16.09.2009

FiDiPro programme crucial in promoting internationalisation

The Finland Distinguished Professor (FiDiPro) programme is crucial in promoting the international engagement of Finnish research organisations. FiDiPro professorships have also clearly strengthened the competence areas defined by universities. These are among the findings of a survey conducted by Senior Science Adviser Timo Kolu from the Academy of Finland. The questionnaire was directed to persons in charge of the research projects that had received FiDiPro funding from the Academy.

The survey was made with a view to finding out the significance of FiDiPro funding for the research organisations. The aim was to assess what added value FiDiPro funding had generated for the internationalisation of the Finnish research system and how it had promoted the profiling of universities in their strategic competence areas.

More than 80 per cent of respondents said that many of the measures their institutions had taken to increase internationalisation would not have been made if it had not been for FiDiPro professorships. Nearly 90 per cent of respondents said that international visits to their departments had increased after the launch of the FiDiPro programme. Increased international engagement is also seen in a higher number of visits by FiDiPro professors to foreign research institutions. The presence of foreign researchers clearly exercised a positive impact on the teaching and tutoring at institutions. The majority of FiDiPro professors supervise writers of doctoral theses and a few also provide tutoring to post docs. In addition, the professors also contribute to other teaching at the departments where they work.

The internationalisation of the Finnish research system has benefited from the strong networks of FiDiPro professors, and these networks have also boosted cooperation between Finnish universities. Furthermore, FiDiPro professors have contributed to the preparation of new international joint projects and proposals for calls.

FiDiPro attracts additional funding

The survey conducted by the Academy of Finland shows that FiDiPro professorships have attracted additional funding to most of the organisations involved. From the perspective of internationalisation, funding received from international funding bodies and funding received for international activity are of particular importance. Additional funding has been received from sources such as the EU Seventh Framework Programme, the European Research Council (ERC), NordForsk and the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Another aim of the survey was to investigate how well the FiDiPro programme has succeeded in supporting universities and research institutes in their efforts to strengthen their own competence areas. The majority of respondents are of the opinion that a FiDiPro professorship clearly supports the competence area defined by their university. FiDiPro professors strengthen the competence area defined in advance and, on the other hand, generate new knowledge and know-how that further defines the knowledge in that competence area.

The respondents also emphasised that FiDiPro professorships have increased the potential of individual departments to influence decisions that are made on faculty and university level. All respondents unanimously agreed that the impact of FiDiPro professorships goes beyond just the work of the department. Organisations have allocated additional funding or research facilities in connection with a FiDiPro project.

The Finland Distinguished Professor (FiDiPro) programme is a joint funding programme of the Academy of Finland and Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, that provides Finnish universities and research institutes with an opportunity to employ foreign top researchers or expatriate Finnish top researchers who have long worked abroad to carry out research in Finland for a fixed period of time. The programme was launched in 2006.

More information:
Hannele Kurki, Senior Science Adviser, Academy of Finland,
tel. +358 9 7748 8398, hannele.kurki(at)aka.fi
Timo Kolu, Senior Science Adviser, Academy of Finland,
tel. +358 9 7748 8341, timo.kolu(at)aka.fi  

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