17.04.2009 The status of the technology education remains steady in Oulu

• A national strategy concerning the higher education in technology, initiated by the Ministry of Education, has been published. “The status of the faculty of technology at the University of Oulu is nationally good, and it will remain steady in the future”, says the faculty dean Kauko Leiviskä. “There are no needs for large-scale restructuring.”

The strategy team was lead by the Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers (TEK), and the team included representatives from all technically oriented universities and universities of applied sciences. “The TEK proposals are good and support the strategic targets of the University of Oulu”, comments rector Lauri Lajunen.

University of Oulu will profile as an international research-oriented university. “Faculty of technology already has centres of excellence in education and art”, dean Leiviskä explains. “The next goal is to receive a centre of excellence in research.”

In the national strategy is proposed to rise funding for the technology education. Funding per student must be doubled and the number of teachers must be trebled. Funding must be evaluated not only by quantitative but also by qualitative indicators.

In 15 years, the same amount of masters of engineering and architects will graduate from the faculty of technology, as today, Dean Leiviskä estimates.

More information: Dean Kauko Leiviskä, University of Oulu, faculty of technology, P. 08 553 2460, Kauko.leiviska at oulu.fi