The self-understanding, self-defense and challenges of the Finnish university from the 1920s to the 2010s, in the speeches of vice-chancellors

Authors

• Risto Rinne Turun yliopisto
• Arto Jauhiainen
• Raakel Plamper

Abstract

The Finnish academia has changed dramatically over the past century. These changes are discussed widely in the vice-chancellors’ opening speeches of the academic year. In our study we are analyzing the speeches that were given at the University of Helsinki and the University of Turku between 1920 and 2014. The aim of this article is to describe and explain historical changes with regard to the position and the objectives of the universities. We categorize different themes from the speeches according to four historical doctrines of the Finnish university: the academic tradition, the development of the state, management by results and competition, and the neoliberal doctrine of new public management. The results show that the speeches represent the doctrines fairly well. However, all through the different doctrines, the vice-chancellors are defending traditional academic values, the autonomy and the integrity of the university. It seems that these ideals have not altered very thoroughly, even though the functional, operational and political environment of the university, as well as the steering mechanisms by the state have changed radically during the decades under review.