Wilhelmsson: Reform of universities necessary

Thomas Wilhelmsson

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The University of Helsinki supports the amending of the law on universities and does not object to the idea of an innovation university either, insists Thomas Wilhelmsson, 58, Vice Rector and Professor of Civil and Commercial Law at the university, who on Tuesday - after a tight battle - became the elected new Rector of the University of Helsinki.
      Wilhelmsson is in charge of a Swedish-language professorship but is also fluent in Finnish.
      “Thorough renewal of the law will bring the university the standing of a legal person, after which the institute can develop itself through its own decisions”, Wilhelmsson says, but he admits that this also includes risks which primarily relate to liquidity.
      Wilhelmsson is in favour of raising the number of external members in the governing bodies of universities, and also increasing the amount of private funding, but does not see a trust fund model as an option for the University of Helsinki.
     
”The innovation university’s new study field combinations may be a fruitful idea, but what is worrying is that the government has promised additional funding worth no less than EUR 100 million for the institute’s operation without any kind of competition. Others simply have to settle with a mere EUR 30 million.”
      The election of the new Rector for the University of Helsinki became certain only on the second round, where Wilhelmsson’s opponent was professor Matti Tikkanen, 65, of the Faculty of Medicine. Wilhelmsson received 62 and Tikkanen 59 votes.
      “Of course it was exciting to seize the victory only after the penalty shootout”, Wilhelmsson jokes.
     
The election had a record number of candidates, 15 in all, none of whom was a clear favourite. This became evident during the first round, when 11 of the candidates received votes.
      With 29 votes, Tikkanen was the winner of the first round, followed by Wilhelmsson (23) and Jukka Kola (19), Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.
     
The newly-elected Rector will appoint Vice-rectors to be approved by the university’s Collegio on June 10th. The new rectorate will commence its work at the beginning of August.
      Wilhelmsson was elected by a 130-member Collegio, which consists of professors, other staff members, and student representatives.
      The term of the new Rector is likely to remain shorter than the normal five years, for the 2009 renewal of the law on universities will also affect university government.


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