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Finland in a nutshell

Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic Country situated in Northern Europe. It is the eighth largest country in Europe in terms of area and the most sparsely populated country in the European Union. Finland has been a member of the European Union since 1995, independent since 1917 and autonomous since 1809. The capital city is Helsinki.


The population of Finland is some 5.3 million inhabitants and the majority is concentrated in the south: 71 % of Finns live in towns or in urban areas, whereas only 29 % live in rural areas. Finland has two official languages: Finnish and Swedish. Finnish is spoken by 91.5 % and Swedish by 5.5 % of the population. Sami (Lappish) is the mother tongue of about 1,700 people.


Finland is a democratic, parliamentary republic with a central government and local governments in 415 municipalities. Greater Helsinki (including Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa) totals over a million residents and a third of the GDP. Other major cities include Tampere, Turku and Oulu.

Finnish education policy

Finnish education and science policy stresses quality, efficiency, equity and internationalism. It is geared to promote the competitiveness of Finnish welfare society. Sustainable economic development will continue to provide the best basis for assuring the nation's cultural, social and economic welfare. The overall lines of Finnish education and science policy are in line with the EU Lisbon strategy.


In Finland, the basic right to education and culture is recorded in the Constitution. Public authorities must secure equal opportunities for every resident in Finland to get education also after compulsory schooling and to develop themselves, irrespective of their financial standing. Legislation provides for compulsory schooling and the right to free pre-primary and basic education. Most other qualifying education is also free for the students, including postgraduate education in universities.


Parliament passes legislation concerning education and research and determines the basic lines of education and science policy. The Government and the Ministry of Education, as part of it, are responsible for preparing and implementing education and science policy. The Ministry of Education is responsible for education financed from the state budget. The Government adopts a development plan for education and research every four years.

Finnish education system

The Finnish education system is composed of nine-year basic education (comprehensive school), preceded by one year of voluntary pre-primary education; upper secondary education, comprising vocational and general education; and higher education, provided by universities and polytechnics. Adult education is available at all levels.


Students’ opportunities to progress from one level of education to the next are safeguarded by legislation. Both general and vocational upper secondary certificates provide eligibility for further studies in universities and polytechnics. A student completing one level is always eligible for the next level of studies. The qualifications of each level are governed by a separate Act of Parliament. Finnish education is also free of charge at all levels.


Basic education is general education provided for the whole age group. Upper secondary education consists of general education and vocational education and training (vocational qualifications and further and specialist qualifications). The higher education system comprises universities and polytechnics, in which the admission requirement is a secondary general or vocational diploma.

Higher education

Universities in Finland

Universities, which are academic or artistic institutions, focus on scientific research and research-based education. They confer Bachelor’s, Master’s, Licentiate and Doctoral degrees. At the moment (June 2008), Finland has 20 universities and a National College for Defense, which work on the principles of academic freedom and autonomy. They are very independent in their decision-making. All universities are state-run, the government providing some 70 % of their budgets.


At universities students can study for lower (Bachelor's) and higher (Master's) degrees and scientific or artistic postgraduate degrees, which are the licentiate and the doctorate. It is also possible to study specialist postgraduate degrees in the medical fields. In the two-cycle degree system, students first complete the Bachelor's degree, after which they may go for the higher, Master's degree. As a rule, students are admitted to study for the higher degree. Universities also arrange separate Master's programs with separate student selection, to which the entry requirement is a Bachelor's level degree or corresponding studies.


Studies are quantified as credits (ECTS). One year of full-time study corresponds to 60 credits. The extent of the Bachelor's level degree is 180 credits, and it is aimed to take some three years. The Master's degree is 120 credits, which means two years of full-time study on top of the lower degree. In some fields, such as medicine, the degrees are more extensive and take longer to complete.


University postgraduate education aims at a doctoral degree. In addition to the required studies, doctoral students prepare a dissertation, which they defend in public. The requirement for postgraduate studies is a Master's or corresponding degree. Universities also offer fee-charging continuing education and Open University instruction, which do not lead to qualifications but can be included in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree.


Universities select their students independently and entrance examinations are an important part of the selection process. An admitted student may only accept one student place in degree education in a given academic year. The aim is to simplify student selection procedures by means of a joint universities application system to be introduced in the academic year 2008 – 2009.


At the moment (June 2008), there are 10 multi-faculty universities, 6 specialized universities, 4 art academies and a National College for Defense in Finland. Annually (2006), some 20,000 new students attend university education, whereas the total number of students is some 160 000. The number of Master’s degrees completed at universities during 2006 totaled 13,100. The number of doctorates, in turn, amounted to 1,410. The average drop-out rate (2005) is only about 5.0 %.

Polytechnics in Finland

The first polytechnics were set up on an experimental basis in 1991, the aims being to raise the standard of higher vocational education, to make Finland’s training and qualifications more internationally competitive, to respond to the demands for new skills, to enhance the attraction of vocational education and to increase the efficiency of vocational education system. The reform was launched on the basis of guidelines issued by the government, and responsibility for bringing courses up to non-university higher education standard was entrusted to the institutions taking part in the experiment.


The first permanent polytechnics started operating in 1996 after a thorough evaluation process. In 2003, the polytechnics were given the same autonomy as universities. Till then, they had operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The higher polytechnic degree was established in 2005 after a 5-year experiment. Additionally, the polytechnic reform entailed a total reorganization of other vocational education, the post-secondary college level being completely phased out, the post-comprehensive level being expanded, and the apprenticeship training gradually being increased.


Polytechnics, also known as universities of applied sciences, offer work-related education in response to labor market needs. Degree studies give a higher education qualification and practical professional skills. They comprise core and professional studies, elective studies and a final project. All degree studies include practical on-the-job learning. There are no tuition fees in degree education, and the students can apply for financial aid.


At the moment (June 2008), there are 28 polytechnics in the Ministry of Education sector: seven are run by local authorities, 11 by municipal education consortia and 10 by private organizations. In addition, there is the Åland University of Applied Sciences in the self-governing Province of Åland and the Police College subordinate to the Ministry of Interior. The polytechnics are co-financed by the government and local authorities.


The extent of polytechnic degree studies is generally 210 − 240 study points (ECTS), which means 3.5 – 4 years of full-time study. This education is arranged as degree programs. The entry requirement is a certificate from an upper secondary school or the matriculation certificate, a vocational qualification or corresponding foreign studies. The requirement for Master's studies in polytechnics is a Bachelors' level polytechnic degree and at least three years of work experience. The polytechnic Master's, which is 60 – 90 study points and takes 1.5 – 2 years, is equivalent to a university Master's in the labor market.


A total of 133,300 students attended polytechnic education leading to a degree in 2007. This was 700 students more than the year before. The number of new students was 36,600. In addition, a total of 21,000 degrees were obtained. The number of foreign students attending education leading to a degree was 5,400, 17 % more than the year before. In 2007, the number of degrees obtained by foreign students increased by 11 % from previous year and stood slightly over 500. The number of students attending education leading to a higher polytechnic degree was 3,400, which was 1,300 students more than the year before. Higher polytechnic degrees were obtained by 360 students.

Higher education reform

The Bologna Process

The Finnish higher education reform derives from the Bologna Declaration. In order to strengthen the position of Finnish universities in the European Higher Education Area, Finland has reformed the degree structure and is currently devising an international strategy for the Finnish higher education system. Another important means has been the strengthening of quality assurance in Finnish universities and polytechnics. The new two-cycle degree system was adopted by Finnish universities in August 2005, whereas polytechnics have kept the present system. The degrees were reformed compatible with the ECTS at the same time.


In Finland, universities and polytechnics have adopted the Diploma Supplement. It is a document jointly designed by the EU, the Council of Europe and UNESCO to provide information about the studies completed by the student, the status of the degree and the qualification provided by the degree for further studies and for jobs. The universities and polytechnics have a statutory duty to issue a Diploma Supplement to the student on request.

Structural development

The Finnish higher education system consists of two complementary sectors, where universities and polytechnics have different missions and profiles (dual model). Universities focus on scientific research and research-based education, whereas polytechnics offer work-related education in response to the labor market needs. The Finnish higher education system is currently undergoing a structural development process, which is meant to be completed by 2012. According to the Ministry of Education, the aims of structural development can be listed as following (Ministry of Education. 2008a):

  • The quality of teaching and research improves.
  • The impressiveness of education and research strengthens.
  • The internationalization proceeds.
  • The level of know-how arises and the competitiveness strengthens.
  • The strengths of higher education are pulled together.
  • The co-operational structures and administration evolve.
  • The public research system functions better.
  • The alternatives in individual education diversify.
  • Services for students and researchers improve.


Structural development in universities

In years 2006 – 2007, the Ministry of Education allocated some 18 M€ for the structural development of universities. In addition, three leading projects were launched in November 2006: The Aalto University, The University of Eastern Finland and the University Consortium in Turku. The reform will transform universities’ legal status from entities under the State Budget to an independent body corporate. This allows increased autonomy in university finances and administration.


The Aalto University is a new university, which will be created through a full merger of three existing universities: Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki University of Technology and University of Art and Design Helsinki. The University of Eastern Finland is a new university built from two current universities in Eastern Finland: University of Joensuu and University of Kuopio. University of Turku and Turku School of Economics, in turn, make the University Consortium in Turku, which is then supposed to build up a new kind of university 3 years later.


In addition to the aforementioned projects, universities are supported in their collaborative projects and in collaboration with the polytechnics and other parties. Some internal development projects are also supported. The structural development in universities has not only been ministry-led, but the universities have also taken an active role in the processes.

Structural development in polytechnics

The most significant development projects amongst the polytechnics have been the three merger projects. At the beginning of year 2007, HAAGA University of Applied Sciences and Helsinki Business Polytechnic merged into HAAGA-HELIA University of Applied Sciences. Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia and EVTEK University of Applied Sciences, in turn, will become the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in August 2008, and at the same time some, branch rationalization will be made with Laurea University of Applied Sciences. Furthermore, Swedish polytechnic Finland and Sydväst Polytechnic will become the Novia University of Applied Sciences in August 2008.


It has also been agreed that degree-led education and, thus, 12 units in 11 localities will be closed down. Education programs and areas of responsibilities are united so that education will be organized in groups of no less than 40 students. Additionally, the polytechnics will develop their distribution of work and, thereby, strengthen their profilization. The aim is that some 10 % (~2,500) of new students will be redirected in years 2008 – 2009.

Administration and finance

Polytechnic education is co-financed by the government and local authorities. The local authorities pay 54.7 % of the cost of basic education, general upper secondary education, vocational education and training and polytechnic education. In addition to its 45.3 % share of statutory funding, the government grants discretionary subsidies to education and its development. As the funds are not earmarked, the education providers can use them at their discretion. In addition to this public funding, polytechnics provide fee-paying services and carry out projects, which also bring them income.


Funds granted by the Ministry of Education to universities comprise core funding, project funding and performance-based funding. The appropriations and the objectives, direction, evaluation and development of university operations are determined in performance agreements concluded by the universities and the Ministry of Education. Universities also receive a great deal of external financing, e.g. for research projects, and have income from services they provide, such as continuing professional education.

Quality assurance

Quality assurance of higher education is one of the key development areas in efforts to construct a European Higher Education Area (EHEA). In 2005, the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) launched a project for auditing the quality assurance systems of Finnish higher education institutions (HEIs). The purpose of auditing is to ensure that the HEIs have quality assurance systems in support of continuous and systematic improvement of operations, and that such a system works according to stated objectives, brings out change and has international credibility.


The FINHEEC audit model is founded in the principle of enhancement-led evaluation and is the universally accepted approach in Finland. The model also conforms to the ENQA Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area.

Finnish HEIs in the information society

Towards the information society

The nineteen eighties and nineties saw the breakthrough of the use of information technology in a wide spectrum. During that period, the critical amount of users was created inside the world of HE, first in communities of researchers, and then, as a natural continuum also in the researcher education. The birth of CSC and Funet helped Finnish HE to achieve an internationally high level in exploiting information technologies. The rapid expansion of the networks of HEIs allowed the massive access of students into the lateral communication of the community of students.


This, however, had little or no impact on the teaching of the institutions, except in some fields of natural sciences, medicine and technical sciences, while in the national strategic guidelines for primary and secondary education, including vocational education, the use of ICT in teaching and the systematic improvement of the ICT skills of teachers became a stated goal already in the nineties. For HEIs, it had to be waited that the overall discussion on pedagogy reached the point where it started to evolve into systematic forms. In Finland as elsewhere, the autonomy and decision making of HEIs have not been instrumental in implementing the national strategy in use of ICT in learning.


In the HEIs in Finland, the introduction of ICT in teaching stemmed largely from a different tradition than in schools and vocational education institutions, where the first wave of interest towards the possibilities of IT in teaching and the later hyper- and multimedia hype were huge. These waves matched well with the emerging conceptions about learning, and the subsequent modern methods which emphasized the student’s independent work exploratory and collaborative learning and process orientation.


In HEIs, two mainstreams emerged: on the one hand the culture of high-powered computation done in centralized supercomputer environments coupled with computer science, information technology and electronic data processing of the administration, and on the other hand the reflection of the development of different forms of distant teaching into the world of higher education. In this second mainstream, continuing education centers and open universities have played an important role.

Information society strategy period

Development of information society did not become an issue in Finland before the implementation of the first information society strategy in 1995 – 1999. In the HE sector, the focus was on improving the computer facilities, networks, library applications and applications serving the information and communication needs of researchers. Internet, net communications and learning platforms, net courses, digital materials and learning object repositories had their breakthrough on the period of the first information society strategy actually without significant direction from the strategy. The development of the field was so fast that the strategy work was falling behind, which was quite natural particularly at that time. Strategy work served decision-making and the mainstream of education, not the forerunners.


At the same time, an interesting convergence of several separate small traditions into a wide and diverse mainstream took place due to the fact that use of ICT in teaching was becoming more widespread. On one side, the experts of ICT in classroom teaching (computer-aided learning) noticed how the Internet was starting to make classrooms virtual. On another side, the education technologists of distant teaching and learning started noticing that network pedagogy offers possibilities beyond electronic distribution of teaching materials, returning assignments through the net or using video conferencing and telephone in communication. Many who had been awakened by the Internet found the research and development done by the forerunners. The virtual, often informal networks of experts and learning started to evolve into genuine flora of lifelong learning, the most famous of course being the worldwide network of Linux users.


The information strategy for education and research 2000 – 2004 grasped four important challenges for developing information society: 1) ensuring necessary skills for information society; 2) developing network learning environments; 3) securing the structures of information society; and 4) developing digital learning resources. For tackling the challenges belonging to the third group at HEI level, the Finnish Virtual University (FVU) and the Finnish Online University of Applied Sciences (VirtuaaliAMK), formerly known as the Finnish Virtual Polytechnic (FVP), were developed as a unifying concept.


Until the end of year 2006, the guiding document for the FVU and VirtuaaliAMK activities and related projects and networks was the Information Society Program for Education, Training and Research 2004 – 2006. The foci were set on establishing productive and economically viable practices and on encouraging exploitation of ICT in social innovations. The purpose for consolidating the virtual university was that projects and services initially operating on national funding were eventually to be transferred to the respective universities.


For more information see: Major e-learning initiatives in Finland.


References

Relevant websites


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