Finnish academics have protested against the government's funding freeze decided on 22 March, which they say will cost the country's universities €40 million next year.
In a statement released on 23 March, the Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers and the Finnish Union of University Professors condemn the cuts, saying they go against the government’s pledge to ring fence university funding.
The government’s move has raised questions about the commitment of the government in securing the longevity of higher education and research.
Kaija Holli, the president of Universities Finland UNIFI worries that the current government’s higher education policy may endanger Finnish education and research. “This is not the strategy to reach the government’s goal to make Finland the world’s most competitive country by 2020,” she says.