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TEK donates 1.2 million euros to universities

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TEK’s General Council decided to donate 1.2 million euros to universities of technology.

Which universities is TEK donating to, TEK’s Director of Public Affairs Juhani Nokela?

– We donate to all universities where technology, mathematics and natural sciences are taught and researched.

Why this particular sum, and why now?

– To honour TEK’s 125th anniversary year we are donating  a sum of 1.25 million euros, 1.2 million of which is assigned to universities to be used for the purposes of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The remaining 50 000 euros is given to the Finnish Academy of Technology. The state also has a donation supplement programme in place until the spring where the state throws in a little bit of extra in relation to every donated euro. The total sum donated by the state through this programme is 67 million euros, and it is divided according to the donations made before the summer of 2022. Based on previous donation rounds we have estimated that this state supplement could be 0.25–0.5 euros per donated euro.

– We want to support Finnish science, research and high education. We also wish to help Finnish universities with their fund raising. So, we are also encouraging companies, communities and private individuals to support universities that face tough global competition where public financing is not enough.

How is the sum divided between universities?

– The division of the money between the universities is based on their so called significance for TEK. We measure this significance with the number of STEM students and the number of TEK student members in the universities. The donations to individual universities will be made public over the end of this year and the beginning of the next.

– The donations will be added to the universities’ funds. The universities can then use their own discretion to steer the donated funds into new research or the development of teaching or research infrastructure, for example. Once the donation is made, the money belongs to the universities. What we at TEK can do to steer the use of the funds is direct the donation to the promotion of a field of science of our choosing.

– Over the autumn we have seen warning signs regarding the well-being of students. With these donations we also wish to remind universities of the fact that their students are their most important resource and the most important reformative force in Finland. It is our hope that now that the pandemic has eased up, universities will take a more robust role in the promotion of the well-being of their students.

Other decisions made in TEK's General Council's autumn meeting

The council decided that TEK's membership fee for 2022 is 348 euros per year, or 29 euros per month. The annual fee is reduced by three euros from 2021's fee for members who belong to the KOKO unemployment fund.

Student representatives will be selected for TEK’s board annually. The council named Jaber McBreen (Vaasa) as the student representative for 2022, and Noora Rautio (Lappeenranta) was chosen as his personal deputy member. For January 2022, the duties of the deputy member will be assumed by Mikko Kauhanen.

The council is TEK’s highest decision-making body, and it is elected by member vote every three years. The delegates decide on how the interests of TEK members are promoted, what kind of membership services are offered and how the profession is to influence the surrounding society. Furthermore, the council chooses the board and decides on financial matters, such as the size of the membership fee. The council usually convenes twice a year.

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