We are endorsing Thomas Hackman in the upcoming University of Helsinki Board Elections. Thomas is a shop-steward and a long-serving Board Member of HYT, who we know will be a brilliant advocate for staff at the University board level. We encourage our members to vote Thomas – candidate number 8 from the ’middle group’ – in the election which takes place 25-27 November. Find out more about Thomas below…
”I work as a university researcher in astronomy at the Department of Physics in Kumpula. I am also a shop steward ( = union representative) and board member of the Helsinki University Association for Researchers and Teachers (HUART). Within HUART I am an active member of the international working group, which organises regular Academic Self Defence events for the international staff.
I have a long experience of participation in collective decision making bodies at the University. Currently I am a member of the University Collegium, the Physics Department Council, and a deputy of the Council of the Faculty of Science. In these roles, I have learned to navigate differences of opinions and find ways to make concrete progress.
As a member of the UH board I want to promote especially:
– UH as a good and responsible employer
– university democracy
– a better division of decision making between the different levels at the university, decisions should be evidence based
– a more consistent following of the university values and strategy at all levels
– promotion of the carriers of young researchers
In all these cases there have been improvements since I started my career in the late 1990’s. However, the last years have shown, that there is still much to do for each point.
During the negotiations for a general collective agreement in the Spring, UH decided to pause the automatic payment of trade union membership fees, as an action agianst the organised employees. This was not what would be expected from a good and responsible employer.
An important part of democracy is to tolerate dissenting opinions. Still, the university leadership has reacted unnecessarily harsh against protests from the staff and students lately.
The decision to merge doctoral programmes was made despite the dissent from the faculties. Here, the university leadership should have taken the expertise of faculties into account, rather than forcing an unnecessarily high minimum size for the doctoral programmes. This minimum size was not defended by any facts, which should be the base for decisions at the university.
There is a strong link between the values of the university and its reaction to the genocide in Gaza, and the continuing human rights violations in the West Bank. Here the Rector’s decision to support the exclusion of Israeli universities from the European Horizon cooperation was an important step in the right direction. But there still remain actions which should be taken. The lack of these puts individual researchers in very problematic situations, if their conscience does not allow cooperation with Israeli academic institutions.
A major blow to the University values, was the surprising decision not to renew rent contract for the Rosebud bookshop, and instead let the discount store RUSTA take its place.
Regarding promoting the careers of researchers, the University could allocate more funds for those young researchers that receive ERC funding. Currently some of these move their projects to other universities, because they do not get reasonable offers from the University of Helsinki. This leads to a multiple loss, as the university will lose both state funding, overheads and promising young researchers. The university should also give more support to newly graduated doctors for starting their postdoctoral research. Furthermore, the inequality between doctoral researchers should be addressed, especially concerning health services.
Above are listed topics I would like to promote in a constructive manner. Still, I see a lot of positive development at the University. An important role for the University Board is to support the rectorate in its effort to keep a high level of independent research and teaching despite economic and political challenges. In case you want more information about me and my agenda, feel free to contact me through e-mail thomas.hackman at helsinki.fi
The public hearing of Board candidates took place on November 12th from 9 am to 12 pm at Zoom. The elections are November 25 – 27, 2025. More information on the elections is available here: