The Finnish universities in the conflicting demands of autonomy and relevance

Finland has acquired an excellent reputation in recent years as a country whose higher education produces high quality results and has a strong regional impact. Behind this Cinderella phenomenon there is the state’s strong commitment to higher education as well as maintaining a comprehensive network. However, conditions are changing in terms of university autonomy, governance arrangements and financial management´. Finland has implemented a broad reform of its higher education system, and as a part of this reform, the university sector’s role has changed substantially since the beginning of 2010. The background to this reform has seen a long transition period during which universities have gradually ceased to be part of the state administration, and their autonomous status has been strengthened.