First Vice Rector Hannele Niemi:
A record year for degrees
The possibility to take degrees under the old degree structure ended in July 2008, resulting in a record number of graduations during the year. While normally an average of 2,400 students a year graduate with a master’s degree, this time the number nearly doubled to 4,442.
The education provided by the University of Helsinki is internationally evaluated at intervals of six years. The evaluation carried out in 2008 focused on issues relating to teaching management. The faculties and departments carried out a thorough self-evaluation of their teaching during the spring, and a high-level expert panel comprising 12 members visited our university in November.
According to the evaluation panel, the university has a strong tradition of democracy and participative decision-making. Work still needs to be done in order to make more effective use of feedback received from students and employers in developing the education.
Teacher training has focused on multicultural encounters. In 2008, the students were selected for the degree programmes for nursery school teachers and class teachers that have a multicultural emphasis. Students are able to study Finnish as a second language on the degree courses. Multiculturalism is also taken into consideration in teaching placements. Furthermore, planning work got underway for a intermediate study module on multicultural education. It will be aimed at all those studying to become a teacher, including those intending to become subject teachers. University extension studies have also responded to the challenges of multiculturalism through a broad range of measures.
The university now offers 24 master’s programmes in English, nine of which are joint international degree programmes. The marketing of the international programmes and student recruitment has been made more effective.
Our university came out extremely well in the national competition for centres of excellence. The University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Pharmacy and Department of Computer Science were chosen as Centres of Excellence in University Education for the period 2010–2012.
Photo: Ida Pimenoff
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