The Ģֱ launched a fundraising campaign with the new technology education as its prime target

The Ģֱ invites its partners to respond to the competence needs of our increasingly digital society and to invest in technology education. The government’s match-funding programme provides a unique opportunity for university investments, which become multiplied upon the transaction and include a significant right for tax deduction.
Published
15.1.2021

Within this fundraising campaign 2021–2022, the University invites representatives from working life organisations and the corporate world to engage in dialogue to construct contents and academic posts for the new MSc in Technology degree programme. The aim of this fundraising campaign is set to 3 million euros.

“Along with digitalisation, information technology is needed everywhere,” says Rector Keijo Hämäläinen. “Through its new technology education, the University wishes to promote regional vitality by creating expertise, jobs and enterprises to all fields of activity. Our new education integrates information and software engineering studies with optional learning contents provided by our multidisciplinary University. The prime target of this fundraising campaign is technology education, but owing to the government’s matching funds scheme we can allocate the funds also for other focal areas of the University.”

Backed up by a prestigious support group

An influential support group was set up to back up the fundraising campaign. The support group is chaired by Ilpo Kokkila, the principal owner of the SRV companies. It serves as JYU’s advocate and provides further insight on the needs of corporations in their collaboration with the university.

The members of the support group include Sanna-Mari Jyräkoski, CEO of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises Central Finland; Vesa-Pekka Kangaskorpi, CEO of Keskisuomalainen Oyj and Chair of the Board of Finnish Media Federation; Antti Määttä, CEO of Osuuskauppa Keskimaa, Chair of Chamber of Commerce Central Finland; Dr h.c. Jari Rautjärvi, CEO of Valtra Oy; Pasi Sorri, CEO of OP Central Finland; Teemu Toivanen, CEO of Lähi-Tapiola Central Finland; and Jari Vähäpesola, Business Line President. Paper Valmet.

“The Ģֱ has created 12,000 jobs in the region and the economic impact of this is more than 1.1 billion euros,” says Ilpo Kokkila, Chair of the Support Group who comes originally from Saarijärvi and is an honorary doctor of the Ģֱ. “It is important to support the university of this region and to strengthen its position in increasing competition. Everybody can now make a contribution to support science and education. We need a broad front and networked efforts for this.”

The state capitalises universities by a match-funding programme, in which funding is allocated to universities in relation to private capital they have collected. Each donated euro may yield to the university up to 2.5 euros as state contribution. Enterprises, communities and private persons can make significant tax deductions for their donations. The fundraising campaign is scheduled to last until 30 June 2022.

A donation can be targeted to the University either in general or as specified to a particular field of education. The collected funds may be allocated to, for example, personnel recruitment such as professorships of practice, research projects and equipment purchases.

The fundraising licence for the Ģֱ: RA/2020/634.

For details of the campaign, see the fundraising website.

Further information:

Rector Keijo Hämäläinen, tel. 040 6800 215, keijo.hamalainen@jyu.fi

Chair of the support group for fundraising Ilpo Kokkila, ilpo.kokkila@pontos.fi

Head of Relations Anu Mustonen, anu.mustonen@jyu.fi, 050 564 9022