Finland's most important choice is education, culture and high competence – morning coffee session discussion on concrete measures for the vision for higher education and research
The virtual morning session on the vision for higher education and research held on a wintery Friday on 30 January brought together more than 300 participants to discuss the future of Finnish society and the need to restructure higher education and research.
The discussion was fuelled by the draft objectives for 2040, which were led by Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie and prepared in cooperation with higher education institutions and stakeholders. Higher education institutions participated extensively in the drafting, for example by taking part in the steering group, roundtable discussions and various events. Three public online surveys were organised to support the work on the vision. The parliamentary monitoring group was also closely involved in the drafting.
The vision outlines a path for Finland to become a world leader in education, culture and high competence. Although the future involves many uncertainties, higher education and research provide solutions that open up new opportunities for Finland and Finnish people.
The vision brings more strength and depth to the national objectives of raising Finland’s level of education and competence and bolstering the intensity of research and development activities in society. The aim is to raise the ratio of young people with a higher education degree to 60 per cent, to strengthen the conditions for new research activities in higher education institutions and to increase the number of R&D specialists in society.
A key objective of the vision is to build an accessible education system that provides all young people equal opportunities to complete a degree in higher education regardless of their background. Highly educated specialists are seen as the driving force in regenerating society, and the role of the research activities in higher education institutions is instrumental in innovations and strengthening international competitiveness. At the same time, the higher education system will be boldly restructured to strengthen the quality and effectiveness of higher education and research.
Next steps in drafting the vision
Over the course of spring 2026, the work on the vision will focus on preparing recommendations for measures to achieve common goals. At the morning coffee session, the participants presented concrete proposals to support these efforts. The speeches focused on matters such as building smooth educational pathways across the whole Finnish education system, on the significance of innovative research, on strengthening sustainability perspectives and on the importance of cross-sectoral cooperation in society.
A public consultation round on the vision will be organised in the spring. A joint vision of higher education and research for the renewal of Finland will be completed after the consultation round.
Draft objectives for the vision (in Finnish)
Inquiries: Sirkku Linna, Director General, tel. +358 295 330 515