Discussion
Finnish Higher Education
Is Not So International
To say so is to be met with mildly amusing casuistry
from those in powerful positions; they hopelessly hold
onto the fantasy that Finnish higher education already
is international and runs as a meritocracy. The reality is
that what they say and what is actually done are completely
out of synch with one another. International
academics — those with a mother tongue other than
Finnish or Swedish — who have applied for “open”
permanent contracts in Finnish universities know this
all too well. Where social sciences are concerned at least,
if Finnish higher education is to become truly international
then a root and branch change is required.
When it comes to being open, international and playing
fair, Finnish universities talk a good game. The University
of Oulu prides itself on being “an international,
multidisciplinary research university with a rich pool
of creative and intellectual talent.” Turku’s Human
Resources Policy states that, “The University will be
open and public in its recruitment, select the best possible
candidate for each post and enhance its image as
an employer.” On the University of Helsinki’s website
it states that: “The goal is always to find the most
talented and motivated people for the job. They may
come from Finland or elsewhere, but the competition
in the academic world is nevertheless international
and intense.” To avoid being hoodwinked by these
sorts of statements, one needs to look closely at the
fairness and accountability of the recruitment process,
especially where Finnish and international candidates
have competed against one another for permanent
academic positions at Finnish universities.
To the embarrassment of the University of Helsinki,
the Department of Geosciences and Geography made
national and international headlines in 2014 when it
advertised for an “open” permanent lectureship. It was
obvious that the post was earmarked for a Professor’s (I
will not name and shame them here) favourite candidate,
who had just finished their PhD. - the only one
‘interviewed’ for the post and subsequently appointed.
It is beyond any reasonable doubt that had an international
committee looked at the CVs of all the applicants
with objective eyes the outcome would have been quite
different.
The behaviour of Geosciences and Geography highlights
a wider concern within Finnish higher education:
university departments are not sufficiently held to
account. They should be made to prove that they have
followed regulations which ensure that all candidates
who have applied for permanent academic contracts
are ranked purely on the basis of merit. This would at
least prevent certain Professors from ensuring that their
favourite candidates get the best jobs and would also
lead to a more transparent recruitment process which
would be a real credit to Finnish higher education.
Why are Finnish universities so afraid of fastening their
recruitment policies more tightly to criteria which has
helped other universities to secure some of the world’s
best academic talent? Internationalisation and HR staff
in some of the world’s most successful universities ensure
that when recruiting, academic departments adhere
to criteria which includes, number of publications
in high impact factor international journals, quality of
the teaching portfolio and a track record in securing
research funds in the candidate’s own name.
The ability of Finnish higher education to become
more international also turns on the experiences of the
few international academics who are already employed
in the system. Many are struggling with the depressing
discovery that their departments are replete with broken
promises about teaching to research ratios, meaningless
employment contracts and rampant skulduggery.
Because these international academics will never
be made proper members of ‘the club’, they may decide
to not waste their time currying favour with their
Finnish superiors and instead seek to better themselves
at universities elsewhere in the world.
Truly international universities provide space for
their staff to speak truth to power. The distinguished
intellectual Noam Chomsky once said that those in power
probably know the truth already, and are mainly
interested in suppressing or limiting or distorting it.
This is certainly true of Finnish higher education. This
is to recognise that those who manage Finnish higher
education are behaving like they are ambidextrous: On
the one hand they appear to want to increase the numbers
of international staff working in Finnish universities,
but on the other hand they do their damnedest to
protect a system which ensures that Finnish academics
land the most secure job contracts and progress up the
hierarchy the fastest. This is not the best environment
for international staff to thrive in.
When one starts asking questions and looking at the statistics,
it quickly becomes clear that Finnish higher education
is not so international. The international outlook
which features on the websites of Finnish universities is
largely bogus, part of the defunct utopian myth which
has been allowed to congeal and coagulate around Finland.
Those who maintain that Finnish higher education
is international and meritocratic need to realise that
there will soon be no one left to lie to.
To end on a positive note which I received by
email from Thomas Wilhelmsson, the Chancellor
of the University of Helsinki “We are in the process
of renewing our recruitment processes quite thoroughly,
and the Board of the University has already
adopted amendments of our statutes in this direction.
I hope we will be able to address at least some of
the problems in this reform.” I do too.
Dr. Gareth Rice is an experienced academic who spent some years
working in Finnish higher education
- Painetussa lehdessä sivu 44
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