Centres of Excellence in University Education 2010-2012 designated

Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) has designated ten units as centres of excellence in university education for 2010-2012. The evaluation was carried out for the fifth time at the request of the Ministry of Education. The decision will be used as a basis for the allocation of performance-based funding for the next three-year performance agreement period. The aim is to enhance the quality and relevance of education and to encourage universities to carry out long-term development.

 

Centres of Excellence in University Education 2010-2012 are:

University of Helsinki, Faculty of Pharmacy

University of Helsinki, Department of Computer Science

University of Jyväskylä, Department of Physics

University of Lapland, Department of Social Work

Lappeenranta University of Technology, Department of Industrial Management

University of Oulu, Department of Educational Sciences and Teacher Education

University of Oulu, Department of Process and Environmental Engineering

University of Art and Design Helsinki, School of Motion Picture, Television and Production Design

Helsinki University of Technology, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

University of Turku, Faculty of Medicine

 

The performance of the units was assessed in the following content areas: mission of the unit, programme and course design, delivery of education, outputs and continual development. International interaction, cooperation across disciplinary, institutional and unit boundaries and networking were regarded as favourable factors in all the content areas.

 

The evaluation of centres of  excellence in university education was implemented as a two-phase international peer review. In the first phase, the international evaluation team of four members appointed by FINHEEC assessed the applications submitted in English by the universities. The first phase was anonymous, so that the international team was not able to identify the applicants. Out of 44 applications submitted to FINHEEC, the team selected 18 best ones for the second round. In the second phase, the evaluation team was enlarged with four Finnish experts, who were paired with the foreign experts. Each pair of experts and a secretary visited 4-5 units to verify the activities described in the application and to appraise the quality of the unit's performance by means of interviews and observation.

 

In the performance of the rewarded units, there is a great emphasis on, among other things, the pedagogical training of the teaching staff, putting degrees together as judicious entities, interlinking research and teaching in the unit, versatile and international cooperation and networking in education and research as well as continual and systematic development of education.

 

The evaluation results will be compiled into a report in the FINHEEC publication series. The report will be published in the international seminar Centres of Excellence in University Education, Helsinki 24-25 February 2009:

Seminar Centres of Excellence in University Education

 

Further information on the evaluation:

 

- Secretary General Helka Kekäläinen, +358-9-1607 6912, +358-40-841 9121 or helka.kekalainenATminedu.fi

- Project Manager Kirsi Hiltunen +358-9-1607 6918, +358-400-352 032 or kirsi.hiltunenATminedu.fi

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