The rector's review covered education, research, and cooperation

The Vice Rector for Education Mirja Illikainen said that there is a lot going on in education, but she wanted to highlight two things in particular: the integration of generic skills into curricula and degree programme portfolio work.

She reminded that the University of Oulu aims to ensure that all students acquire not only field-specific expertise during their studies, but also generic skills that are jointly selected by the university. The Vice Rector for Education believes that integrating generic skills into curricula and studies ensures that university graduates are knowledgeable and thoughtful individuals who are ready for the demands of working life.

Illikainen considers the degree programme portfolio work to be particularly important in anticipating and preparing for the effects of various social changes, such as demographic changes, on the university.

"During the coming autumn, degree programme portfolio work will be carried out for bachelor's and master's programmes, starting with a knowledge-based analysis," Illikainen said.

Quality of teaching and good learning experience are key factors in education

In order to improve the attractiveness of education, the Vice Rector for Education also highlighted the work being done at the new OPE (Centre for Pedagogical Support and Development) and OPPI (Learning Support and Wellbeing Centre) centres.

"In addition to interesting education, the quality of teaching and the student experience are important factors in attracting students, and we can influence these together," Illikainen noted.

"It is important that we take an ambitious approach to the quality of teaching and the student experience."

When discussing how to influence the student experience, Illikainen highlighted the ongoing Ask Me campaign, which aims to support new students during their first weeks at university. Illikainen encouraged university staff to participate in the campaign:

"All you need to do is be willing to stop, meet the student, and seek advice together."

Vice Rector for Research and Vice Rector for Cooperation facing new challenges

Both the Vice Rector for Research Matti Latva-aho and the Vice Rector for Cooperation Petteri Alahuhta started their new jobs over the summer, so they're both new to their roles.

“Petteri and I are currently visiting the faculties," Matti Latva-aho said. The vice rectors said that they consider it important to familiarize themselves with the activities.

Matti Latva-aho sees the prerequisites for good research as follows:

"Good research requires extremely good researchers, some research funding, and research equipment that enables research."

In his role as vice rector for research, Latva-aho is involved in ensuring the latter two in particular.

When asked by the audience how multidisciplinarity can be promoted at the university, Latva-aho responded with what he described as an engineer's pragmatism:

"We can determine whether we have clear themes that emerge as multidisciplinary focal points. We can monitor the direction in which funding is being channeled at the EU level. And we can define the major themes that we will jointly set out to address."

Vice Rector for Cooperation Petteri Alahuhta said that he is interested in the commercialisation of research and the growth of innovations into businesses. He sees skills to be learned in areas such as invention and licensable technologies.

"Impact requires the commercialisation of research and wider adoption."

In the rector's reviews, the rectorate shares the latest news from the university with staff and students. These events are held 2–4 times a year.