Universities Finland UNIFI, 3 April 2020
The Finnish universities are following up on the spread of the coronavirus pandemic and are carefully preparing for the practical arrangements of student admissions under these exceptional circumstances. Universities are preparing for different scenarios in close collaboration with Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education in compliance with the authorities’ instructions.
If the coronavirus situation warrants changes to the entrance examination arrangements, the universities will disseminate information on them no later than 15 April.
– We fully understand that uncertainty about the future is weighing on the minds of many applicants and their families. They can, however, rest assured that universities will collaborate intensively and effectively to ensure that student admissions will run as smoothly as possible in these extremely challenging conditions, says chair of the Unifi meetings for vice presidents for education, Petri Suomala.
As pointed out by Minister of Science and Culture Hanna Kosonen, the Finnish higher education institutions, the ministry and the Finnish National Agency for Education are cooperating closely to stay abreast of the coronavirus situation. Suomala stresses that ensuring the safety of all those involved and preventing the spread of the virus are top priorities in all decision-making concerning admissions.
Another key consideration is ensuring the equal treatment of all students, something that in the universities’ shared view can only be accomplished through entrance examinations or similar student admissions procedures.
– The vice presidents for education are assessing developments in the situation and will formulate national policy solutions together. In addition, the universities have set up a pandemic working group of experts in university admissions to support the vice presidents in finding solutions, Suomala reports.
The universities’ common aim is to begin the academic year in the autumn according to the normal schedule. The universities have committed to carrying out the student admissions as well as possible under the current conditions.
Further information:
Petri Suomala
Chair of the Unifi meetings for vice presidents for education
Universities Finland
Tel. +358 40 591 8044
petri.suomala@aalto.fi
