Helsinki Institute for Social Sciences and Humanities (HSSH) is currently undergoing an external evaluation during the 2024–2025 academic year. The process, based on feedback from collaborators and faculty committees, is designed to assess the institute’s activities and shape its future directions. A key moment in the evaluation took place on 28-29th of April 2025, when an international panel of esteemed scholars visited the University of Helsinki’s City Centre Campus.
The evaluation panel consists of Professor Richard Rogers (University of Amsterdam), Professor Kirsten Drotner (University of Southern Denmark) who were present at the campus in Helsinki, and Professor Alis Oancea (University of Oxford), who joined the visit remotely. During their time on campus, the panel engaged in a series of structured discussions with a wide range of university actors, gathering impressions and insights to shape the final evaluation report, to be completed by the end of May.
The visit began on Monday 28th with a meeting between the evaluation panel and HSSH staff. After a brief introduction and welcome by HSSH Director Risto Kunelius, the evaluators took the lead. Through thoughtful and probing questions, they initiated a rich and multifaceted dialogue that covered both practical and strategic dimensions of the institute’s work. Despite the short timeframe, the discussion quickly delved into the heart of HSSH’s operations, identity, and ambitions.
Following a brief and collegial coffee break, the HSSH staff gave way to the institute’s Board, comprising faculty deans and heads of independent units. The evaluators continued their inquiry, gaining a broad view of how HSSH is seen from different corners of the university.
Early in the morning of Tuesday 28th, HSSH’s Project Planner Pentti Henttonen presented the Interlab project, followed by a joint presentation on the Helsinki Citizen Barometer by HSSH’s University Researcher Sointu Leikas and Professor Åsa von Schoultz.
A separate session at Metsätalo offered the evaluators the opportunity to hear from infrastructure and research committee representatives, as well as scholars who have engaged with the institute. The conversation highlighted concrete benefits enabled by HSSH’s support – an encouraging signal of the institute’s impact.
Later in the day, the panel met with Vice-Rector Anne Portaankorva and had a discussion with University Services. Topics here included the institutional relationship between HSSH and university administration, internal communication, HSSH’s role in faculty-level decision-making, and the implications of the upcoming cluster model reform.
In the final session, the evaluators reunited with the HSSH team – around the same table where the visit had begun just 24 hours earlier. The atmosphere was both focused and reflective, as each evaluator shared initial thoughts and key takeaways from the visit. Themes such as institutional identity, sustainability, and structural development were discussed. The evaluators also offered suggestions for future funding models and emphasized the value of the intellectual culture HSSH has cultivated – one that supports interdisciplinarity through a strong backbone in digital and computational methods, while remaining inclusive of qualitative and humanistic approaches.
As Professor Rogers put it, HSSH is an example of “interdisciplinarity with an intellectual backbone.” The institute’s capacity to operate as a network and foster a shared culture of collaboration was noted as a key strength.
The visit, though brief, was described as “fruitful and full,” with the evaluators remarking on the remarkable variety of perspectives they encountered. Throughout the visit, the tone remained warm and constructive, with a dash more formality than is typical for HSSHgatherings – a reflection of the significance of the moment.
The external evaluation continues to mark an important milestone in the institute’s journey, offering not just feedback but inspiration for the future. The external panel will submit their report by the end of May.