Centres of Excellence in Polytechnic Education 2008–2009

Commissioned by the Ministry of Education, the Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) evaluated candidates for centres of excellence in polytechnic education in 2000, 2002 and 2005. The evaluations were carried out in alternate years for centres of excellence in polytechnic education and centres of excellence in regional development. The Ministry has designated centres of

excellence on the basis of evaluations made by the FINHEEC-appointed evaluation teams and FINHEEC’s proposal. Since 2000, these centres have been allocated part of the performance-based funding earmarked for polytechnics. The purpose of the evaluations has been to enhance the quality and impact of education and to encourage polytechnics to undertake long-term development.

In an letter of assignment dated 8.5.2007, the Ministry of Education requested FINHEEC to designate 4–6 centres of excellence in polytechnic education for 2008 and 2009 by 30.11.2008. According to the letter, a centre of excellence may be a department or a corresponding unit, a degree programme or a whole polytechnic. At a later date, the Ministry informed that it will allocate performance-based funding to the centres designated by FINHEEC.

By the end of call for submissions, 31.3.2008, FINHEEC had received altogether 20 proposals for centres of excellence. This was approximately the same number as in previous rounds. The evaluation team studied the written proposals and scored them. The members of the team excluded themselves from the scrutiny of their own institution’s proposal, from the site visit made there and the discussion

on the candidate from their institution.

At its meeting on 13.11.2008, FINHEEC nominated the following as centres of excellence in polytechnic education for the period 2008–2009 based on the evaluation team’s proposal:

HAAGA-HELIA Polytechnic, Degree Programme for Multilingual Management Assistants
Laurea Polytechnic, Security Management unit
Rovaniemi Polytechnic, Degree Programme in Nursing and Health Care, Ounasvaara Campus
Savonia Polytechnic, development of entrepreneurship in the Degree Programme in Agriculture and Rural Development,
Turku Polytechnic Degree Programme in Construction Management

Evaluation Report (in Finnish with an English abstract) (pdf) (1.3 MB)