University of Eastern Finland

University of Eastern Finland
Itä-Suomen yliopisto
Type Public
Established 2010
Rector Jukka Mönkkönen
Administrative staff
 2,800
Students 15,000
Location Joensuu, Kuopio and Savonlinna, Eastern Finland, Finland
Campus Main campuses in Joensuu and Kuopio
small campus in Savonlinna
Nickname UEF
Website www.uef.fi

The University of Eastern Finland (Finnish: Itä-Suomen yliopisto) is a university in Finland with three campuses in Joensuu, Kuopio, and Savonlinna. It was formed in 2010 by a merger of two previously independent universities.

History

The University of Eastern Finland was formed through a merger of two formerly independent universities, the University of Joensuu and the University of Kuopio. These ceased to exist when the University of Eastern Finland began to operate in January 2010.[1] The merger was affected by the university sector reform carried out in Finland in 2009–2010, which occurred when the previous Universities Act of 1997 was replaced by a newly enacted Universities Act of 2009 (558/2009). The new Universities Act further extended the autonomy of Finnish universities by giving each university an independent legal personality, either as a public corporation or as foundation. At the same time, the universities’ management and decision-making system were reformed. The Finnish Parliament passed the Universities Act on 16 June 2009.[2]

Although the University of Eastern Finland launched operations in 2010, cooperation between the University of Joensuu and the University of Kuopio was tight already before the actual merger.

Merger

2009 The first joint student admissions to the University of Eastern Finland were carried out in Economics and Business Administration and in Social Sciences in 2009. Further more, the University of Eastern Finland was in 2009 granted permission to organise dentistry education, which began in 2010.[1] On May 18, 2009 The Sino-Finnish Environmental Research Centre (SFERC) located in Nanjing, China was opened. It is a joint effort by University of Joensuu, University of Kuopio and University of Nanjing.[3] SFERC is focused on higher education and research addressing forestry, energy and environmental issues. It is the first unit established by Finnish universities in China.[3] It will operate at the University of Nanjing campus as a permanent satellite campus for the University of Eastern Finland.[4]

2008 The organisation structure and strategy of the University of Eastern Finland were completed. The University of Joensuu and the University of Kuopio received a joint right to confer degrees in Economics and Business Administration.[1]

2007 A working group led by Professor Reijo Vihko submitted a report proposing that cooperation between the University of Joensuu and the University of Kuopio be intensified. On 2 May, the University Senates of the University of Joensuu and the University of Kuopio approved a mutual agreement on forming a new university. On 26 September, the University Senates decided on the official name of the new university, i.e. the University of Eastern Finland.[1]

2006 The University of Joensuu and the University of Kuopio decided to intensify their mutual cooperation as part of the Ministry of Education programme addressing the structural development of Finnish higher education institutions. The project for the University of Eastern Finland was selected as one of the Ministry of Education spearhead projects. The project was appointed a working group led by Professor Reijo Vihko.[1]

Locations

One of the main buildings, Mediteknia, on the Kuopio campus.
The main building of Joensuu campus.

The University of Eastern Finland has two main campuses, one in Joensuu and the other in Kuopio. In addition to the main campuses, the University of Eastern Finland also has a smaller campus in Savonlinna. The Mekrijärvi Research Station, which also constitutes part of the UEF, is located in Ilomantsi, eastern Finland.[5] The main campuses are located approximately 130 kilometres (80 mi) apart and the Savonlinna Campus is located some 130 kilometres (80 mi)from Joensuu and 160 kilometres (100 mi) from Kuopio.

Administration

The University of Eastern Finland is a public university, which is administered by the Board, the Rector and the Academic Rector, the University Collegiate Body, the Faculty Councils and the Deans. The practical administrative tasks of the university are carried out by University Services and the Administration Service Centres of the faculties.[6]

Board

The Board of the University of Eastern Finland is the university's highest executive organ. The Board of the University of Eastern Finland is composed of a total of 10 members, 4 of whom are external members. The term of office of the Board is 1 January 2014 – 31 December 2017. The current members of the UEF Board are Lea Ryynänen-Karjalainen (Chair), DMus; Jaakko Kiander (Vice Chair), DSocSc; Tero Karjalainen, MA; Jarno Mäki, student; Jussi Pihlajamäki, MD; Juho Pulkka, BSocSc, BSc, student; Eeva Punta, Lic.Phil.; Wille (Vilho) Riekkinen, ThD; Tomi Rosti, MA; and Matti Tolvanen, LLD.[7]

Rector and Academic Rector

The University of Eastern Finland has a Rector and an Academic Rector, both of whom are based at a different main campus of the university. The Rector of the University of Eastern Finland is Prof. Jukka Mönkkönen and the Academic Rector of the University of Eastern Finland is Prof. Jaakko Puhakka. [8]

University Collegiate Body

The Collegiate Body of the University of Eastern Finland comprises a total of 24 members. Eight of the members represent the university’s professors, eight represent the university's teaching, research and general staff, and eight represent the university's students. The term of office of the University Collegiate Body is four calendar years. However, the term of office of the members representing the university’s students is two calendar years.[9]

Faculties

The University of Eastern Finland has four faculties: 1) the Philosophical Faculty, 2) the Faculty of Science and Forestry, 3) the Faculty of Health Sciences, and 4) the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. The Dean of the Philosophical Faculty is Prof. Markku Filppula, the Dean of the Faculty of Science and Forestry is Prof. Jukka Jurvelin, the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences is Prof. Hilkka Soininen, and the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies is Prof. Harri Siiskonen.[10]

Research and education

The University of Eastern Finland is a multidisciplinary university. The four faculties of the UEF offer teaching in nearly 100 major subjects and degree programmes. The university's annual student intake is approximately 2,200 and the university attracts nearly 9,500 applications for admission every year. The university of offers Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral level education in 13 fields of study: pharmacy, dentistry, humanities, education, economics and business administration, natural sciences, medicine, forest sciences, psychology, theology, health sciences, social sciences, and law.

Areas of research

The key interdisciplinary research areas of the University of Eastern Finland are built around four global challenges:

The University of Eastern Finland approaches the above-mentioned challenges through its focused, interdisciplinary research areas. The research areas are:

[11]

International cooperation

The University of Eastern Finland is an international research university with an extensive network of foreign partners. The university has concluded bilateral agreements on cooperation with approximately 70 universities abroad. Furthermore, the university is involved in several international networks and discipline-specific projects, and the university’s teaching and research staff and students are active in participating in various mobility programmes.[12]

Statistics

The University of Eastern Finland has a staff of 2,600 and 15,000 students. The university's annual budget is 234.1 million euros (in 2012).

In 2012, the university awarded 1,252 Master's level degrees and 152 doctoral degrees. The university’s peer-reviewed scientific publications amounted to 2,181, and the university also gave out 452 other scientific publications.[13]

The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture granted the University of Eastern Finland the right to confer degrees in the field of law as from 1 August 2013, expanding the university's fields of study to a total of 13, and making the university the most multidisciplinary university in Finland.[14]

Rankings

Since launching its operations in 2010, the University of Eastern Finland has appeared frequently, indeed annually, in several rankings listing the world's leading universities. In the rankings of the world’s top universities under 50 years of age published by QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education World University Rankings, the University of Eastern Finland was ranked 46th by QS, and 63rd by THE (2016).

In 2016, the University of Eastern Finland was ranked among the leading 400 universities in the world by Times Higher Education. In QS World University Rankings 2016, the University of Eastern Finland was ranked among the leading 400 universities in the world, and in the 2016 Academic Ranking of World Universities published by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the University of Eastern Finland was ranked among the leading 301–400 universities in the world.[15]

References

Media related to University of Eastern Finland at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 62°53′33″N 27°40′42″E / 62.8925°N 27.6783°E / 62.8925; 27.6783

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