As we embark on a new academic year, we have the chance to remind ourselves that each member of the university community has an important role to play in fostering a learning and working environment where everyone feels welcome and appreciated.
The university is a workplace, study place – a meeting place. The universities around Finland have over 170,000 students and a staff of almost 35,000. Together, we form diverse communities in which everyone has the right to feel valued. Every member of the university community has the right to be treated equally, regardless of their background, status, or identity. We all have a responsibility to foster an operating environment where diversity is seen as an asset and a strength and where discrimination, bullying, harassment or racism are not accepted in any form. Our sense of community is based on mutual respect. Respectful and appreciative interaction enables open discussion, inspiring learning, and new scientific thinking.
We all – whether a student, teacher, researcher, or other specialist and support personnel or university management – have a role to play in fostering our community and interaction with each other. Let’s work actively together to ensure that:
- discrimination, harassment, and inappropriate treatment are addressed without delay;
- diversity, equity and non-discrimination are taken into account and promoted in recruitments, working groups, and career opportunities;
- every international university staff member and student can feel welcome and an equal member of the community;
- the family-friendly culture is strengthened;
- well-being is monitored and developed systematically.
Let’s work actively together to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
Universities offer concrete tools and operating models for preventing any inappropriate treatment. These include equality and non-discrimination plans, whistleblowing channels in case of harassment, and training and guidelines that support responsible operations everyday. The supervisors’ and doctoral dissertation supervisors’ competencies are being developed, and the results of the well-being surveys are used to continuously develop our operating culture across the board.
Let’s work actively together to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Thanks to the research carried out at the universities, we all have access to new information to help enhance equity and non-discrimination, and this information is utilised in the development of our operations. As we foster everyone’s well-being in our community, we also contribute positively to the broader context, in Finland and elsewhere in the world.
We wish everyone a pleasant and meaningful academic year 2025–2026!
The Union of Research Professionals, Finnish Education Employers (FEE), The Council of Rectors of Finnish Universities (Unifi)