The Board

The Board is the supreme decision-making body of the University of Helsinki. The tasks of the Board include:

• deciding on the central objectives of the university’s operations and finances, the strategy and steering principles
• deciding on the university's operative and financial planning as well as on the budget, and prepare the financial statements
• controlling the university's asset management and use, unless the Board has transferred the authority to the Rector
• organising accounting and asset management monitoring
• approving agreements that are significant or principled for the university, and issuing statements on major university-related matters of principle
• on behalf of the university, approving a performance agreement with the Ministry of Education
• appointing the Rector(s) and deciding on their work distribution, and discharging the Rector if there is an acceptable and justified reason for that, taking into account the nature of the assignment
• approving the University Statutes and other regulations for general organisation, and deciding on the university's operational structure
• making a proposal to the Ministry of Education on changing the university's educational responsibility
• deciding on the number of students accepted to the university.

The Rector is responsible for the preparation, presentation and implementation of matters processed by the Board.

The Board of the University of Helsinki 2022-2025

The chairman of the University Board is Niklas Bruun and the vice-chairman is Ilona Herlin

Professors

• Markku Kulmala
• Henrik Meinander
• Risto Renkonen

Researchers, teachers and other staff

• Marja Mikkola
• Timo Valtonen

Students (term from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025)

• Paula Karhunen
• Aku Houttu

External to the University

• Niklas Bruun
• Ilona Herlin
• Sanni Lehtinen
• Ilona Riipinen
• Mari Pantsar

The Helsinki university collegium has 48 members: professors have 16 members, the university's education and research staff and other staff have a total of 16 members, and students have 16 members. The term of the university collegium is 4 years; however, the student members are chosen for a two-year term. Provisions on the election of the members of the university collegium are laid down in the election statutes.

The tasks of the university collegium include:

• deciding on the number of Board members, and the term of office duration of the Board and its members
• appointing members from outside the university community to the university Board
• confirming the university community groups' selections as Board members
• releasing Board members from their positions based on a proposal by the Board
• appointing the university auditors
• confirming the university's financial statements and annual report, as well as decide on granting a discharge from liability for Board members and the Rector
• deciding on filing an action for damages against a Board member, the Rector, and the auditor.
• appointing the Chancellor
• convening at least twice a year to discuss significant matters dealing with the entire university

The University of Helsinki has an international strategic advisory board appointed by the Board. The mission of this advisory board shall be to support the University Board and rector in research issues related to strategy, research policy, the University's profile and the assessment of the quality of research in various fields. (Regulations of the University of Helsinki, 12 §)

The Board of the University of Helsinki has confirmed the following to members of the International Advisory Board of the University of Helsinki for the years 2025–2027

• Verena Blechinger-Talcott, Vice-Rector, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
• Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, former President of ERC, France
• Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Cawthorne Professor of Teacher Education, Boston College, USA
• Peter Gruss, President Emeritus & CEO, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Former President, Max Planck Society, Germany
• Kohei Itoh, President, Keio University, Japan
• Jana Kolar, Executive Director of CERIC-ERIC, Italy
• Lise Korsten, President, the African Academy of Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa
• Luc Sels, Rector, KU Leuven, Belgium
• Eva Åkesson, Professor and Senior Advisor, Lund University, former Rector of Uppsala University, Sweden