University of Jyväskylä’s purchase offer presented to the Jyväskylä City Council

The University’s purchase offer and possible acquisition of Jamk will be reviewed by the Jyväskylä City Board on 27 October. The actual decision on the possible sale will be made by the Jyväskylä City Council, which will discuss the matter at its meeting on 3 November. The minority owners, the City of Jämsä and Äänekoski Federation of Municipalities for Vocational Education (Poke), will make their own decisions regarding the University’s purchase offer during the autumn.

Based on the study of the ownership arrangements and the relevant negotiations, the current approach is to carry out the acquisition in a single stage, whereby the University would become the main owner of Jamk directly. According to the original plan, ownership would be transferred to the University in two separate stages. As the study has progressed, it has been noted that implementing the ownership arrangement in two stages would be a significantly more complex process from both an accounting and administrative perspective. If implemented, the possible ownership arrangements would not affect the basic tasks of the higher education institutions, but they would remain in accordance with the Universities Act and the Universities of Applied Sciences Act.

“Our aim is to form a joint higher education consortium that is internationally attractive, drives educational reform, fosters a thriving RDI ecosystem, and delivers impactful, financially sustainable services,” says the Rector of the University of Jyväskylä Jari Ojala. “This will help us remain competitive and retain talent amid growing international competition, while strengthening our appeal both nationally and internationally.

“Achieving our ambitious goals requires open dialogue with both staff and students. If the work begins, it will be important to build trust, foster enthusiasm, and create opportunities for participation in building a joint higher education consortium.”

“The participation and commitment of students and staff are essential for our success,” says Vesa Saarikoski, Rector of Jamk University of Applied Sciences. “The consortium supports Jamk as a successful university of applied sciences and the University of Jyväskylä as a strong science university. If implemented, the possible ownership arrangement would not affect the core missions of the higher education institutions. They would continue to operate in accordance with the Universities Act and the Universities of Applied Sciences Act.”

If the purchase of shares is completed, the University of Jyväskylä and Jamk will proceed in accordance with the plan that was presented to the Ministry of Education and Culture in June. The Ministry has awarded funding to higher education institutions for the implementation of the action plan for the contract period 2025–2028.

The University and Jamk will establish a joint project office, to which both organisations will appoint project staff to support the change process. If the purchase of shares is completed, more detailed planning will begin in the first half of 2026 in collaboration with the staff and students of both higher education institutions, for example, through joint workshops and field-specific events.

In addition, four development programmes will be established for the implementation, supported by a cross-cutting joint ICT development effort. The development programmes are as follows: a competent and supportive higher education community, a thriving RDI ecosystem, internationally attractive and impactful education that drives educational reform, and financially sustainable, effective services. Persons responsible for the development programmes will be appointed at a later stage.

Mayor Timo Koivisto, Rector of the University of Jyväskylä Jari Ojala, and Rector of Jamk University of Applied Sciences Vesa Saarikoski will further discuss the topic in a joint video. 

Read the City of Jyväskylä’s press release (in Finnish)

See the Jyväskylä University Consortium's plan (in Finnish, English version will be published later).