The University of Jyväskylä had a good academic result in 2021 – success in research funding applications
In 2021, the University of Jyväskylä had 14,052 students, of which 1,538 completed a master’s degree (1,863 in 2020) and 1,275 a bachelor’s degree (1,416 in 2020). The number of new doctors was 136 (174 in 2020). The total number of completed degrees in 2021 returned to the level of 2019. The expansion of educational responsibility that JYU had pursued for about twenty years became real as engineering education (Master of Science in Technology) started in August 2021.
The number of students in the Open University of the University of Jyväskylä grew to 26,500 students (25,000 in 2020). The growth stabilised from 2020 when the education offering of the Open University got 8,000 new students.
After a growth in 2020, the number of international peer-reviewed publications and the total number of scientific publications decreased slightly to the level of previous years. In the Scopus database, the number of noted publications (2,095) corresponded to the level of 2020 (2,082).
In 2021, JYU succeeded excellently in competitive research funding applications. Otso Ovaskainen and Pasi Ihalainen started new Academy professorships at the University for the period 1 September 2021–31 August 2026. Similarly, the project of Associate Professor Minna Torppa, which received the Consolidator Grant of the European Research Council (ERC) in December 2020, started in 2021. At the end of 2021, the Academy of Finland selected new Centres of Excellence for 2022–2029. The University of Jyväskylä leads three new CoEs (nuclear physics, music research, dynamics of learning) and participates in a CoE coordinated by the University of Helsinki (mathematics).
Budget of 2021 realised as planned – investment activities supported the positive overall result
The University’s turnover, consisting of the Government funding for higher education institutions from the Ministry of Education and Culture and supplementary funding, was €216.7 million (€201.5 in 2020) and the total expenses were €219.7 million in the financial period 2021. The operational result was €3 million deficit (€3.8 million in 2020), which the University covered with realised returns of investments. After the profits from realised returns of investments, the result shows surplus of 5.6 million.
The University’s number of employees grew 3.8% in person-years in 2021. This growth of staff and the cost impact of the general collective agreement explain the increase in personnel costs. Of all expenses, staff costs comprised 70%, €153 million (in 2020, corresponding figures were 70% and €144 million). Facility rents were 12% of total costs.
Investment profits exceeded expectations
The value of the University’s investments increased 19.2% in 2021. The average annual profit of 8.0% for the University’s whole investment history (2011–2021) clearly exceeds the annual target of 5%. At the end of the year, the value of long-term investments was €136.1 million.
JYU receives Finland’s all-time largest donation from a private person
The University’s fundraising campaign 2021–2022 started with alumni Matti Häll’s historic donation to engineering education. The largest donation ever from a private person to a Finnish university on 31 March 2021 boosted the establishment of professorships in master’s degree education in technology. By the end of the year, JYU received in total around €1 million of other donations eligible for match funding from the Government, the largest ones being from the Jyväskylä Merchants Guild Foundation to economics education (€420,000) and from Osuuskauppa Keskimaa cooperative to economics (€100,000) and engineering education (€50,000). The fundraising campaign continues until the end of June 2022.
New initiatives in European cooperation
The EduFutura Jyväskylä cooperation, implemented in cooperation with JAMK University of Applied Sciences and the Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia, continued in 2021 and cooperation steps from 2023 were outlined at the end of the year. Other significant cooperation networks were the Wellbeing Expertise Centre of Central Finland KEHO (coordinated by JYU), and the European FORTHEM Alliance.
New University Board, University Collegium and academic management
Call for application for the rectorship of the University for the period from 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2027 was implemented in spring 2021. On 19 May 2021, the University Board appointed Rector Keijo Hämäläinen as the rector of the University of Jyväskylä for his second five-year term. Rector Hämäläinen appointed the current vice rectors also for the next term of office. In addition, the partly renewed academic management started its term of office in 2022.
The new University Board started its term of office at the beginning of 2022 and selected Professor Antti Koivula as the chair of the Board. New University Collegium also started its operation and elected Professor Kaisa Miettinen as the chair of the Collegium.
The University Board approved the group’s financial statement and annual report 2021 in its meeting of 18 March 2022. The University Collegium will discuss and confirm the financial statement and annual report in its meeting of 5 May 2022.
The financial statement and annual report of the University of Jyväskylä 2021.
Further information:
Keijo Hämäläinen, Rector
Päivi Seppä, Finance and Service Director
Jarkko Pirkkalainen, Development Director
