brown, and Marja Makarow, CEO of the European Science Foundation.
      In addition to Brown and Makarow, members of the board are to include Anne Brunila, President and CEO of the Finnish Forest Industries Federation, MIT Professor Bengt Holmström, Professor Saku Mantere of Helsinki’s Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration (HANKEN) and Anne Valtonen, Head of Design Research & Foresight at Nokia.
      The names were made public by Minister of Education Sari Sarkomaa in Kouvola on Tuesday.
     
All of the members have a doctorate, and are seen to “represent, in a versatile manner, the highest domestic and international expertise in the sciences and arts, as well as in social and business life”.
      Brunila and Holmström were put forward by the business community, but both were also supported by three “mother universities”.
      The Ministry of Education had asked these universities and their student bodies to name their own candidates. The ministry notes that the request has been “largely” heeded.
      The rectors of the universities praised the appointment process for its openness. However, there was hardly any public discussion about the candidates.
     
The members of the board were to be figures from outside the institutions in question. Former administrators of the universities were also avoided.
      The aim in other universities as well is to increase the proportion of outside members on their boards to half by 2010, when the universities are disengaged from the state budget.
      To boost the financing of the institutions, Sarkomaa and Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen (Nat. Coalition Party) have promised legislation that would allow private individuals make tax deductable contributions to institutions of higher education.
     
Companies and associations are currently allowed to contribute up to EUR 250,000 to universities tax-free, and the aim is to allow private individuals to do the same.
      Sarkomaa says that there is no lack of interested donors.
      The proposed reform of university legislation is set to increase the economic and administrative independence of the universities.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Idea of Finnish top university generates heated debate (17.4.2007)

Helsingin Sanomat