"Investing in higher education is one of the most efficient ways to spend public funds" (I. Niemelä)

"Higher education and research is a major investment in the future for any country, it’s one of the most efficient ways to spend public funds. Universities in Finland try to communicate this loud and clear together, because if you say it with one voice it’s more efficient, despite institutions having their own profiles", says Ilkka Niemelä, Chair of the Finnish rectors' conference Unifi and President of Aalto University (Finland), in an interview with News Tank on 22/10/2024.

"In Finland, 2/3 of the increase in productivity development in the last 60 years has happened because of innovation, new technologies and ideas. When you invest 1€ in higher education and research, typically, you get 6-7€ back in the long term.

There are also other ramifications of having higher education: better public health and societal decisions and more robust democracy. Education and research are some of the most effective long-term investments, as they have a long tail that benefits society in many aspects."

He also attended the EUA Funding Forum, taking place in Helsinki (Finland) on 03 and 04/10/2024…