The Board of the University of Eastern Finland elected Academic Rector, Professor, LLD Tapio Määttä as the new Rector of the university for the five-year term beginning on 1 January 2025. The UEF Board elected the new Rector and decided to start the recruitment of Vice Rectors at its meeting of 22 March.
Tapio Määttä, 58, has acted as the Academic Rector of the University of Eastern Finland since the beginning of 2020. Määttä has worked in his current position as Professor of Environmental Law since 2000 and was Head of the UEF Law School for over ten years before his appointment as Academic Rector. Määttä has worked as a researcher and expert, and has also led several multidisciplinary research projects, such as the Environment and Law research programme (2005-2009) of the Research Council of Finland (previously Academy of Finland). Määttä received his Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Helsinki and holds the title of docent in Environmental Law at the University of Helsinki and the University of Vaasa. Since 2018, he has been a member of the Administrative Board of WWF Finland, an international conservation organisation.
– The UEF Board highlighted the Rector’s role and ability to act in strengthening the university’s position as a regional, national and international actor now and in the future. In the selection, the Board placed special emphasis on Määttä’s active role and strong merits in the development and renewal of the university’s activities, as well as on his goal-orientedness, ability to concretize these goals, and communication skills, says the Chair of the UEF Board Lea Ryynänen-Karjalainen.
– I am pleased with the trust placed in me by the UEF Board and am extremely motivated to start in this new role. The financial situation of the University of Eastern Finland is well balanced, in addition to which we have committed staff, offer attractive education and conduct high-quality research. It is an honour to become the Rector of this university at the beginning of next year, says Tapio Määttä.
The Rector will lead the university in line with its strategy and values, and is responsible, in accordance with the Universities Act, for the profitability, cost-efficiency, effectiveness and further development of its activities.
The recruitment of Vice Rectors for research and education starts
The University of Eastern Finland will reform its rector model by appointing two vice rectors for the term of office from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2029. The search for Vice Rectors for Education and Research will start on 23 March. The calls for applications will be published online in the University’s staff recruitment service at Open positions | University of Eastern Finland (uef.fi).
The person to be appointed as the university’s Vice Rector is required to hold a doctoral degree and have the skills and professional competencies needed in the performance of the Vice Rector’s duties, as well as good leadership skills, which have been demonstrated in practice. In addition, the applicants are expected to have, among others, extensive knowledge of the higher education sector, as well as insight and experience of university leadership and of the development of research and education in accordance with the responsibilities of the post.
The call for applications for the posts of Vice Rector will end on 19 April 2024. The UEF Board will select the candidates who will proceed to interviews on 25 April 2024. The top candidates will be interviewed on 16 May and 12 June 2024. A public hearing of the top candidates will be organised for the university community on 27 May 2024 on the Kuopio campus and on 28 May 2024 on the Joensuu campus. The UEF Board will select the Vice Rectors at its meeting of 13 June 2024.
Further information:
Chair of the UEF Board Lea Ryynänen-Karjalainen, tel. +358 50 337 8712
Academic Rector, Rector of the University as of 1 January 2025 Tapio Määttä, +358 50 575 1589