Finnish rectors' conference calls for international leadership in research and education by 2040

The Finnish Universities Rectors' Council (UNIFI) has called for Finland to become internationally high-quality and pioneering in both research and education, and invest in innovative, long-term research.

Reacting to the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture's draft vision "From Education to Finland", outlining the ambition and measures for the development of higher education and research towards the year 2040, UNIFI said on 10/04/2026 that universities intended to play "a key role" in it.

To achieve the goals set in the ministry's plan, UNIFI recommended to:
• leave space for innovative solutions and avoid guidance towards implementation methods that are too narrow and uniform;
• highlight the internationally high-quality and international pioneering nature of research and education;
• direct public R&D funding especially for research conducted at universities and for strengthening and networking high-quality research infrastructures internationally;
• strengthen the innovation incubator and science dissemination capabilities of universities to accelerate the transfer of research…