The Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥â€™s Puolestapuhuja award 2023 to Henna Virkkunen
Henna Virkkunen is a member of the European Parliament with a master’s degree and licentiate in journalism. She has always promoted her alma mater laudably in her public activities through speeches, blogs, columns and media appearances. As she started her studies through the Open University path, she has also noted the opportunities to use the Open University as a springboard to top positions in the world of work.
Henna Virkkunen has actively helped to build bridges between international policymaking communities and academic experts. As a member of the Finnish Parliament, a minister and an MEP, she has highlighted the competence of experts at the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ by inviting them to the decision-making forums of the Finnish government and the European Union. She has often been heard as a speaker at the University’s events and on podcasts, and she has also authored articles for JYU’s publications as a guest expert.
The Jyväskylä University Foundation grants the annual Puolestapuhuja award to a person who has meritoriously raised the public profile of the Ä¢¹½Ö±²¥ and supported the University with their actions. The award is a work of graphic art, Kansakunnan kynttilä (Candle of the Nation) by Kirsi Neuvonen. The work depicts how the Finnish identity, intertwined with the classical tradition, has contributed to building a culture of learning and education among the country’s forests and lakes.
Further information:
Chair of the Board of the Jyväskylä University Foundation Antti Määttä, antti.maatta@sok.fi
