Esteemed Chancellor, Rector, members of the university community, distinguished guests,
It is my great honour and pleasure to congratulate the University of Helsinki on its 386th anniversary.
Today's celebration reflects the long tradition of Finnish learning, education and science. It is also a moment to appreciate the community that, for centuries, has carried the responsibility for knowledge, research and expertise in Finland.
The University of Helsinki's 386‑year history is quite exceptional. The university has been located in two different cities and in three different countries, and its name has changed several times along the way. This history reminds us that a university is a dynamic institution shaped by geopolitical currents. Its importance grows year by year as the need for reliable research, high-quality education, linguistic and cultural understanding, and strong engagement with society becomes ever more pressing.
At a time when we must stand up more visibly for the role of science as a pillar of democratic societies, the University of Helsinki has shown courage, foresight and commitment in acting as a responsible and influential academic community guided by its values. I thank you for this.
International comparisons show that countries with strong democracies also score highly when it comes to academic freedom. I believe that an open society protects critical debate and scientific scrutiny, both of which are essential for scientific progress. We must defend this openness, even though it brings challenges that we need to solve together.
Last autumn, the Government published the first part of its Report on the Future, an analysis of our operating environment. With the help of various scenarios, it explored the trajectories emerging over the coming decades. These scenarios vary widely, but some inevitable themes appear in every one of them: we need to raise education and skills levels, strengthen the role of science, support continuous learning, promote sustainable immigration, and enable growth linked to the digital transformation and disruptive technologies. In short: Finland can succeed only by investing in education and training, knowledge and skills, research and development, and culture and learning.
If Finland's success depends on strong expertise and research, raising the level of education and skills becomes a matter of national survival. We therefore need not only research and development, but also enough talent, both from Finland and abroad.
Despite the current budget constraints, the Government has drawn on parliamentary R&D policy guidelines to make historically large investments in research, development and research infrastructure, such as the new LUMI AI Factory. With these investments, we aim to strengthen Finland's ability to renew itself by building the expertise that the future inevitably demands.
The largest single investment in expertise within the R&D package is the pilot for doctoral programmes. Thanks to the pilot, universities have been able to recruit 1,000 new postgraduate researchers to complete a doctorate. I strongly believe these future doctors will make breakthroughs, drive new growth and deepen our understanding of a world that is changing rapidly around us. We need experts to achieve our goal of building sustainable growth based on high-level knowledge and competence.
As a result of the R&D investments, both the Research Council of Finland and Business Finland now have record levels of budget authority for research and development. This allows them to respond better and more quickly to the shifting landscape. One excellent example is the Research Council of Finland's Profi 9 funding round for universities, aimed at hiring researchers from countries where academic freedom is under threat. This enables us to take swift and concrete action to defend academic freedom nationally and internationally. A EUR 50 million investment sends a powerful message to the world that Finland stands on the side of academic freedom.
It also shows that in Finland, agency in these matters genuinely lies within the academic sector, such as the Research Council of Finland and the universities. Last spring, I was asked almost daily what I and the Government planned to do to attract researchers from certain countries where academic freedom was being challenged. I replied that the state should not take an operational role here. We have allocated funding for research and development, and it is important that the academic sector leads on these matters in Finland.
It is clear that in the future we will continue to need experts from many fields, from Finland and from abroad. International expertise is a major asset for our economy, research and innovation. To ensure that all experts can build their future in Finland, we must provide support in everyday language and cultural skills. This helps people see Finland not only as a place to work, but also as a pleasant and safe place to live and call home. Language is not only a tool for communication but a key to participation, a network of contacts and cultural understanding.
Learning Finnish or Swedish often makes everyday integration far easier, even though in many fields English may be enough to find employment. Better skills in Finnish or Swedish open up more opportunities, not only in finding work but also in daily life and community participation.
For example, people in the technology sector have long been able to build their careers in English, as it is the main language used in many companies. Then, when I chaired the board of the Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland, we surveyed our members with an international background about what services they needed. We were surprised by how many wished for opportunities to learn Finnish. Workplaces took this to heart. Some agreed that coffee break conversations would be in Finnish, so people could learn the language in a familiar and safe environment. Solutions do not always require major investments or changes, only understanding and a willingness to act.
In this broader language context, the Kielibuusti project, led by the University of Helsinki in cooperation with other higher education institutions, plays an important role. The Ministry of Education and Culture has funded the project. It is excellent that the institutions involved have, together with the wider higher education sector, developed new ways to support the teaching and learning of Finnish and Swedish for highly educated international professionals. It is important that the University of Helsinki has provided concrete tools for language learning, for example in language-supported early childhood education, to develop language skills more broadly.
Dear friends of higher education and science,
The Finnish Constitution provides a strong foundation for our society and guarantees the freedom of science, the arts and higher education. Academic freedom means not only that researchers have full freedom to choose their research topics and questions, gather data and develop methods, but also that they may question widely accepted knowledge and interpretations without fear of pressure or sanctions from employers, public authorities or other powerful actors. Academic freedom also includes the ability to publish and disseminate research results. Self-regulation within the academic community plays an important role in that debate.
Research is guided in different ways, both in form and substance, to support and clarify how academic freedom works in practice. But academic freedom is not absolute. Finnish legislation contains only a few laws that directly regulate research, mainly in the fields that fall under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Export control and sanctions legislation also shape the framework in some fields. Every research funder, whether public or private, has its own rules. In some cases, the laws of other countries, especially in technological fields, may also affect collaboration in ways that are not immediately obvious.
Last spring I launched a project to develop a vision for higher education and research towards 2040, and appointed a steering group including the Council of Rectors of Finnish Universities, Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences, Research Council of Finland, Business Finland, Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff, Finnish Confederation of Professionals, and representatives from businesses and student organisations. Guided by this group and supported by data and online surveys we have been developing a long-term vision for higher education and research together with institutions across the sector. The core message is this: the world around us will change, but a Finland that builds on skills, research-based knowledge, academic and artistic freedom, education and culture, and democracy will remain a global leader in education in 2040.
We began drafting the vision in spring 2025. Its aim is to define what higher education and research in Finland should look like by 2040. With a shared vision, we can respond to global and societal change and build the future we want. Working together with higher education institutions, research organisations, the labour market and stakeholders, we have developed a shared understanding of our current situation. Last week, the steering group finalised the goals and concrete measures. A parliamentary monitoring group has also taken part, meaning our work has the support of all parliamentary groups.
We held a webinar this morning, and the goals and measures are now open for comments for a few weeks. We will work on the comments in the steering group meetings at the end of April and in May. Our aim is to finalise the vision and goals for higher education and research in early summer.
I would already like to thank everyone who has contributed and to invite you to share your comments on the draft in the coming weeks. Most importantly: the vision is not only something we create together, but something we must also put into practice together. It will take all of us to make it a success.
Education and research strengthen society's ability to withstand crises. The ability to think creatively and critically and to solve many kinds of problems is vital. Global democratic developments give reason for concern. We are facing a broader crisis of learning and progress. Education and culture provide stability and open pathways to alternative futures that support democratic decision-making. Education and research also help us adapt to new threats, technological disruption and the changing needs in the world of work. Adaptation succeeds when higher education and research generate new ideas. This is the greatest strength of a society based on research and knowledge.
We cannot overstate the importance of quality in higher education and research. High-quality education gives everyone a strong foundation. It helps build a more sustainable world, a more manageable daily life, greater wellbeing, and better working conditions.
Climate and environmental change, an ageing population, rising inequality and Russia's war of aggression in Europe all challenge the future of our welfare state and its structures. Solutions must be sustainable, innovative and international. Finland must remain a leader in clean energy and the green transition, and higher education institutions again play a key role in this.
A sustainable future requires ecological, social and economic sustainability. Sustainable development is like a three-legged stool: each leg matters and none can be forgotten. Higher education institutions contribute to sustainable development through research-based knowledge, high-quality education, interdisciplinarity and cooperation. The challenges facing society stretch across academic boundaries, which is why cooperation is a small nation's superpower. We must see competitors as partners and strengthen cooperation and partnerships, both nationally and internationally.
Geopolitical tensions and polarisation challenge our society and particularly the higher education sector, which relies on free and open science.
Competition for talent is also intensifying globally. To respond to this, our work must be as open and responsible as possible. We must strengthen cooperation especially with partners who share our values, but we cannot rely on them alone. We must create ways of working that make cooperation with partners in other countries possible too.
Next, I would like to highlight some of the steps we have taken to strengthen research security in the Ministry, nationally with our partners and internationally.
I would also like to thank the University of Helsinki for its leadership in research security. You have developed practices and models that help create contacts and support cooperation around the world.
At national level, we have made necessary changes, such as updating the legislation governing the Research Council of Finland. Under this update, research funding applications must include a project risk assessment and risk management plan. This allows the Council to decline funding for projects where the residual risk is considered too high. It is important to remember that the Council's role complements that of researchers and research organisations in ensuring research security.
We now have almost three years of this government term behind us. Parliamentary elections will take place next year in April. It is worth considering which messages we should emphasise regarding research security. I believe it is important to harmonise the policies and practices of ministries on responsible international collaboration and research security. This would give organisations the consistent and stable guidance they have been calling for.
In international cooperation, we seek partners with whom we can discuss research security and strengthen it at national level. The Council of the European Union recommendations on research security guide and support us. We are proud that in the European Commission's Research Security Monitor published at the end of February, the University of Helsinki's risk assessment tool - which I mentioned earlier - was highlighted as a good practice at European level.
The way we talk about the future shapes the future itself. We need the courage to see opportunities, the ability to act amid disruptive change, and the will to take steps that build a better tomorrow. We also need belief and trust - trust in people's abilities, in the functioning of society and in the direction shown by science and higher education.
The University of Helsinki builds this trust every day through its research, teaching and broad networks of cooperation.
Finally, I would like to thank all of you for the work you do to strengthen knowledge and expertise in Finland. Your work gives us a strong foundation.
My warm congratulations to the University of Helsinki on its 386th anniversary, and every success for the future.
Thank you.
