Helsinki University aims to be in list of world’s top 50 universities

Rector says that it is a tough but realistic goal

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On Wednesday, the Board of the University of Helsinki set a strategic objective for the university to become one of the top 50 universities in the world by 2020.
      The University is still some way from the goal, as the most important lists have so far ranked the establishment among the latter half of the world’s top 100 institutions of higher education.
      According to Thomas Wilhelmsson, Rector of the University of Helsinki, success in ranking lists must not become an absolute value.
      However, it can indicate whether the university has made progress in the right direction. In the Rector’s opinion, the goal is tough but realistic.
     
The ways to reach the target include for example ”Research and teaching environments are to reach the international standard”.
      Efforts will be made to give researchers a possibility to focus on research by reducing their administrative tasks and by granting them a possibility to take a research leave of six months, in which time they would not have to teach.
      ”Research leave is a good idea, but how can the leaders of research groups be on leave, while they are responsible for making research grant applications and for improving the competitiveness of the research environment?” contemplates Academy Professor Markku Kulmala in the University’s strategy blog entitled Huipulle ja yhteiskuntaan (”Reaching the top and reaching out to society”).
      The Finnish Union of University Professors recently chose Kulmala as the Professor of the Year.
     
In the future, the University of Helsinki intends to recruit more students and personnel from abroad.
      The plan is that about 25 per cent of students starting their postgraduate (doctoral level) studies would be of foreign origin.
      Another important target is to shorten graduation times. Particularly in the first study year, guidance and opportunities to get acquainted with the top researchers in each field will be increased.
      The Board of the University of Helsinki confirmed the strategic plan for 2013-2016 on Wednesday.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Aalto University drops out of list of world´s top 500 universities (16.8.2011)

Links:
  Finnish Union of University Professors
  University of Helsinki (Wikipedia)
  Academic Ranking of World Universities 2011 - Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ.
  The strategy blog of the University of Helsinki

Helsingin Sanomat