OECD Reviews of Tertiary Education OECD Reviews of Tertiary Education: Finland 2009

With tertiary education increasingly seen as a fundamental pillar for economic growth, these systems must now address the pressures of a globalising economy and labour market. This book provides an overview of Finland's tertiary education system including an account of recent trends and developments, an analysis of the strengths and challenges, and recommendations for future policy development. Introduction......Page 9 1.1 The Participation of Finland......Page 10 1.2 Structure of the Country Note......Page 12 The Finnish Higher Education System: Its Evolution and Major Strategic Issues......Page 13 3.1 The Background Context......Page 19 3.2 Entry into Tertiary Education......Page 21 3.3 Progression and Completion......Page 25 3.4 Flexibility......Page 27 3.5 Labour Market Outcomes......Page 29 4.1 Introduction: “A Place for Everyone”......Page 33 4.2 System Strengths......Page 34 4.3 Equity Challenges Facing Tertiary Education......Page 36 4.4 Recommendations......Page 37 Research......Page 41 5.1 Research Funding......Page 42 5.2 Human Resource Issues in Relation to Research......Page 44 5.3 Research Training......Page 46 5.4 Connecting Undergraduate Education with Research......Page 47 5.5 Evaluation of Research Quality......Page 48 5.6 Issues Relating to Size, Critical Mass, Organisation and Interdisciplinarity......Page 49 5.7 Polytechnics Research Positioning and Strategy......Page 52 6.1 The Present Situation and Elements in its Evolution......Page 55 6.2 Reflections on the Evidence Presented in the Visits in Relation to the Above......Page 57 6.3 Recommendations Emerging from the Discussion......Page 59 7.1 General Context for Considering Internationalisation......Page 63 7.2 Strengths of Finland and Finnish Higher Education in the International Context......Page 66 7.3 Weaknesses in Relation to Internationalisation......Page 67 7.4 Recommendations......Page 68 8.1 Development and Evolution of Quality Assurance Processes inFinnish Higher Education......Page 73 8.2 Challenges in the field of Quality Assurance and Monitoring......Page 75 8.3 Recommendations......Page 78 9.1 Overall Levels of Spending......Page 81 9.2 Institutional Support Funding......Page 83 9.3 Adequacy and Sustainability of Tertiary Funding......Page 86 9.4 Student Support......Page 90 9.5 Human Resources......Page 91 The Shape and Configuration of the Tertiary System......Page 97 11.1 Institutional Autonomy......Page 107 11.3 Management of Autonomy......Page 109 11.4 Recommendations......Page 110 Conclusions and Reflections......Page 115 References......Page 119 Appendix 1: Members of the Review Team for Finland......Page 123 Appendix 2: National Co-ordinator, National Advisory Committee, and Authors of Country Background Report......Page 125 Appendix 3: Programme of the Review Visit......Page 127 Appendix 4: Comparative Indicators on Tertiary Education......Page 135