Rector Jari Ojala in his opening speech: Basic funding to universities is insufficient

The new government programme contains various positive guidelines related to higher education. On 6 September 2023, Jari Ojala, Rector of the University of Jyväskylä, stated in his opening speech for the semester that the university index will remain the same and the higher education sector is one of the few areas that will not face cuts.
Published
11.9.2023

The programme contains major challenges. The full coverage of tuition fees for degree students from non-EU/EEA areas and the effort to increase the number of young adults with a higher education degree as close as possible to 50% by 2030 are not realistic goals.

“The government programme does not solve the biggest problem of universities: the lack of basic funding,” says Ojala.

The decline in the basic funding for universities in relation to the number of students and previous cuts in education make it difficult for universities to operate.

The increase in funding is too attached to short-term projects. Without an increase in basic funding, it is not possible to add study places or expand the University’s operations.

“The University’s mission is not to generate a profit,” says Ojala. “Our mission is to provide education and research. We need resources to perform our basic tasks.”

Ojala sees that universities should continue to invest in the quality of research and deepen their cooperation with the business and working world to strengthen their expertise and effectiveness:

“We need to be cost-effective and balance our finances to ensure that we remain a university community that is forward-looking, well-resourced, and competitively strong.”

For the entire speech, go here: https://r.jyu.fi/rehtorin-puheet (in Finnish)

Further information:
Rector Jari Ojala +358 40 805 4678, jari.ojala@jyu.fi