Modern requirements for

university premises and infrastructure

– an academic viewpoint

Kalle-Antti Suominen

Vice-rector for Research

Professor in Physics

Contents

• Universities in a changing world:

challenges and expectations

• Silicon valley: A suitable ideal to aim at?

• An international university:

• Student enrolment

• Researcher recruitment

• External funding

• Visibility

• What else contributes to a brand?

• Competition or collaboration: mergers or

networking or “car shop effect”

• Conclusion

Challenges for modern universities

• Various expectations from the society and

politicians have a strong role especially

when the universities get funding from

public resources.

• Tighter government control vs. autonomy.

• Academic freedom vs. dependence on

public and private external funding.

• Increasing international competition in

student recruitment, research quality and

funding.

• Increasing role of quantitative measures

such as rankings.

Expectations for modern universities

• Seen as drivers of financial growth,

sources of innovations, providers of data

for decision-making.

• Increasing emphasis on problem-driven

approaches and grand challenges:

What is the role of basic research in a

modern university?

• Globalisation and digitalisation.

• Visibility and reputation, appearance in

rankings.

• Mergers and networking, critical mass for

quality in education and research.

The Silicon Valley – an ideal that can not be duplicated

• Requires long timeline and good timing (birth of IT industry) and luck.

• Instead of duplication efforts: Niche economy aka Smart Specialisation.

UniversitiesOpen atmosphereLiberal attitudes

Diversity

Culturalactivities

Moderateclimate

Availablefunding

Intellectualatmosphere

ConnectivityMobility

DOD funding as a seedStrong industrial componentProsperous alumniAccumulation effect-> Start-up activity

The art ofstorytelling

Aspects of internationalisation

• Student enrolment

• To supplement for domestic decline in numbers (more studying

abroad, decreasing birth rate).

• To bring funding: Tuition fees.

• Requirements for infrastructure: Novel study spaces, role of

libraries, student housing, leisure activities (sport facilities etc.).

Aspects of internationalisation

• Student enrolment

• To supplement for domestic decline (more studying abroad,

decreasing birth rate).

• To bring funding: Tuition fees.

• Requirements for infrastructure: Novel study spaces, role of

libraries, student housing, leisure activities (sport facilities etc.).

• Encouragement of interdisciplinary interaction.

Mobility opportunities.

• Job opportunities ! Places where students can mingle with private

sector actors or create their own activities.

Meeting of students, researchers and private sector.

Kaisa Central Library at University of Helsinki

Kampusareena (Campus Arena) at Tampere Univ. of Technology

Aspects of internationalisation

• Researcher recruitment

• Quality and visibility of research

• Mobility of people = mobility of ideas

• Research grants and awards

Aspects of internationalisation

• Researcher recruitment

• Quality and visibility of research

• Mobility of people = mobility of ideas

• Research grants and awards

• Research infrastructure and buildings:

Affects mostly life sciences and natural sciences, but should not be

ignored for other fields as well: Access to digital material, level of

digitalisation, augmented or virtual reality.

Networking and concentration of infrastructure (local, national,

international). Competition for sites and network hubs.

AlbaNova: Physics for Stockholm University and KTH

However: Premises alone do not secure collaboration or success in research.

“Excellent research is often created in tightness of space”

Academician Olli V. Lounasmaa

Aspects of internationalisation

• Funding

• Public and private

• National and international (Nordic, EU, US organisations,

foundations); requirements for networking

• Tuition fees and research grants

• Research to support policy-making

• Industrial collaboration

• Donations?

Vesilinna – Water Castle

Vesilinna – Water Castle

University of Turku: “From free people to free science and learning”

• Founded in 1920 as the 1st Finnish-speaking university, by public donations

• About 20 000 students, 1700 MSc and 170 PhD degrees annually, 3300 staff

• Each year 2500 international students (exchange and degree)

• Turku: oldest town in Finland (mentioned by the Pope in 1229)

• Administrative and academic centre of Finland during Swedish period (until 1809)

• Main campus in Turku, on University Hill, built in 1950’s (Klondike Gold)

Aspects of internationalisation

• Visibility

• Student satisfaction, research excellence, success in obtaining

funding, infrastructure, expert missions and industrial collaboration

contribute to visibility.

• Rankings and news.

• Effect of nonlinearity: accumulation of “wealth”.

• Location: Capital city, historical city, industrial city.

• Alumni (students, former researchers).

• Buildings can also contribute to visibility.

Elements of competition

Studentenrolment

Fundingbasis

Societal impactResearcherrecruitment

Collaboration

BRAND

The universities often have also a cultural role, including the preservation of

historical buildings. They can be a financial burden, but can contribute to the

brand.

Mergers or networking? 1+1 > 2 ?

• Critical mass is considered important

in all aspects (student enrolment,

research excellence, attraction of

funding, cost efficiency).

• Does it require larger units?

• University mergers are now

fashionable, covering also merging

with other public research

organisations and university colleges.

• Mergers can be either within a single

city or between geographically clearly

separated units but usually within the

same country.

Mergers

• Benefits: efficiency, more study

opportunities for students, increased

cross-disciplinary possibilities,

improved visibility, better use or

concentration of infrastructure, more

attractive as a partner.

• Problems: management challenges,

transient issues, ”lost in the crowd”

effect, geographic dispersion, loss of

diversity and healthy competition,

sometimes also brand issues and

possible dilution of research

excellence.

And problems with unused buildings.

Networking

• Local networking: Other institutions

and private sector, shared premises

and infrastructure, some shared

teaching, diversity preserved at the

cost of some efficiency.

• National networking: harmonisation

of administrative practices and IT

systems, sharing of major

infrastructure, clearer profiles, but

also geographical challenges. A

possibility for a shared brand even

without an actual merge.

• Digitalisation is an important tool for

both mergers and networking.

Networking

• Local networking: Other institutions

and private sector, shared premises

and infrastructure, some shared

teaching, diversity preserved at the

cost of some efficiency.

• National networking: harmonisation

of administrative practices and IT

systems, sharing of major

infrastructure, clearer profiles, but

also geographical challenges. A

possibility for a shared brand even

without an actual merge.

• Digitalisation is an important tool for

both mergers and networking.

International networking at a major level (strategic partnership):

• Challenge lies in creating a win-win situation. When do the

benefits exceed the costs and time consumption?

• Equal or nonequal partners.

• Efficient forms of networking between universities?

• Shared teaching, joint degrees, mobility

• Joint positions

• Shared infrastructure

• International side campuses? Use of local partners.

Digitalisation provides excellent possibilities for networking. However,

the students and researchers clearly need also the social framework

and in some fields practical hands-on studies, so there are limits to

the use of digital tools and long-distance operation.

Mergers beyond national borders?

• A fascinating question.

• Legislative issues.

• Would require a win-win

situation.

• Digitalisation may change the

situation in the future.

• Effect on buildings?

• A more likely example: Side

campus with a local partner of

lesser reputation. Typically

created purely for financial gain

from tuition fees.

The Silicon Valley – The car shop effect

• Many competing units contribute to the success of the whole region

UniversitiesOpen atmosphereLiberal attitudes

Diversity

Culturalactivities

Moderateclimate

Availablefunding

Intellectualatmosphere

ConnectivityMobility

DOD funding as a seedStrong industrial componentProsperous alumniAccumulation effect-> Start-up activity

The art ofstorytelling

The Öresund Region

• Many competing units contribute to the success of the whole region

“car shop effect"

The Åland connection

Conclusions

Reputation – location – employment

These are the key elements in international competition. This can be

supported by having multipurpose buildings shared by different types

of users.

Mergers and networking are tools for improving competiveness. But

one can also gain by having many independent and even mutually

competing operators in the same region.

University structures that cross national borders are possible, but the

difficulty of operation can easily be more than the benefits.

University of Turku: “From free people to free science and learning”

• Founded in 1920 as the 1st Finnish-speaking university, by public donations

• About 20 000 students, 1700 MSc and 170 PhD degrees annually, 3300 staff

• Each year 2500 international students (exchange and degree)

• Turku: oldest town in Finland (mentioned by the Pope in 1229)

• Administrative and academic centre for Swedish rule (until 1809)

• Main campus in Turku, on University Hill, built in 1950’s (Klondike Gold)

University of Turku

• Side campuses at Pori and Rauma

• Research stations at Kevo and Seili

Academic Turku

• Åbo Akademi University (est. 1918)

• Turku University of Applied Sciences

(University College)

• Novia Yrkeshögskolan

(University College)

• Royal Academy of Turku (1640-1827)

(Historical)

Thank you!