University of Jyväskylä Annual Report 2020 by University of Jyvaskyla

ANNUAL REPORT 2020

The core of our university is the competence and wellbeing of the individual, a focus that is reflected in our strategy, Wisdom and wellbeing for us all. It is essential that each member of our community thrives and has opportunities to grow and develop. Our high-quality research and education promote the comprehensive wellbeing and competence of individuals in society. As a university, our values are openness, trust, quality and integrity.

ANNUAL REPORT 2020

20 20 ANNUAL REPORT EDITORS

Liisa Harjula Kirke Hassinen Tanja Heikkinen Ulla Helimo Kirsi Häkämies Arto Ikonen Anitta Kananen Reetta Mikkola Anu Mustonen Petra Thurén Kati Valpe Iiro Vuori Martta Walker PHOTOGRAPHS

Auli Dahlström Nina Huisman Tarja Jakobsén Anna Kajander Petteri Kivimäki Kristiina Korjonen-Kuusipuro Eerika Koskinen-Koivisto Siiri Koutola Anniina Liimatainen Päivi Lyhykäinen, OAJ Tuukka Luukkonen Martti Minkkinen Ministry of Education and Culture Finnish Defence Forces Hanna Salomäki Suomen Ilmakuva Oy Andre Vandal Mikko Vähäniitty STATISTICS

Helena Maukonen CONCEPT AND DESIGN

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RECTOR’S OVERVIEW

Master’s degree education in technology begins in Jyväskylä The COVID-19 pandemic, which started to spread in Finland at the beginning of March 2020, significantly affected the University. The first coronavirus infection in a Finnish citizen was found on 26 February. At the beginning of March, the University of Jyväskylä launched measures and preparations due to the worsening situation. In Finland, the Emergency Powers Act was invoked for the period from 17 March to 15 June 2020. As a consequence, the University shifted to remote working and teaching. As 2020 progressed, the University continually adjusted to the pandemic situation. On 23 July, the Government changed the Government Decree on University Degrees so that JYU would receive educational responsibility for bachelor’s, master’s, licentiate and doctoral degrees in technology. Building up the new education programme calls for multidisciplinary expertise. The expansion of educational responsibility had been pursued by JYU for about twenty years and is a strategic achievement. Achieving this goal required strong support from the region’s members of parliament, the Chamber of Commerce, the local business network and other key parties. During the year, the University prepared for the audit conducted by the Finnish Education Evaluation Council (FINEEC), and the audit visit took place on 2–3 December 2020. The audit looked at the ways in which the University maintains and develops the quality of its activities. The audit also covered all basic duties of the University: education, research and innovation activities as well as societal interaction. The number of completed degrees increased considerably in 2020. JYU had 174 doctorates (127 in 2019), 1,863 master’s degrees (1,576) and 1,416 bachelor’s degrees (1,235). The number of international peer-reviewed publications increased from the level of previous years and the total number of scientific publications reached a new record. In June, the University commenced cooperation negotiations at the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius, aiming to balance the Consorti-

um’s financial situation and develop its operations. As a result, the University laid off eight employees of the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius. The University actively contributes to regional cooperation. The EduFutura Jyväskylä cooperation with JAMK University of Applied Sciences and the Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia became concrete through an extensive joint education offering. In addition, JYU has also actively participated in the strengthening of KEHO, the Central Finland Health and Wellbeing Ecosystem. The experiences of the last year have highlighted how universities provide long-term sustainability in society. People expect a lot from universities, requesting answers and solutions for a range of problems. We want to contribute to ensuring planetary wellbeing, and that contribution begins here at home. Crises and troubles force us to focus on what is essential and leave unnecessary things aside. JYU has a strong foundation of values, and during difficult times these remind us of what is really important.

Yours sincerely, Keijo Hämäläinen RECTOR

CONTENTS

FACULTY OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES

NEW GRADUATES IN INFORMATION AND SOFTWARE ENGINEERING WILL MAKE TECHNOLOGY MORE HUMAN-ORIENTED

EMOTIONS IMPACT THE ATMOSPHERE AND RESULTS OF THE WORKPLACE

26 JSBE TAKES THE LEAD IN CLIMATE ISSUES

WEIGHT CONTROL GOVERNS FEMALE ATHLETES’ LIVES TO A SURPRISING DEGREE

4 6 7 7

Rector’s overview Planetary wellbeing as our goal The pandemic highlights JYU’s societal impact The pandemic shows in annual costs

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 8 Courage and curiosity, but no fear 12 Why do some objects become so important? 13 The community of literacy and communication skills researchers grows stronger 13 Record year for doctoral degrees 13 Language skills testing for adults FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 14 18 18 19 19

New graduates in information and software engineering will make technology more human-oriented Markus Salo is the information system scientist of the year Faculty of Information Technology reaches a record in degrees Global online conference about education during the COVID-19 crisis attracts more than 12,000 visitors Cybersecurity startup launches from the IT faculty

FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY 20 24 24 25 25

Emotions impact the atmosphere and results of the workplace Clinic provides quality for work at the Department of Psychology Subject teachers most exhausted from work New VR Campus enables novel modes of learning Research expands our picture of maternity

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS 26 30 30 31 31

JSBE takes the lead in climate issues Towards a 3R society: research on the circular economy in Finnish companies Four arguments why a company should shift to the circular economy Researchers partner with MPs to strengthen the relationship between universities and decision-makers Success in various rankings

32 36 36 37 37

Weight control governs female athletes’ lives to a surprising degree Faculty publishes its strategy Faculty ranks in the global top 10 Older people have become younger: physical and cognitive functioning have improved meaningfully in 30 years Mihaly Szerovay selected as professor of practice in football

FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE 38 Researcher’s keen eye on the enterovirus finds molecules against the coronavirus in nature 42 Industrial scale in sight for metal recovery 43 Escaping viper’s zig-zagging confuses predators 43 X-ray laser provides atomic-level data on the mechanisms of phytochromes 43 Physics competition inspires upper secondary school students FINNISH INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH 44 44 45 45

Survey reveals Finnish teachers’ multiple skills FIER garners recognition on World Teachers’ Day Skill levels cause worry but also raise hopes PISA 2018 Financial Literacy: Finnish adolescents have robust financial skills and support from school for skills development

OPEN SCIENCE CENTRE 46 Good data management improves science 46 Support for open and responsible science CENTRE FOR MULTILINGUAL ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION MOVI 47 Internationalisation in the year of the coronavirus OPEN UNIVERSITY 48 Know-how and scientific knowledge for increasingly more people KOKKOLA UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM CHYDENIUS 49 A significant new research area connects research in social work and sustainable transition 50 2020 NEWS 54 2020 FIGURES

JYU RESPONSIBILITY

Planetary wellbeing as our goal The University of Jyväskylä was active in creating the Unifi theses of sustainable development and responsibility in 2020. The theses are the basic principles in our sustainability and responsibility work, and we have already started promoting them in research, education, social interaction and campus activities. Our goal is planetary wellbeing, which is also a precondition for a socially and economically strong society. The University’s central sustainability operator is the School of Resource Wisdom, JYU.Wisdom. The School offers its support to all researchers studying sustainability issues, regardless of faculty. JYU.Wisdom is a prominent social debater and a developer of sustainable solutions within the University as well as nationally. It also supports evidence-based decision-making in society by offering recommendations via, for example, the Wisdom Letters publication series.

The Wisdom Fellow programme offers researchers who have completed their dissertation the opportunity to work as a postdoc researcher as part of the JYU community. In 2020, ten researchers were recruited to the Visiting Fellow programme but their arrival in Jyväskylä was cancelled due to COVID-19. Inspired by this, JYU.Wisdom is now planning a Remote Fellow programme, which enables researchers to participate digitally, regardless of the coronavirus.

JYU.Wisdom arranges open lunch colloquiums and highlights the theme of sustainability by organising a series of talks for the Jyväskylän Kesä festival.

JYU’s goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030. In order to reach the goal, the Sustainability for JYU project set out to determine the University’s most serious environmental problems and offered recommendations for reporting, decreasing and compensating them. Evaluating environmental problems on an organisational level is unique internationally. The emerging model for accounting for environmental problems, which is based on economic accounting, is just one example of JYU providing an experimental platform for new solutions.

The Wisdom community researchers supervise theses across faculties, and JYU.Wisdom has developed multidisciplinary sustainability education for both university students and the needs of continuous learning, including an online course on planetary wellbeing. JSBE highlights the goals for sustainable development by including them in course descriptions.

According to the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking, the University of Jyväskylä promoted the following sustainable development goals the most in 2020: Sustainable development goal (SDG) 13 work against climate change, ranking: 92. SDG 7 affordable and clean energy, ranking: 101–120. SDG 12 sustainable consumption, ranking: 101–200.

40,818 t CO e CARBON FOOTPRINT

9.7×10 -5 PDF

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT OF PURCHASES

21.3 hha

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT OF DISTRICT HEAT

CARBON FOOTPRINT SOURCES 43% Investments 26% Procurement 14% Energy & real estate 12% Travelling 5% Semma food

The pandemic highlights JYU’s societal impact JYU experts were active in offering their expertise for public benefit during COVID-19. Active academics from all fields came forward to share current research knowledge with the public, and also to launch research projects to help overcome the pandemic. An example of these is the project led by Maija Vihinen-Ranta, which investigates celllevel changes inflicted by four viruses. With the help of a €200,000 donation from LähiTapiola Keski-Suomi, the Department of Biological and Environmental Science created capacities for the development of analysis methods for coronavirus samples. Professor emeritus Jouni Välijärvi was invited to serve as an education policy expert on the Government’s COVID-19 science panel. Various online events were arranged to respond to citizens’ needs for information. These included the COVID-19 discussion event on 10 March, which was organised in collaboration with the newspaper Keskisuomalainen, and the expert forum with Haukkala Foundation and JYU experts on 2 December, regarding the situation of children and families during the pandemic. In spring, the seminar series of the Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius and the University of Vaasa produced a digital toolbox for coping with the pandemic and post-pandemic era. More than forty scientific meetings and congresses were held using online streaming or a hybrid model, which called for quick and creative solutions from the organisers. Moreover, the traditional joint productions with the Jyväskylän Kesä festival were now seen and heard online and as radio broadcasts. As the events were transferred to online venues, we could also see the positive potential of crises. Several stakeholder and alumni events reached much wider audiences. Along with online broadcasts, local events became available nationwide. Examples of these include the popular University Days, European Researchers’ Night, the presentation of new Nobel Prize winners, and Traditional Seminaarinmäki Christmas Carols.

The pandemic shows in annual costs The University’s turnover for the financial year decreased from the previous year by about €2.8 million to €201.5 million. The operating result was a €3.8 million deficit. In comparison to 2019, state funding for JYU grew by 4%, or €5.6 million, but the decrease of 12%, or €8.4 million, in supplementary funding declined the turnover by one percent. The university’s personnel costs stayed nearly the same as in the previous year. Of all expenditures of the University, the personnel costs formed 70% and facility rental costs 12%. Travel costs remained low during the pandemic. Service purchases decreased from the previous level, whereas investments in protective gear and other pandemic-related preparation were visible in the category of other costs.

€201.5 m

JYU 2020

TURNOVER

€64.2 m SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDING

-€3.8 m

RESULT OF ACTUAL OPERATIONS

LARGEST PROJECT FINANCERS

€24 m

Academy of Finland

€7.1 m

Ministry of Education and Culture

€7.7 m

European Commission

JYU FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

COURAGE AND CURIOSITY, BUT NO FEAR

Academy Professor Sara Heinämaa and her team investigate the dynamics of social emotions.

JYU FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Owing to the pioneering research work of Academy Professor Sara Heinämaa, Finland is today one of Europe’s leading countries in phenomenological research alongside Denmark, Belgium and Germany. In addition to their European partners, Heinämaa and her team collaborate with leading phenomenologists from the US and Canada.

Heinämaa’s research project Marginalization and Experience (MEPA) involves a strong team of postdoc researchers. Docent Mirja Hartimo is an expert in intellectual and scientific norms, PhD James Jardine is known for his in-depth interpretations of values and emotions, and Docent Fredrik Westerlund is specialised in issues pertaining to the role of emotions in morals. The team also includes a number of young talented doctoral researchers.

Negative emotions – such as powerlessness, bitterness and shame – encourage us to engage in unethical practices and actions. Conversely, these emotions gain further force from our unjust actions: When our reproaches, mockery and disparagement silence a person different from us or make them shy away, we are by no means turning to this person mercifully, but on the contrary, with annoyance or even disdain and disgust.

The team is known abroad for its expertise in the philosophy of bodily issues as well as an ability to solve problems pertaining to values and normativity. The project’s theme areas are connected to the analysis of the social dimensions of emotions. The team has made a major scientific contribution to, for instance, the interpretation of emotions such as hatred, shame, bitterness, disgust, curiosity, and love as well as to the analysis of ethical and intellectual values.

BREAKING VICIOUS CIRCLES WITH COURAGE

EMOTIONS ESSENTIAL IN POLITICS AS WELL All the above-mentioned emotions have proven essential in our current political reality. Repressed emotions, in particular, motivate us to participate in marginalising and excluding individuals who are different from us.

Emotional vicious circles are at work equally on the micro and macro levels of our social order. They turn the wheels of bullying at work and school, but also prop up entire totalitarian social systems. Breaking the vicious circle of negative emotions requires individual courage as well as communal solidarity. Only the development of understanding and criticism concerning emotions can ensure a healthy foundation for society. In this mission, the humanities and social sciences, play a key role, as Professor Heinämaa convincingly argues.

Sara Heinämaa →

“The year 2020 marked the end of a four-year period, during which a transfer of business unique in the university world brought us a number of language students and staff from Vaasa. This demanding and educational project is now completed, and JYU’s national position in language studies and research is even stronger than before.” Minna-Riitta Luukka | DEAN

JYU FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

↓ A chest used in wartime evacuation and inherited from one generation to another

↑ Mementos in a vitrine

Why do some objects become so important? Our possessions are associated with observations, sensory perceptions and memories. When moving to a new home, certain objects can be instrumental in helping us to settle in to the new place and create the feeling of cosiness. On the other hand, it may be difficult to decide which items to take along and which ones to leave behind. Docent Eerika Koskinen-Koivisto is leading the SENSOMEMO research project funded by the Academy of Finland (2020–2024), which focuses on the material aspects of daily life. “In this project, we investigate meanings related to mementos as autobiographical materiality, in which personal memories and artefacts intertwine,” Koskinen-Koivisto explains.

↑ Useful and useless items on a table

The case studies of the project explore what the significant artefacts are and why certain items “stick” with us and become important in the course of life. The SENSOMEMO project collaborates with the Finnish Heritage Agency, the National Museum of Finland, and the TAKO acquisition, documentation and collection collaboration network for professionally managed museums.

↑ Eerika Koskinen-Koivisto

↑ Karoliina Talvitie-Lamberg (left) and Sari Sulkunen

The community of literacy and communication skills researchers grows stronger The MultiLEAP profiling project crosses faculty and discipline boundaries and seeks to build a multidisciplinary researcher community to solve society’s challenging questions. In 2020, three tenure track associate professorships were recruited for this area. Karoliina Talvitie-Lamberg and Sari Sulkunen work at the Department of Language and Communication Studies. Within the subject of the Finnish language, Sulkunen is specialised in multiliteracy. Her research examines the teaching and assessment of disciplinary literacy as well as factors related to the reading fluency of adolescents and adults. Talvitie-Lamberg is working on journalism and communication. She is specialised in multiliteracy as well as communication and media research, especially aspects of involvement and presentation in digital daily life and data-driven media environments. At the Department of Teacher Education, Pekka Mertala is specialised in multiliteracy and digital text skills. He is a steering group member of the development programme for new literacy skills, under the Ministry of Education and Culture. He is also involved in the media world project for the Finnish Broadcasting Company’s children’s programme Pikku Kakkonen.

RECORD YEAR FOR DOCTORAL DEGREES The faculty reached a new record in the annual number of doctoral degrees, with a total of 62. The dissertations received attention in the media as well. For example, Seija Aunila’s dissertation in contemporary culture, which deals with a women’s magazine as a channel of Finnish wartime propaganda, received wide media coverage.

↑ Sari Ahola

Language skills testing for adults The National Certificate of Language Proficiency tests are held by the Centre for Applied Language Studies. “Everyone can participate in the tests at the centre and get a certificate of language proficiency,” says Research Coordinator Sari Ahola. Through the national certificate system, it is possible to measure skills in nine languages at three levels. About 136,000 people have taken the national tests. The Broken Finnish project, funded by the Academy of Finland, cooperates closely with the National Certificate of Language Proficiency. A team led by Mia Halonen, vice director responsible for education at the Centre for Applied Language Studies, studies factors affecting the assessment of oral language skills. In addition to the actual criteria, the team studies, for example, how the assessors experience test participants’ foreign accents and how that affects their overall assessment. Because the language test is used for, among other purposes, applying for Finnish citizenship, it is a significant gatekeeper in society. The centre’s national duties are related to the assessment of language proficiency and the research and development of national language education policy.

JYU FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

NEW GRADUATES IN INFORMATION AND SOFTWARE ENGINEERING WILL MAKE TECHNOLOGY MORE HUMANORIENTED

The engineering education that will start at the University of Jyväskylä in autumn 2021 will provide the labour market with new experts who hold the degree of Master of Science in Technology (diplomi-insinööri). Their competence is based on solutions and innovations produced in collaboration between information technology and human sciences. The education provides both the expertise required for finding employment and the basic skills for lifelong learning.

← Janne Roslöf

JYU FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

There is currently a great demand for IT professionals who can understand technology, perceive the needs for which systems are developed and collaborate seamlessly with experts in human sciences. “When insights into technology and human sciences are brought together in a responsible way, it will lead to human-oriented solutions that ease people’s daily lives,” says Vice Dean Lauri Kettunen, who is leading educational planning in the Faculty of Information Technology. THE NEW MASTER’S DEGREE EDUCATION IN INFORMATION AND SOFTWARE ENGINEERING RESPONDS TO THE NEEDS OF THE WORLD OF WORK Technology is more than just an isolated field for engineers; it is closely linked to people’s daily lives. Nowadays, every area of society is touched by information technology in one way or another. During the past decade, IT has become an integral part of the everyday lives of people and communities. “We started to plan the engineering education from scratch, based on needs,” Kettunen says. “The field of information technology has changed and society needs IT professionals in almost every sector. “We also took into account the prevailing trend to understand the content needs of various operators and created solutions with them in mind when planning the education.” MULTIDISCIPLINARY STUDIES DEVELOP FLEXIBLE THINKING The Faculty of Information Technology will provide the degree education in information and software engineering in cooperation with other faculties of the university. The combination of engineering and human science studies is based on a multidisciplinary approach. The idea is that in addition to

the logic, methods and practices of IT, a student becomes familiar with other academic approaches to human beings, technology and society. “JYU’s multidisciplinary environment creates a unique opportunity for the engineering students to select, for example, sport and health sciences, music, arts, culture, psychology, languages and communication, learning technologies and pedagogy or business and economics, or many other options,” says Professor of Practice Janne Roslöf, whose work on curriculum planning started in autumn 2020. BROAD-BASED EXPERTISE FOR VITAL SECTORS “The new education in information and software engineering enables a wide variety of career paths. There is a lack of experts in this field also internationally,” Roslöf says. “Creative fields are a good example. The demand for design that works in human terms is crucial,” Kettunen says. “A broad-based view of technology is among the best competences of today’s IT professionals. More examples can be found from early childhood education and school up to elderly care. Today, they all require IT skills and technology competence.” “We all probably have experience of software and IT systems that were designed on the machine’s terms. To create new systems, we need professionals who understand both machines and humans. In addition, we need visions for replacing old methods with new, better solutions.”

Lauri Kettunen →

“Experts who get accustomed to looking at phenomena from different frames of reference during their studies are considerably more flexible in their thinking, and thus also more skilled in situations where solutions need to be found for diverse interfaces between human life and technology.” Marja-Leena Laakso | VICE RECTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR EDUCATION AT JYU

On 5 October 2020, Rector Keijo Hämäläinen officially decided on the establishment of the education and degree programmes. Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Education in Information and Software Engineering is part of the joint application in spring 2021 and starts in August.

JYU FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REACHES A RECORD IN DEGREES The total number of degrees in the Faculty of Information Technology was 506. In 2019, the number was 365 degrees. The number for 2020 includes 214 bachelor’s, 275 master’s and 17 doctoral degrees. For years, the faculty has been one of Finland’s biggest providers of bachelor’s degrees in the field of IT. From the previous record year in 2019, the number of bachelor’s degrees increased by 39 and the number of master’s degrees by more than a hundred.

Markus Salo is the information system scientist of 2019 In autumn 2020, the Finnish Society for Computer Science nominated Associate Professor Markus Salo as the information system scientist of 2019. The nomination highlighted his multifaceted merits in the research and teaching of information system science. Salo’s research focuses on technology use and its effects on working environments and free time, technology and human behaviour, user experiences and the stress caused by the use of technology.

Salo also received international recognition in 2020, when the international Association for Information Systems (AIS) gave him the Early Career Award. In recent years, Salo has risen dozens of positions in the AIS ranking of individual researchers. Salo also received two significant grants for several years for research on technostress.

Currently, the faculty is the third largest degree educator of JYU faculties. The COVID-19 pandemic slowed studies for some students, but for others it gave them a chance to focus. In addition, transfer to degree programme-based study rights at the turn of the year encouraged many to complete unfinished studies.

214 275 17

MASTER’S

506

DEGREES

BACHELOR’S

DOCTORAL DEGREES

Global online conference about education during the COVID-19 crisis attracts more than 12,000 visitors Creative and innovative challenges in education worldwide amid the COVID-19 pandemic were in focus at the Global Online Conference organised by the UNESCO Chairs of the University of Jyväskylä and the Council for Creative Education (CCE). The event on the United Nations’ World Creativity and Innovation Day on 21 April 2020 was a huge success. The online live conference was streamed simultaneously around the world through various social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and CCE’s website. This resulted in more than 12,200 unique platform visits from 64 countries across the globe. “I am very glad that my colleagues found this innovative way to organise this global conference during a time

when the entire world is essentially closed down,” says UNESCO Chair on Digital Platforms for Transforming Economies, Professor Pekka Neittaanmäki. “The positive feedback encourages us to develop the digital conference concept further.” Participants from Austria, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Romania, Taiwan and the USA discussed topics including the challenges of distance learning and issues related to health, wellbeing and learning during the crisis.

Cybersecurity startup launches from the IT faculty Unifund, the investment company of the University of Jyväskylä, has made an early stage investment in the cybersecurity company Binare.io. The start-up company is closely connected to the high-quality cyber security research conducted in the faculty. Binare.io has its origins in the technology commercialisation services provided by Business Finland and the University of Jyväskylä. “The core task of the company is to help secure the Internet of Things environment so that the future is safer for us all,” says CEO Andrei Costin, who also is a senior lecturer at the faculty.

JYU FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY

EMOTIONS IMPACT THE ATMOSPHERE AND RESULTS OF THE WORKPLACE

Regardless of what work you are doing, emotions always play a part in your actions. Discussion in the field of working life studies has recently paid increasing attention to how the emotional atmosphere of work communities is formed and how it can be affected.

JYU FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY

PARTICIPATION WAS WORTHWHILE Petri Mölsä, the managing director of Tampereen Tilapalvelut Oy, is satisfied with the change brought about by the project. In the early stage of the study, the staff had a lot of prejudices, and even fears. Regardless of the sceptical attitude at the beginning, the results have been promising: discussions are now more open, customers can be taken into consideration better and personnel satisfaction is improving. “The world is changing rapidly, and this fact is common to all organisations,” says Mölsä. "Usually, people first react to change emotionally and think about how it will affect them. Through coaching, they learn to recognise why each person reacts to matters in a certain way. This, in turn, helps understand the environment and advance matters faster.”

People used to think that work was just a question of performance. Today, the relationship between an individual and their work is understood in a more comprehensive way. The emotional atmosphere of workplaces is also seen to have an effect on both wellbeing at work and the results of an organisation. Researchers examining questions related to working life are increasingly interested in the significance of emotions. Päivi Hökkä, senior researcher in education, and her research team have reached the final stage of the Emotional Agency in Organisational Change (TUNTO) project, which is supported by the Finnish Work Environment Fund. The project was implemented in cooperation with Emergy Oy. The company was responsible for the emotional interventions carried out during the project.

During the project, the researchers defined the concept of “emotional agency” and developed an indicator for studying it. The results showed that emotional agency consists of one’s own emotional skills and the way emotions are affected at work. Intervention could be used to support and enhance the emotional agency of employees, and the change was also shown to be permanent. The tools created new terms and practices supporting the handling of emotions in the everyday work at the workplace.

The objective of the project was to enhance the participants’ emotional skills and to develop the emotional atmosphere of the workplace. The study, carried out by the Department of Education, examined emotional agency and how it can be supported in people’s work. The study was implemented as an intervention study at two medium-sized companies.

Hökkä says that regardless of the industry the organisation operated in, the results of emotional intervention were similar. The results were visible in challenging situations involving interaction, such as discussions concerning the handling of mistakes that had occurred in the course of work.

“Commitment from management is very important for the success of this kind of intervention study,” she says. CRITICAL THOUGHTS BROUGHT TO BEAR ON THE CHANGE “We definitely didn’t have the goal of spreading mere superficial cheerfulness or a feeling of ‘oh, we have so much fun’. An organisation must have room for all emotions, including the difficult ones that are often feared,” Hökkä says.

“One’s own emotions and those of others were identified and taken into account, and they could be discussed together in a constructive way. This way, for instance, an experience of shame did not form an obstacle to solving the situation,” Hökkä says. Emotions became permitted, and people learned to identify them. Emotions were noticed, and people understood that they can be seen as a part of everyday work. Hökkä sees a significant area of application for the results in adult education and organisational research.

← Päivi Hökkä

JYU FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY

↑ Aarno Laitila and Juha Holma

Training and research centre develops quality at the Department of Psychology The Department of Psychology has a nationally unique psychotherapy training and research centre, which has been in operation for over two decades. The integration of customer service, teaching and research improves the quality of the department’s activities. “Improving the quality of master’s-level studies has been a central aim for all these years,” says Juha Holma, the head of the Department of Psychology. Data from the clinic have been used in numerous domestic and international research articles, doctoral dissertations and other theses. The centre also provides psychotherapy education as continuing education. “Through this educational provision, we have offered opportunities for lifelong learning even before the term was adopted

for general use,” says Lecturer Aarno Laitila. Despite the relatively small number of students, this activity has a significant societal impact. Treatment related to violence has been at the core of research throughout the centre’s history. Because violent experiences have wide-ranging ramifications, it is crucial to develop means for recognising and dealing with it. Research and projects have influenced mental health work in Finland and abroad.

SUBJECT TEACHERS MOST EXHAUSTED FROM WORK Work exhaustion was most common among subject teachers and rarest among special education teachers, according to a nationwide survey conducted at the Department of Teacher Education. Teachers’ exhaustion was explained by factors pertaining to teachers, students and the work environment. The most severe forms of work exhaustion were most frequent in large schools in major cities, especially in the later years of comprehensive school.

New VR campus enables novel modes of learning JYUXR, the University's extended reality campus, was launched in December 2020. This virtual campus is the first of its kind in Finland. The development of the learning facility will continue in order to expand and enhance the campus as needed. The facility is intended to serve the entire university, including faculties, independent units and subject associations. “XR technologies and environments have huge potential for learning,” says University Teacher Merja Juntunen from the Department of Teacher Education, who is deeply involved in XR development work. “On virtual reality platforms, we can build experiential and interactive facilities for various learning purposes.”

The JYUXR campus offers new kinds of possibilities to get together and implement different functionalities for studies. At the Department of Teacher Education, the new campus is seen as a natural continuation of the experimental pedagogical development work on new learning environments pursued at the department. The facility was taken into educational use right after the opening ceremony. “We are glad to be the first ones to test the environment with our subject teacher students,” say university teachers Riitta Tallavaara and Mikko Hiljanen in the opening event. “Their study programme is tightly scheduled, so there is limited time for various experiments, and this facility enables them in a new way.”

Research expands our picture of maternity At the Department of Education, significant research projects have focused on encounters between real-life mothers and an ideal image of maternity. Through such research, the aim is to promote discussion about equal opportunities and the right to live out maternity in one’s own way. Senior Researcher Eija Sevón’s study examines how independent mothers experience their entry into maternity and parenthood: women who have started a family and got one or more children by means of fertility treatments or through adoption without a spouse. “When independent mothers ponder their choice and its risks from the perspective of the child’s benefit or their own coping, they say that motherhood has been the best thing they could have achieved in life,” Sevón says. “I believe that these mothers broaden the norms of good maternity. For them, moth-

erhood and children have been a source of empowerment and joy.” Maternity was also examined in two doctoral dissertations in education: Sanna Moilanen investigated the impact of irregular working hours on the daily life of single mothers, in particular. Single mothers with irregular working hours experienced a particularly strong time-based conflict between their work and family roles. Siru Lehto’s dissertation examined how women construct their maternity after involuntary childlessness and consequent fertility treatments and what kind of meaning the childlessness receives in their narrated maternity construction. This study gave strong evidence that the experience of childlessness does not end with the birth of a child, and the journey to maternity is accordingly seen as a learning or growth experience.

JYU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

JSBE TAKES THE LEAD IN CLIMATE ISSUES

JSBE leads the way in climate issues among schools of economics and business. JSBE’s long-standing expertise and academic advocacy in climate issues again received international recognition in 2020.

JYU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

JSBE was the only school of economics in the world to be invited to serve as an expert for a climate investigation conducted by two major quality system organisations. Dean of the Jyväskylä School of Business and Economics Hanna-Leena Pesonen is justifiably proud of JSBE’s leading role in climate matters in this field. Jyväskylä has a long tradition in environmental management education and research, and this status has been built on in recent years by prestigious quality certificates. “The audit organisations AMBA and BGA investigated now for the first time the climate-related views of schools of economics worldwide,” Pesonen says. “We had the honour to participate in the survey in an expert role. We accepted the invitation without hesitation.” PROVIDING FUTURE LEADERS WITH KEYS TO SOLUTIONS The AMBA and BGA survey investigated the views of leading schools of economics on how climate change is related to education, research and the corporate world now and in the future. The surveys were conducted in spring 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic had already started to affect the world order. According to Pesonen, the overall picture of the almost six hundred answers is positive. “Now people acknowledge that business and economic life has played a role in causing climate problems, and people are also willing to search for solutions to these problems. Schools of economics play an important role in this search, since we educate prospective leaders and managers to make decisions and implement solutions at their future workplaces in practical business life.” The organisers of the survey published their report at the beginning of 2021, but the survey data have not yet been analysed exhaustively – quite the opposite.

“We now have a uniquely large set of research data at our disposal, which would have been very difficult to collect on our own,” says Pesonen. Research work is just beginning, and we aim to produce internationally interesting academic content. We are highly enthusiastic about this opportunity. SMALL CHOICES MAKE UP GREAT CLIMATE ACTIONS Dean Hanna-Leena Pesonen reminds that climate actions are not just declarations in leaders’ festive rhetoric and decorative phrases in corporate strategies. Real climate actions are small everyday choices, which everyone can easily make both at work and at home. “Our carbon footprint is influenced by three factors, in particular: energy consumption, travelling and food. This is not a new notion, but always a topical one. Simply speaking, this means switching off lights and electronic devices, consideration of alternatives for the use of private cars, and adopting sustainable eating habits to reduce undue waste. We take these same themes into account in our daily work at JSBE as well.” When talking about 2020, COVID-19 can hardly be ignored, and it has influenced – directly and indirectly – climate thinking as well. For example, JSBE has always encouraged researchers in internationalisation, but last year brought travel abroad to a halt. “Could a longer visit be an alternative for a quick conference visit? Or in the domestic scale, how necessary is it for a student living elsewhere to travel to Jyväskylä just for a single exam? Travelling related to work or studies is in transition because of the pandemic, and the new normal of travelling will also have a major impact on the climate.”

“Now people acknowledge that business and economic life has played a role in causing climate problems, and people are also willing to search for solutions to these problems.” Hanna-Leena Pesonen | DEAN

JYU SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

Towards a 3R society: research on the circular economy in Finnish companies In the circular economy, the purpose is to change linear flows of material into circular or rotational ones so that, in an ideal case, no waste would be produced at all. In Finland, there are already several companies pursuing circular economy goals, most of which are so far small or middle-sized companies. Meanwhile, JSBE is conducting research on the topic. This research yields knowledge and potential means for companies to transition to the circular economy, which can become competitive assets for those that move fast. “The idea is crystallised in the 3R concept: reduce, re-use, recycle,” says Associate Professor Tiina Onkila. “The circular economy is still too often regarded merely as recycling, although this is only one part of the whole concept. “Companies that base their operations on the circular economy often have to work as guides for their own supply chains. For example, before such cooperation, raw material suppliers may be completely unaware of the whole concept.”

In the interview data of Onkila and her research team, prominent companies included those concentrating on the textile industry. Innovative ways to pursue the circular economy involve not only responsible practices for raw materials, but also possibilities to take second-hand clothes for resale, for example. Companies that concentrate on the circular economy are mainly small ones. For big companies, the shift can be challenging, because their operations have not been built around these concepts in the first place. “The circular economy is more typical in material-centred fields than in the service sector, for instance, where responsibility can be implemented in other ways,” Onkila says.

FOUR ARGUMENTS WHY A COMPANY SHOULD SHIFT TO THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY •

The circular economy is part of a societal change which is underway whether you want it or not.

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It is better to participate in a growing trend from the beginning. Then you can help determine its shape and development. It is challenging to find out too late that others are already well ahead and you must try to narrow the gap.

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Consumer awareness is increasing all the time. The circular economy can be a competitive asset for your company.

•

It is really worthwhile to look at your entrepreneurial activities from a new perspective and reconsider your ways of operating.

Researchers partner with MPs to strengthen the relationship between universities and decision-makers The support project started in early 2020 to bring researchers and members of parliament closer to each other. The pairing of 34 researchers and 34 MPs aimed to improve the flow of information in both directions. The researchers listed their areas of strength on an application, and based on these were paired with MPs who deal with the same issues, for example, in committees. In total, almost two hundred researchers applied to participate. One of the selected researchers was Postdoctoral Researcher Suvi Heikkinen from JSBE. Her list of strengths included responsible leadership, equality and the reconciliation of family life and work. On these grounds, an MP partner was found for her from the Employment and Equality Committee. “Each pair can define the form of their cooperation quite freely. My partner showed me some items from the committee’s forthcoming agenda, and we

discussed what kinds of data I could provide on the topics to the MP.” The purpose is to increase researchers’ knowledge about the decisionmaking mechanisms in Parliament and in which phase researchers have the biggest chance to influence. Parliamentary work often takes time and includes all kinds of political intrigue and compromise. “When we researchers get more information on this process, we can be in the right place at the right time and provide MPs with timely research data that are as unbiased as possible,” she concludes.

SUCCESS IN RANKINGS As in the previous year, economics at JYU placed 251–300 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by subject. This is the third highest position among the schools of business and economics in Finland. In the Shanghai Ranking, JYU climbed to 301–400 as the third best Finnish university in economics after Aalto and Helsinki. Business economics was ranked 301–400 and leadership 401–500. In addition, corporate communication takes JSBE to the high ranking of 101–150 in communication. The ranking included in total 4,000 universities. It observed, among others, the quality of research, international cooperation, publications in top journals and significant academic awards.

JYU FACULTY OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES

WEIGHT CONTROL GOVERNS FEMALE ATHLETES’ LIVES TO A SURPRISING DEGREE

An extensive survey of female athletes in spring 2020 looked at issues related to menstruation, body image and nutrition.

JYU FACULTY OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES

The findings are startling. According to the survey results, about 40 percent of all respondents were trying to lose weight. About an equal percentage of athletes were concerned about their weight or body mass composition. In addition, 15 percent of the respondents described their own eating disorders. Postdoctoral Researcher Johanna Ihalainen wants to make female athletes the focus of her research and investigate issues that are significant to female athletes in Finland. The menstrual cycle, hormones, nutrition and energy balance are issues that concern every female athlete. However, there is not much research into the effects of these on athletic performance. Ihalainen and her research team developed a Norwegian survey she had been involved in earlier. Nearly 900 Finnish female athletes over the age of 15 answered the survey. The respondents included about 240 competitive exercisers or local-level athletes, 365 national level athletes, and 280 females pursuing sports on the international level. The study highlighted the need for more knowledge among athletes as well as coaches. Katja Mjøsund, a Doctor of Medicine and a specialist in sports and exercise medicine from the KIHU Research Institute for Olympic Sports and the Paavo Nurmi Centre of the University of Turku, has worked with athletes in Finland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Norway. She has experience with national team athletes in orienteering and rhythmic gymnastics, for example. What does a physician think about the female athletes’ responses about weight control?

The athletes were also asked about the menstrual cycle and the effects of periods on sports. About 20% of the respondents lacked a regular menstrual cycle and about 4% of the respondents using no hormonal contraception had no menstruation at all. Similarly, an article by doctoral student Suvi Ravi in autumn 2020 shows that disorders in the menstrual cycle are more general among young athletes than among non-athletes. Dr Mjøsund points out that menstrual flow itself is not important, but it does indicate that the underlying hormonal activity is functioning. If a woman’s energy supply is too low or her stress level is high, hormonal control becomes disturbed, and the periods disappear. These hormones are needed for the wellbeing of bones and muscles, for example. In the future, Ihalainen is going to pursue more extensive multidisciplinary research on female athletes together with clinical experts and disseminate research knowledge to promote the athletes’ wellbeing. This also calls for a change in attitudes among athletes, coaches and others working with athletes. MEMBERS OF THE RESEARCH TEAM: •

Doctoral Student Suvi Ravi (JYU)

•

Physician Maarit Valtonen (KIHU)

“This is nothing new and it has always been part of certain sports,” Mjøsund says. “It is not right that a healthy athlete considers herself successful depending on what the scales say."

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Physician Katja Mjøsund (KIHU/PNC)

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Project Manager Johanna Lehto (KIHU)

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Project Manager Ritva Taipale (JYU)

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Physician Mira Tuovinen (KIHU)

“If a person is losing weight all the time, it influences many bodily functions. In top sports, an energy deficit affects a range of things, from results development and recovery to risk of injury and risk of overload.”

•

Sports Psychologist Marja Kokkonen (JYU)

Johanna Ihalainen →

“Body mass composition and menstrual cycle affect female athletes’ physical and mental performance. The observations demonstrate that especially discussion between female athletes and male coaches about these topics is sensitive. It is important to develop solution models for the problem. Luckily, the studies at our faculty show that young athletes in sports clubs are less discontent with their weight than are adolescents outside sports, and the physical condition of women who have participated in competitive sports is better than that of others at midlife.” Urho Kujala | PROFESSOR OF SPORTS AND EXERCISE MEDICINE

JYU FACULTY OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES

Faculty publishes its strategy

Faculty ranks in the global top 10

Strategy work started in 2018 and the whole staff was engaged in planning. Faculty strategy work was conducted at the same time with the planning of the university’s strategy.

The Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences was ranked ninth in the Shanghai Ranking of universities. The ranking was published in November 2020. The list comprises 300 sport science schools and departments from universities all over the world.

In early 2020, the faculty’s strategy was finalised in cooperation with an external partner. The aim of the work has been to increase the enthusiasm for and relevance of its operations. The name of the strategy, Active individual, thriving society, fits the operations and goals of the faculty well. The staff has participated actively across disciplines in the theme groups based on the new operating model. Illustrations in the strategy were made by Redanredan Oy.

“We are thrilled about our position in the global top 10,” says Sarianna Sipilä, professor and vice dean responsible for research. “It is an indication of the level and quality of our scientific research. According to our strategy, our aim is to be among the best five in the world by 2030.” The Shanghai Ranking first published its ranking of sport science schools in 2016. At that time, the faculty’s position was 40.

The top 300 universities are listed based on the measurement of publications, total citations, citations per publication, publications in the top 25% of journals, and publications with international collaboration. The bibliometric data are collected from the Web of Science database with a time window of five years. Among the top 300 in 2020 list, 15 of the units are sport universities and 285 are universities with sport-related departments.

Older people have become younger: physical and cognitive functioning have improved meaningfully in 30 years The functional ability of older people is nowadays better when it is compared to that of people at the same age three decades ago. The study, conducted at the Gerontology Research Center, compared the physical and cognitive performance of people between 75 and 80 now with the performance of the same-aged people in the 1990s. When compared to people of the same age born earlier, the muscle strength, walking speed, reaction speed, word fluency, reasoning ability and memory of 75- to 80-year-old people is nowadays noticeably better. However, differences were not observed in lung capacity. “The results suggest that our understanding of older age is old-fashioned,” says Professor Taina Rantanen, the principal investigator of the study. “From the point of view of a researcher of aging, more

years are added to midlife, but not so many to the end of life.” The results of the research project are unique because there are only a few studies in the world that have compared measured maximum performance results between people of the same age who have lived in different times. The team’s results received wide attention in domestic and international media. The English-language news item on the JYU website was read about 20,000 times in 2020 and it was published in many countries in different languages. The research team members were also interviewed by, among others, the BBC and Scientific America.

MIHALY SZEROVAY SELECTED AS PROFESSOR OF PRACTICE IN FOOTBALL Mihaly Szerovay, PhD in sport and health sciences, was selected as a joint professor of practice for the University of Jyväskylä and the Football Association of Finland. Szerovay, a Hungarian and a Finn, started in the five-year position in September 2020. The aim of the “football professor” is to promote research in football and develop coaching and education activities. Szerovay was selected from among 13 high-quality applicants. “I am honoured and extremely happy to have been selected for this position,” Szerovay says. “I see my role as an enabler and a facilitator. I want to promote research, education and networking.”

JYU FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

RESEARCHER’S KEEN EYE ON THE ENTEROVIRUS FINDS MOLECULES AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS IN NATURE

Virus researcher Varpu Marjomäki from the University of Jyväskylä has got a handle on enteroviruses, the world’s most infectious viruses for humans.

JYU FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was exceptional in the faculty and created a great challenge for teaching and research. Our staff responded to the challenge laudably and, as a result, many indicators of research and education improved from the previous years. The pandemic also had other positive outcomes. For example, the visibility and impact of our virus researchers increased significantly. This is great proof of the importance of basic research. When the world around you changes, high-quality basic research turns to practical solutions.” Mikko Mönkkönen | DEAN

An interest in viruses that started two decades ago is now producing results: one patent has already been registered and two are pending based on work with molecules that kill enteroviruses. The molecules also show promise against coronaviruses. Professor Varpu Marjomäki began researching enteroviruses in 1991, when she joined the research team of Professor Jyrki Heino at JYU. The zeal to identify virus infection routes has led Marjomäki to participate in several collaboration studies on the basic mechanisms of virus infections, developing vaccines and antivirals, and researching the structure of enteroviruses. The enterovirus is an important research target, because the group of almost 200 known enteroviruses cause flu and its serious aftereffects for a vast number of people every year. Enteroviruses also cause chronic diseases such as type 1 diabetes. In recent years, the research groups of the Nanoscience Center at the University of Jyväskylä have also built up enterovirus competence. Together with other researchers from the Nanoscience Center, including Professor Hannu Häkkinen and Mika Pettersson, Marjomäki has developed different probes that can be used to identify viruses or their components. ENCOUNTER WITH A FUNGUS RESEARCHER SPARKS AN IDEA FOR NATURAL ANTIVIRALS It was eight years ago that Marjomäki first glimpsed that the solution for preventing enterovirus infections might be found in nature. During a cooperation visit to South Africa, Marjomäki accidently met fungus researcher Riikka Linnakoski. “In our first discussions, we agreed right away to join forces and start searching for virus-destroying agents from the world of plants and fungi,” says Marjomäki. Marjomäki’s team investigates molecules that can be called antivirals, with one patent already pending. The two most recent possibilities have been found in Finland’s natural environment. The word antiviral refers to any substance that prohibits the functioning of a virus. The collaboration has already led to several further studies with the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). “The patentable molecules affect the virus structure by either breaking it down or stabilising it,” Marjomäki explains. “It would be fantastic to have safe natural products that would effectively destroy illness-causing viruses from our environment.”

New molecules are able to do what currently available disinfectants cannot. FUNCTIONING OF CORONAVIRUSES AND ENTEROVIRUSES ARE PREVENTED WITH THE SAME INHIBITORS In addition to enteroviruses, the molecules’ effect on coronaviruses is being actively studied. “Many times the active agents we find are effective against more than enteroviruses. They often work against other virus groups as well,” says Marjomäki. Marjomäki’s research team is currently focused on coronavirus research and collaboration to defeat the COVID19 pandemic. Marjomäki and Professor Perttu Permi from the University of Jyväskylä received consortium funding from the Academy of Finland for seeking effective inhibitors to tame the COVID-19 virus infection. “Surprisingly, coronaviruses and enteroviruses have much in common,” Marjomäki says. “They both have a very structurally similar protein-digesting enzyme, whose functioning could be effectively prevented with the same inhibitors.” DEVELOPING ANTIVIRAL SURFACES THAT KILL THE INFECTIVE CAPABILITIES OF CORONAVIRUSES Varpu Marjomäki’s group is also participating in a COVID-19 project run by Associate Professor Antti Haapala from the University of Eastern Finland. The project aims to determine how safe different surfaces and materials, especially wood-based materials, are from the coronavirus. “There is very little research on this topic, and it directly benefits users and the building industry,” Marjomäki says. Marjomäki’s group also studies antiviral surfaces with the researchers of the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). In summer 2020, Business Finland awarded Co-Creation COVID-19 funding for joint projects that seek new antiviral surfaces in cooperation with companies.

← Varpu Marjomäki

JYU FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE

Industrial scale in sight for metal recovery Gold and other valuable metals will no longer go unused in electronic scrap heaps. In the autumn, the researchers of the Department of Chemistry started up a unique reactor system which points the way towards larger industrial applications. The department’s hydrometallurgical equipment is well suited to the recovery of precious and rare metals. It currently operates on a six-litre scale, but an industrial concept is already in sight for the future. The carbon dioxide emissions from the recovery of metals from e-waste are estimated to be only one-tenth compared to those produced in mining metals from the earth. The hydrometallurgical system set up in the Department of Chemistry can be used for modelling industrial processes. Full-scale plants could be built near big cities. “They would revolutionise the recovery of rare and critical metals from waste materials, such as electronic scrap,” says Ari Väisänen, leading professor in analytical chemistry and circular economy.

PHYSICS COMPETITION INSPIRES UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS The idea of the competition developed at the Department of Physics is to let groups of upper secondary schools students, assisted by tutors, to use the research equipment of JYU’s Accelerator Laboratory in the same way as real researchers. In 2020, the winner was the group of Kimpinen Upper Secondary School from Lappeenranta. They used soil samples to determine what kind of soil is best for the use of gardeners. The soil products were studied using the Accelerator Laboratory’s Pelletron linear accelerator. The group found that traditional compost soil from the backyard clearly beats commercial competitors – at least in the versatility and concentrations of effective elements. The coordinator of the competition is Senior Researcher Janne Pakarinen from JYU.

Escaping viper’s zig-zagging confuses predators The zig-zag pattern offers the viper protection in predatory situations in different ways. It makes the snake more difficult to see, but the easily recognisable pattern also warns predators of the viper's poisonousness. If the predator attacks, the zig-zag shape may help the viper escape: as the snake flees, the pattern causes a visual illusion that makes it more difficult for the predator to perceive the direction and speed of the snake’s movement. The research team measured the speed of fleeing snakes and calculated the flicker rate of the zig-zag. If the flicker rate exceeds a threshold in the visual system of an observer, a rapidly changing stimulus, such as a moving zig-zag, is perceived as continuous. “In the fleeing speed of vipers, the zig-zag produces a flicker-fusion effect in mammalian predators,” says Postdoctoral Researcher Janne Valkonen from the Department of Biological and Environmental Science. “The effect of this illusion may change the appearance of the escaping viper, making it harder for the predator to perceive the direction and speed of the viper. However, the zig-zag pattern does not fool raptors with quicker eyes.” The study on the mechanisms of vipers’ protective colouring was published in Animal Behaviour in May 2020.

X-RAY LASER PROVIDES ATOMICSCALE DATA ON THE MECHANISMS OF PHYTOCHROMES – PLANTS RESPOND TO LIGHT WITHIN A FRACTION OF A SECOND Scientists revealed intricate atomic-scale structural changes in plants, fungi and bacteria in response to light. An extremely precise X-ray laser revealed that light causes rapid rearrangements of the light-sensing chromophore molecules, which are located in phytochromes. According to Postdoctoral Researcher Heikki Takala, the findings can be utilised in studies that examine, for example, guiding the growth of plants, fungi and bacteria with light. The study was conducted as part of an extensive international collaboration. From JYU, the network also included professors Janne Ihalainen and Gerrit Groenhof with their research teams.

JYU FINNISH INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH

↑ From left, Professor Hannu L. T. Heikkinen, Tuulikki Similä (Director of the OKKA Foundation for Teaching, Education and Personal Development) and Olli Luukkainen (President of the Trade Union of Education in Finland, OAJ).

Survey reveals Finnish teachers’ multiple skills TALIS (Teaching and Learning International Survey) 2018 strengthened the conception on the multiple skills of Finnish teachers. Finnish schools have a great community spirit and the teaching profession is still respected in society. Teacher’s work has become more diverse and the teacher’s role has changed in terms of pedagogy. In addition to traditional teaching, teachers are now guiding, researching, developing, teaming up, networking, and internationalising. They deserve credit for their commitment to teaching, leading, taking care of, and being present to their students. For example, just by looking at the results of TALIS 2018, we could have had predicted how well teachers would cope in their daily work transformed by COVID-19. The survey data indicated that teachers are innovative and capable of managing even challenging situations by developing new ideas for teaching and learning.

Teaching together as teamwork in the same class has increased among teachers. Teachers trust each other and schools encourages their staff to take the initiative. Pupils and parents are also able to participate in schools’ decision-making more actively. Based on the findings of TALIS 2018, respect for the teaching profession has increased among young teachers. According to the response data, teaching was the primary career choice for 75% of young teachers (age under 30), while for teachers 50 and older the percentage was 53%. Factors that make the profession more enticing include general appreciation for education in society, teachers’ pay level and resources in daily school life.

FIER garners recognition on World Teachers’ Day The report on the attractiveness of teacher education by the Finnish Institute for Educational Research received the 2020 special recognition award of the OKKA Foundation. Professor Hannu L. T. Heikkinen, the leader of the research group, accepted the award on World Teacher’s Day on 5 October 2020. The study examined the factors influencing the attractiveness of teacher education. It also studied the impact of media on young peoples’ conceptions of teacher’s work. For young people, the most important reason to become a teacher is that they can influence how the world will develop.

The OKKA-OAJ 40th anniversary fund was established in 2013 to increase the recognition of teaching and education and to encourage and award those working in the field of teaching and education.

Skill levels cause worry but also raise hopes The international TIMSS 2019 study assessed the skills of pupils in years 4 and 8 in mathematics and science. The study confirms the results of earlier studies: the number of low-achieving students is increasing in Finland. On the other hand, the number of top performers has also increased in comparison to earlier years. The school system guides children and adolescents towards well-balanced adulthood and prepares them for their study and career paths. The growth in the number of top performers gives hope that we will have talented students who can meet the demands of society as it develops. When changes occur rapidly, teachers are required to continuously update their knowledge and skills. More than half of Finnish teachers expressed their development needs to include integrating technology into teaching, the improvement of pupils’ critical thinking or research skills and paying attention to individual needs. “Even though everyone does not consider school knowledge important, we adults must remind young people that to understand the world you must be able to read, write, count and perceive the patterns of the environment at least on a satisfactory level,” says Senior Researcher Jouni Vettenranta, the coordinator of TIMSS research.

PISA 2018 Financial Literacy: Finnish adolescents have robust financial skills and support from school for skills development As part of PISA 2018, Finland participated for the first time in the assessment of financial literacy of 15-year-olds. The results of the financial literacy assessments were published in May 2020. Finland was ranked the second best with Canada. The most financially literate youth were found in Estonia. A total of 20 countries participated in the assessment. The financial skills of Finnish girls and boys were at the same level and differences between Finnish schools were small. However, variation between individuals was great. Socioeconomic background had the second largest impact in the reference countries. This was reflected in the poor skills of students belonging to the lowest socioeconomic quartile and the strong skills of students belonging to the highest. The PISA study demonstrates that the teaching of financial literacy in Finland has been implemented successfully and that it has a

strong connection to adolescents’ financial skills. A significantly high percentage of Finnish adolescents reported obtaining information related to financial literacy from their teachers. In Finland, the link between financial subjects covered in school and the students’ financial literacy was the strongest. Finnish adolescents expressed the greatest interest in monetary matters among the participating countries. In general, their readiness to make decisions about their own finances was high in the international comparison.

JYU OPEN SCIENCE CENTRE

Good data management improves science The Aineistot haltuun data management project, which took almost three years, was completed at JYU in 2020. The project yielded important information on the practices of research data management in Finland and abroad. This resulted in numerous new ideas for developing research data services at JYU. The project was an excellent starting point for research data services offered by the Open Science Centre (OSC), which were developed intensively in 2020. An instructional website on data management was completed, the University of Jyväskylä updated its research data policy and a separate section was built in the Converis research data system for managing and publishing the metadata of research data. Development work will continue with a data management tool.

Support for open and responsible science Proper management of research data is a seamless part of high-quality, open and responsible science, and OSC is among the leading units in Finland to promote it. In the future, researchers at JYU will receive even better support and training in making data management plans, open publishing of research data, and good practices for handling different datasets in specific fields. OSC’s data experts offer support and advice in every phase of the research career. “Data management is not related only to open science or risk management,” says Information Specialist Juuso Marttila from the Open Science Centre. “Good data management means better science for us all.

The improvements we made in 2020 are a big step towards this goal and will promote active development of tools and services.” In summer 2021, the Open Science Centre will return to the heart of the campus when the renovation of the Library building is completed. The renovated building is named Lähde, and it will provide a stimulating environment for science and culture, offering a wealth of knowledge, support and expertise for studying and research.

JYU CENTRE FOR MULTILINGUAL ACADEMIC COMMUNICATION MOVI

Internationalisation in the year of the coronavirus One duty of the Centre for Multilingual Academic Communication (Movi) is to support JYU’s internationalisation. Part of the goals of the education development programme in the university’s strategy is to develop a JYUidentity for each student at JYU. This identity consists of strong communication and language skills, cultural awareness as well as global and ethical responsibility. At Movi, multifaceted skills, knowledge, attitude and competence are seen to be the core of internationalisation. Internationality is about more than a single experience or a group of experiences; it is also about academic experts’ core competence and ways of thinking. Modern working life means encountering diversity, goal-oriented work with people from different cultural backgrounds, and the management of multilingual interaction skills. It is a way of seeing the world and considering multilingual and intercultural competence and its development as a lifelong process. Movi promotes these goals and develops new pedagogical working models under the Moving Mindsets concept. The project Multilingual and intercultural competences are at the heart of internationalisation was established to promote internationalisation and has

been implemented in cooperation with departments. The aim is for internationalisation to become a natural part of each student’s skills and degree regardless if the student goes on exchange or for an internship abroad or if they internationalise at their home university. The project also looks at the various manifestations and requirements of internationalisation in different fields. Strengthening internationalisation skills requires consistent planning, and students must understand how competence can be gained and made visible during their studies. The core of the project is to create an internationalisation plan for each student in cooperation with the personal study plan supervisors. Based on the targets, students recognise and knowingly build the competence needed in the international and multilingual world of work.

The COVID-19 pandemic came in the middle of the project period and resulted in the closing of campuses as well as national borders. However, the limits on travelling created an excellent opportunity to consider what more than exchanges and internships abroad can be considered international activity. Is it something more than simply going abroad? What competences that have traditionally been sought through mobility can be strengthened and supported without travelling physically from one place to another? These questions will be increasingly pondered in the future in cooperation with the whole university community and our networks.

JYU OPEN UNIVERSITY

23,000 STUDENTS

AROUND

SUBJECTS

24%

SHARE OF FINNISH OPEN UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

130,000 ECTS CREDITS

← Tuisku Takala and Anna Kaikkonen

“It is a wonderful feeling to see that I was able to do this. The teacher’s feedback confirms a meaningful development. These studies have really educated me.”

Know-how and scientific knowledge for increasingly more people At the Open University, you may study for yourself, a career, degree education, to get acquainted with university studies or even as a hobby. The studies are open to everyone and they inspire students to develop their competence and set goals. Just like other studies, Open University studies both challenge and reward. Continuous learning is in demand and the COVID-19 period has even increased it. There are now more students in Finnish open universities than ever before, and about 25% more studies were completed this year than in 2019. More studies were completed at the University of Jyväskylä Open University in 2020 than ever before, with a 35% increase from the year before. “High-quality and mostly online-based studies, good supervision and opportunities for studies in different life situations brought around 25,000 students to our Open University and its partnering schools during the last year,” says Anna Kaikkonen, vice director responsible for education. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the continual development of

our online education has been one of our strengths.” The operation is being developed actively and extensively in the Open University. The study selection and the operations model of the services meet the needs of continuous learning better than before. Student supervision and the prerequisites of learning are being reorganised by the Open University pedagogical development team, which includes both teachers and staff members in charge of study services as well as managers and coordinators. The main objects of educational development include increasing the interactivity of studies, developing supervision practices as well as phasing study units so that students are able to receive more frequent intermediate feedback on their assignments. GOOD SUPERVISION HELPS STUDENTS MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION “Our goal is to improve the student experience,” says Tuisku Takala. “In the Open University, both learning and supervision are its essential features. Our students

Minna Rekonen | Open University student at the end of basic studies in adult education

have very different life situations, some of them study independently and for others this is the first time they participate in academic studies. Every one of them is entitled to get the support they need in their studies.” Takala is a teacher of business science in the Open University as well as a member of the pedagogical development team. As part of the supervision development, Takala started a voluntary study skills workshop where students can get peer and other support for the challenges they face. These low-threshold workshops attracted so many participants that the number of them had to be increased in the various Open University courses. “When students have access to support, their issues can be addressed and it even eases some of their fears regarding studies. Good supervision helps students move in the right direction. I believe that the development of supervision has also increased the number of completed courses in the Open University.”

JYU KOKKOLA UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM CHYDENIUS

A significant new research area connects research in social work and sustainable transition The University of Jyväskylä was awarded nearly €4 million for a doctoral education project led by Professor of Social Work Aila-Leena Matthies (Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius) and coordinated by JYU. In the Applying Sustainability Transition Research in Social Work Tackling Major Societal Challenge of Social Inclusion (ASTRA) project, social work is applied alongside multidisciplinary sustainable transition research, politics and practices. The combination of research in social work and sustainable transition results in a remarkable new research area with societal significance. It also points the way to a sustainable transition for European doctoral education in social work. The idea is that a socially sustainable society may only be based on sustainable nature and a just and fair economy. The project will recruit 15 young doctoral students to study the possibilities of social participation, especially from the point of view of young people outside the world of work and with an immigrant background as well as that of vulnerable local communities.

Sustainable transition models adaptable to social work in the ASTRA research include the following: nature-based wellbeing, environmental justice, the circular and solidarity economy, sustainable nutritional policy in local communities, eco-social innovations and the right to a meaningful life. The ASTRA research network consists of seven leading European social work university units which have studied sustainable transition. Furthermore, multidisciplinary expertise is brought to the network by LUKE, which represents the natural sciences, and the Belgian research department, CIRIEC, which studies sustainable local economy. The ASTRA research project provides innovative and practical solutions as well as new research-based information for both social work and multidisciplinary sustainable transition research. The research cooperation in these fields will also have a broader influence on society and the scientific community. The ASTRA doctoral students will have new kinds of career opportunities in social work and sustainable transition, interdisciplinary politics and developing sustainable economy on local, national and international levels.

ASTRA is an MCSA doctoral school project of the EU H2020 programme, and it is coordinated by the University of Jyväskylä. The total budget of the project is almost €4 million and the University of Jyväskylä’s share is €842,000. The doctoral school network includes seven universities, two research units and seven civic organisations or business ventures, and it spans seven EU countries.

Universities of Jyväskylä, Oulu and Vaasa in Kokkola

EXPERTS

101 4

MASTER’S DEGREES / YEAR

DOCTORAL DEGREES / YEAR

18,227

ECTS CREDITS FROM THE OPEN UNIVERSITY / YEAR

€7 m

TOTAL FUNDING

€4.3 m EXTERNAL FUNDING

JYU NEWS 2020

7.1.2020

NUCLEAR AND ASTROPHYSICISTS DETERMINE THAT MID-SIZE STARS EXPLODE TO BECOME WHITE DWARFS OF DIFFERENT SIZES 5.2.2020

The life cycle of stars depends on their size. At the end of their life cycles, lighter stars such as the Sun end up as white dwarfs and massive stars explode to become a spectacular supernova and leave behind a neutron star or a black hole. The destiny of mid-sized stars, however, has long remained a mystery. Now it has been demonstrated that they explode and become different sizes of white dwarfs, spewing a variety of elements around them.

HIGH-PRECISION IMAGING REVEALED WHAT HOLDS THE WORLD’S SMALLEST LIGHTRESPONSIVE GOLD CHAIN TOGETHER The manufacture of chemical sensors and catalysts based on gold nanoclusters gained new light from recent cutting-edge research. Chemists succeeded in determining the precise atomic structure of a chain of gold nanoclusters attached to each other. In this study the researchers revealed the disulfide-bridging bond between the bound nanoclusters. Linked gold nanocluster structures advance our understanding of the optical and electronic response of these systems, which could contain future insights for nanoelectronics and bioimaging.

15.1.2020

NEW TYPE OF SHORT PROGRAMME INCREASES FLEXIBILITY AND AWARENESS TO RELIEVE WORK EXHAUSTION Work exhaustion and stress can be relieved with a new type of short programme, which increases psychological flexibility and conscious awareness. It was developed at the Department of Psychology and is based on approval and dedication therapy. Subjects’ work exhaustion eased and working ability improved at the one-year follow-up.

17.1.2020

THE WAY YOU DANCE IS UNIQUE, AND COMPUTERS CAN TELL IT’S YOU Our dance style is almost always the same regardless of the type of music, and a computer can identify the dancer with astounding accuracy. Researchers at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Music Research used motion capture technology to understand how and why music affects us the way it does. They found out that your dance moves say a lot about you, such as how extroverted or neurotic you are, what mood you happen to be in, and even how much you empathise with other people.

12.2.2020

EVEN LIGHT EXERCISE CONTRIBUTES TO THE HEALTH OF OLDER PEOPLE A new research method revealed that even very low-intensive exercise is connected to a lower fat percentage and a higher walking speed for older people who move little. Two-thirds of the participants in the 70 to 85 age group lacked even one minute of brisk walking in a week. With older people that move less, moving at any intensity was connected to a lower fat percentage and higher walking speed.

15.4.2020

PARENTS THAT KNOW A CHILD’S PREFERENCES CAN ASSERTIVELY GUIDE EXERCISE Parents who know their children’s preferences and participate in activities can guide children assertively without diminishing children’s enthusiasm for physical activity and exercise. However, children’s enthusiasm to move was most commonly associated with child-centred and stimulating parenting. Children perceived coercion as reducing their motivation for physical activity.

26.2.2020

CHILDHOOD INFECTIONS WEAKEN EDUCATION AND INCOME LEVEL Despite Finland having public healthcare, childhood infections are connected with weaker labour market outcomes in adulthood. The main reason for this is the effect infections have on the level of education. For example, one’s socioeconomic status affects life expectancy: for people with lower income and education it is below average.

20.5.2020

PARENTS EXPERIENCE THE COVID-19 PERIOD DIFFERENTLY All parents did not experience the COVID-19 period in the same way, but their wellbeing ranged from good to poor. This was shown in a study by the Department of Psychology, which examined how the exceptional time could be seen in families' lives. Of the parents responding to the survey, 54% found the COVID-19 situation gloomy or hopeless, whereas 44% found the situation positive or hopeful. The wellbeing of parents with earlier stressing factors in their life diminishes when support networks and services disappear or decrease.

10.6.2020

FINANCIAL GROWTH HAS REACHED ALMOST ALL AGE GROUPS AND REGIONS The difference in personal tax revenues between Uusimaa and other regions has narrowed in recent years. Researchers from the Faculty of Information Technology clarified the tax revenues of people over 15 in the 2000s based on the data of Statistics Finland. There was a positive shift in the economy of almost all regions in Finland after 2016. The shift is visible as increased tax revenue in almost all regions and all age groups in 2018.

12.6.2020

TEST RELEASE OF PEARL MUSSEL JUVENILES BRED IN CAPTIVITY BEGINS IN MUSTIONJOKI AND ÄHTÄVÄNJOKI 2.4.2020

NUMBER OF APPLICANTS INCREASED 12%: JYU MAINTAINS ITS POSITION AMONG THE MOST POPULAR UNIVERSITIES JYU received 17,438 applications in the joint application process for higher education institutions. The number of applicants increased about 12 percent from 2018. The number of study places available for autumn 2019 was around 2,400.

The University of Jyväskylä is participating in a unique test in which juveniles of the endangered freshwater pearl mussel bred in captivity are released back into their home rivers in Finland. Mussels from the Mustionjoki and Ähtävänjoki rivers managed to breed in captivity at the Konnevesi research station. Now tiny mussel babies were returned to their rivers of origin in mesh-covered hole plates, where their growth and survival will be monitored as part of the large lake-protection project coordinated by Metsähallitus.

JYU NEWS 2020

8.7.2020

COMPARISON SHOWS FINNS SPENDING MORE TIME ALONE An increase in time spent alone has been observed during the coronavirus pandemic. However, according to studies, the social distance of Finns has changed already earlier. Utilising time use data, a group of researchers has studied changes in social interaction from the 1980s to the 2010s. Time spent alone – without face-to-face company – increased by about two hours a day. The increase in time spent alone is visible among both men and women and in all age groups.

29.10.2020

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN CHILDHOOD MAY HAVE FAR-REACHING EFFECTS – CONNECTIONS FOUND TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAREERS Those with plenty of physical activity in childhood have on average more employed months and fewer months of unemployment in a year in adulthood than those with less exercise in childhood. The differences in the attachment to the labour market are visible already from the outset of working careers and the differences remain almost the same at different stages of careers. 5.8.2020

SHOULD CLEARFELLING BE ABANDONED? The total abandonment of clearfelling in Finnish commercial forests is not the best option. Nevertheless, continuouscover silviculture should be the most common method to maintain forests. The best results are achieved by combining continuous-cover silviculture and clearfelling with good planning in forest treatment.

26.8.2020

REMOTE TEACHING SIGNIFICANTLY STRAINS FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN WHO RECEIVE SPECIAL OR INTENSIFIED SUPPORT Remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic strained the everyday lives of families with children receiving special or intensified support and significantly weakened the parents’ resources. On the other hand, the children’s resources were better than in contact teaching. Clearly more than half (64%) of the parents hoped remote teaching to be one way to arrange teaching in the future as well. The results were extracted from a survey directed to parents.

29.10.2020

DIETARY SUPPLEMENT MAY HELP IN THE TREATMENT OF FATTY LIVER A recent study by researchers at the University of Jyväskylä was successful in partially preventing fatty liver disease in rats. Rats with fatty liver disease were fed a dietary supplement that is known to increase the growth of good bacteria in the gut. Along with with the increased abundance of the bacteria, the liver fat content decreased significantly. In addition, preliminary results from a human study seem promising.

24.11.2020

CAREER CHOICE IS A GREAT CHALLENGE FOR ADOLESCENTS Finnish adolescents have growing pressures to find their future dream profession. According to a study, only a small portion of adolescents feels secure about the future working life and the majority worries about choices related to their career plans. Especially for young people in vocational education, worries about the future working life are connected to plans to interrupt education.

17.12.2020

CLUMSY KIDS CAN BE FIT TOO According to a study at JYU, clumsy kids can be as aerobically fit as their peers with better motor skills. The study clearly showed that aerobic fitness is not linked to motor skills. 1.12.2020

ONLINE RESEARCHERS’ NIGHT ATTRACTS A BIG AUDIENCE Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Researchers’ Night, which has set attendance records for science events in previous years, was organised this year as an online event. The event attracted a few thousand spectators. In addition, the day programme for school-aged children received wide interest in the schools of Central Finland and beyond.

2.12.2020

PARTICIPATION IN COMPETITIVE SPORT IN ADOLESCENCE BRINGS MIDLIFE HEALTH BENEFITS TO WOMEN Females who participate in competitive sport during adolescence have better fitness at midlife than females with no competitive sport background. Higher lean mass and bone density and better physical performance at midlife were associated with competitive sport participation at the age of 13 to 16 years. The study also found that bone density was lower if the woman has not had her first period until age 14 or older.

18.12.2020

INDIVIDUAL-CENTRED CULTURE PREDISPOSES WESTERN PARENTS TO EXHAUSTION An international comparison study reveals that parents’ exhaustion is more common in individual-centred cultures than in community-oriented cultures. Serious weekly exhaustion also took place more commonly in individualcentred countries. Being individualcentred may also lead to loneliness. According to researchers, Finnish parents expressed in their answers that they were often lonely and that they lacked natural safety networks.

RANKING SUCCESS IN SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES AND EDUCATION

INTERNATIONAL TOP LEVEL

The Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences was ranked ninth in the Shanghai Ranking. The list comprises 300 sport science schools from universities all over the world.

⟶ Education 51–100 ⟶ Sport and health sciences 50 ⟶ Psychology 201–250 ⟶ Research in physics, humanities and mathematics 401–450

In the Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects, JYU’s research in education ranked 39th. With this placement, we are the best Nordic and sixth-best European higher education institution.

QS World University Rankings: JYU climbed to position 333.

Times Higher Education World University Rankings (THE): JYU ranked 401–500 ⟶ Psychology 67 ⟶ Psychology and humanities 201–250 ⟶ Business & economics and social sciences 251–300 ⟶ Physics 301–400 ⟶ Health sciences 401–500 ⟶ Computer science 501–600

JYU 2020 FIGURES

of Education chology

cants

6,339 552

14.5%

Applicants Intake

4,311 663

Applicants Intake

2,100 411

Applicants Intake

Faculty of Information and Psychology Technology

1,785 515

Intake 2,100 411

3,573 327

Applicants Intake

1,785 515

3,141 267

19,506

Applicants Intake

3,573 327

Master’s degree Health Sciences Doctoral students

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

1,924

1,536

Faculty of Information Technology

1,433

1,240

702

635

13%

132

14%

1,408

998

259

17%

669

123

14%

382

190

28%

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

496

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

1,085

19,506

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Source: Vipunen

2,831

APPLICANTS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ 2020

INTAKE IN 2020

APPLICANTS 4,311 663 IN 2020

Faculty of Sport and

Bachelor’s degree

Faculty of Education and Psychology

13,938 DEGREE STUDENTS IN 2020

518 83 16% Applicants 3,141 Intake187 5326728%

Number of international students*

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

STUDENTS BY FACULTY 2020

3,983

2,683

1,397

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Faculty of Information Technology

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics

TOHTORI

LISENSIAATTI

Applicants Intake

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Applicants Intake

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics

6,339 552

Kokkola Unive Consortium Ch

APPLICANTS Faculty of Mathematics INand 2020 Science

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

STUDENTS BY FACULTY 2020

Applicants

Applicants Intake

19,506

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Applicants Intake

363 96

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

OF APPLICANTS WERE ADMITTED TO JYU

Admission by faculty Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences ............... 15% Faculty of Information Technology.......................... 20% Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics ...................................................................... 9% Faculty of Education and Psychology ......................... 9% Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences.......................... 9% Faculty of Mathematics and Science ...................... 29% Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius ........... 26%

manities ences

Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius (JYU)

Faculty of Information Technology

tutkinnot

2,679 3000

Faculty of Education and Psychology

1,285

1,721

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

2500

MAISTERI

2000

KANDIDAATTI

1500 1000 500

tutkinnot

3000

Admis Facult Facult Jyväsk and Ec Facult Facult Facult Kokko

151 151

DEGREE PROGRAMMES DEGREE PROGRAMMES IN TOTAL 2020 IN TOTAL 2020

3,458 3,458

Doctoral 17 Doctoral 17 Master’s 92 Master’s 92 Bachelor’s 42 Bachelor’s 42

Doctoral 174 Doctoral 174 Licentiates 5 Licentiates 5 Master’s 1,863 Master’s 1,863 Bachelor’s 1,416 Bachelor’s 1,416

DEGREES DEGREES COMPLETED 2020 COMPLETED 2020

NUMBER OF DEGREE PROGRAMMES BY FACULTY NUMBER OF DEGREE PROGRAMMES BY FACULTY Source: JYU data warehouse (13 Feb 2021) NUMBER OF DEGREE PROGRAMMES BY FACULTY Doctoral 5 Doctoral 5

Bachelor’s 18 Doctoral 1 Bachelor’s 18 Doctoral 1

Bachelor’s 4 Doctoral 2 Bachelor’s 4 Doctoral 2

13 13

52 52

10 10

TOTAL TOTAL

TOTAL TOTAL Master’s 29 Master’s 29

TOTAL TOTAL

Master’s 8 Master’s 8

Doctoral 2 Doctoral 2

Master’s 6 Master’s 6

FACULTY OF INFORMATION FACULTY OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY

FACULTY OF HUMANITIES OF HUMANITIES ANDFACULTY SOCIAL SCIENCES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Bachelor’s 7 Bachelor’s 7

Doctoral 3 Doctoral 3

21 21

Bachelor’s 4 Bachelor’s 4

31 31

TOTAL TOTAL

Master’s 12 Master’s 12

TOTAL TOTAL

Master’s 17 Master’s 17

FACULTY OF EDUCATION FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY

Master’s 20 Master’s 20

FACULTY OF SPORT AND FACULTY OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCES HEALTH SCIENCES

DEGREES

13,938

Tutkinto-opiskelijoiden määrä Tutkinto-opiskelijoiden määrä DEGREE STUDENTS IN 2020 Source: Vipunen 14 000 14 000

13,761

13,452

IN 2016

IN 2017

13,812

13,788

IN 2018

IN 2019

FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS FACULTY OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE AND SCIENCE

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Licentiates

Doctoral

2016

1,211

1,516

158

2017

1,344

1,476

148

2018

1,220

1,513

139

2019

1,235

1,576

127

2020

1,416

1,863

174

Source: JYU data warehouse (17 Feb 2021)

13 500 13 500 13 000 13 000 12 500 12 5002013

JYVÄSKYLÄ UNIVERSITY JYVÄSKYLÄ UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS OF BUSINESS ANDSCHOOL ECONOMICS AND ECONOMICS Doctoral 4 Bachelor’s 7 Doctoral 4 Bachelor’s 7

2424

TOTAL TOTAL

Bachelor’s 2 Bachelor’s 2

55 2014

2015

2016

2017

13 301 2013 13 057 2014 13 427 2015 13 760 2016 13 418 2017 13 301 13 057 13 427 13 760 13 418

JYU 2020 FIGURES

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

Faculty of Huma and Social Scien

DEGREES TUTKINNOT BY Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences TIEDEKUNNITTAIN FACULTY 2020 2017 Faculty of Information Technology DEGREES TUTKINNOT BY

Faculty of Education and Psychology

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics

TIEDEKUNNITTAIN FACULTY 2020 2017

Faculty of Infor Technology

Faculty of Education and Psychology

935

505

390

843

408

376

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Faculty of Information Technology

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics

Faculty of Education and Psychology

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

DEGREES BY FACULTY 2020

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Licentiates

Doctoral

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

397

475

Faculty of Information Technology

214

275

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics

156

224

Faculty of Educationand Psychology

345

461

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

140

255

173

1,863

174

Faculty of Mathematics 3,500 and Science Total

3,343

3,488

3,326

3,000

164 3,242

1,416

Source: JYU data warehouse (17 Feb 2021)

2,500 2,122 2,059Publications

PUBLICATIONS BY FACULTY* 2020 2,000 1,696

2,288

2,319

Open access

3,500

Faculty of Humanities 1,500 and Social Sciences

957

618

3,000

Faculty of Information Technology

276

205

2,500

Jyväskylä University School of Business and 500 Economics

136

Faculty of Educationand Psychology 0

439

301

1,500

2018 464

2019 295

2020 1,000

1,000

2016 Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences Publications

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

2017

Open access*

785

617

* The sum is not the same as the total number of publications at JYU. One publication may be counted for several faculties, and the publications of independent institutes are not included. Source: 2016–2017 Vipunen, 2018–2020 Converis (situation on 26 Feb 2021)

3,296 56

3,296

3,343

3,488

2,059

2,000

2,122

3,242

2,288

3,296

2,319

1,696

500 0

2016 Publications

PUBLICATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ 2020

3,326

2017

2018

2019

Open access*

* the article is published in an open publication channel, paid open or self-archived. Source: 2016–2017 Vipunen, 2018–2020 Converis

2020

Jyväskylä Univers School of Business and Economics

2,560

Teaching 28% Research 33% Other 35% STAFF 2020 Teacher training (PERSON-YEARS) schools 4% TeachingTeaching staﬀ 724staﬀ (6%)724 (6%)

STAFFSTAFF 2020 2020 (PERSON-YEARS) (PERSON-YEARS) STAFF 2020 (PERSON-YEARS)

staﬀ 724 (6%)

ﬀ 883 (2%)

aiset yritykset

aiset rahastot ja säätiöt

hoitus

ainen rahoitus (ei EU)

INTERNATIONAL STAFF

acher training 06 (0%)

ulkinen rahoitus

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL STAFF STAFF

Staﬀ of teacher training schools 106 (0%)

11%

staﬀ 847 (27%)

11% 11% 11%

847 (27%) ResearchResearch staff 847staff (27%) Teaching staff 724 (6%) Other Other staff 883staff (2%)883 (2%) Research staff 847 (27%) Staff of training teacher training Staff of teacher Other schools staff 883 (2%) schools 106 (0%)106 (0%)

STAFF (PERSON-YEARS)

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Teaching staff

652 (7%)

680 (6%)

701 (6%)

724 (6%)

Research staff

811 (23%)

820 (25%)

841 (24%)

840 (27%)

847 (27%)

Other staff

855 (2%)

839 (2%)

918 (2%)

895 (2%)

883 (2%)

Staff of teacher training schools

102 (0%)

107 (0%)

105 (0%)

106 (0%)

2,421 (10%)

2,445 (11%)

2,567 (10%)

2,564 (11%)

Total

2,560 (11%)

International employees (%)

STAFF BY FACULTY 2020 (PERSON-YEARS) Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences STAFF BY FACULTY 2020 (PERSON-YEARS)

STAFF BY STAFF BY FACULTYFACULTY 2020 2020 STAFF BY (PERSON-YEARS) Teaching(PERSON-YEARS) staff FACULTY Research staff 2020 157 (13%) 199 (19%) (PERSON-YEARS)

Other staff

33 (7%)

Faculty of Information Technology

63 (4%)

63 (37%)

25 (10%)

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics

143 (2%)

107 (17%)

34 (2%)

Faculty of Educationand Psychology

47 (6%)

37 (18%)

15 (8%)

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

58 (2%)

94 (12%)

32 (5%)

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

118 (7%)

290 (43%)

International employees (%)

FIXED-TERM AND PERMANENT POSTS (PERSON-YEARS)

Source: HR system

97 (1%) Source: HR system

Akatemia Suomen Suomen Akatemia Suomen Akatemia Tekes Tekes 2016 2017

2018

2019

2020

52%

Fixed-term

1,099 47% 1,110 47% 1,211 48% 1,199 48% 1,207 48% Tekes OKM OKM 1,263 53% 1,273 53% 1,298 52% 1,303 52% 1,300 52% TUOTTOJEN Permanent TUOTTOJEN PERMANENT JAKAUTUMINEN UNIVERSITY JAKAUTUMINEN UNIVERSITY Part-time teachers * 59 62 58 61 52 OKM EMPLOYEES TUOTTOJEN Muu julkinen Muu julkinen rahoitusrahoitus RAHOITUSLÄHTEITTÄIN FUNDING RAHOITUSLÄHTEITTÄIN FUNDING * Part-time teachers not included in the percentage of permanent employees UNIVERSITY JAKAUTUMINEN (JAKSOTTAMATON) (JAKSOTTAMATON) 2020 2020 Kotimaiset Kotimaiset yrityksetyritykset Muu julkinen rahoitus RAHOITUSLÄHTEITTÄIN FUNDING 2017 2017 Kotimaiset Kotimaiset rahastotrahastot ja säätiötja säätiöt (JAKSOTTAMATON) 2020 Kotimaiset yritykset EU-rahoitus EU-rahoitus 2017 Kotimaiset rahastot ja säätiöt Ulkomainen Ulkomainen rahoitusrahoitus (ei EU) (ei EU) UNIVERSITY EU-rahoitus FUNDING Muut Muut Ulkomainen rahoitus (ei EU) 2020 Muut

JYU 2020 FIGURES

Suomen Akatemia

Other funding

Tekes Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

OKM

Faculty of Information Technology

UNIVERSITY FUNDING 2020

Muu julkinen rahoitus Kotimaiset yritykset

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Faculty of Educationand Psychology

funding Kotimaiset rahastotFaculty ja säätiöt

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

EU-rahoitus

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

Ulkomainen rahoitus (ei EU) Muut

€201.5 m TURNOVER 2020

LARGEST EXPENSES 2020

€7.6 m RESULT 2020

€144 m

€24.7 m

€11.1 m

€10 m

Personnel expenses

Rents

Purchased services

Materials and goods

TURNOVER

(funding of operations)

Income 2020

Expenses 2020

Government funding

€97.3 m

•

Personnel expenses

Supplementary funding

€64.3 m

•

Depreciations

•

Academy of Finland

€24.2 m

•

Grants

Business Finland

€1 m

•

Materials and goods

€7.1 m

•

Purchased services

•

Rent

2016

€203.6 m

2017

€204 m

2018

€204.3 m

•

2019

€204.3 m

•

2020

€201.5 m Source: JYU’s annual report

Ministry of Education and Culture

€144 m €2.5 m €2 m €10 m €11 m €24.7 m

•

Other public funding

€13.2 m

•

Travel costs

€1.5 m

•

Domestic companies

€3.1 m

•

Other expense

€9.4 m

Domestic funds and foundations

€2.9 m

Expenses in total

€205.3 m

EU funding

€7.7 m

Investment and financing activities*

International funding (outside EU)

€1.9 m

RESULT

•

• •

•

Other

FUNDING BY FACULTY 2020

€64.3 m

SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDING 2020

€11.2 m €7.6 m

€3 m

Supplementary funding

Basic funding

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

€9.8 m (29%)

€23.6 m (71%)

Faculty of Information Technology

€2.9 m (23%)

€9.6 m (77%)

Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics

€2.5 m (25%)

€7.4 m (75%)

Faculty of Education and Psychology

€7.4 m (30%)

€17.5 m (70%)

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

€4.8 m (30%)

€11.1 m (70%)

Faculty of Mathematics and Science

€18.2 m (39%)

€28.1 m (61%)

A UNIVERSITY WITH S O C I E TA L I M PA C T Our vision is to be a global leader in the study of learning, wellbeing and basic natural phenomena, reshaping competence to build a sustainable society. We offer a world-class research environment and an attractive campus. Our most important goal is to continually nurture the competence, creativity and wellbeing of our staff and students. We are a multicultural and international working community that values and inspires individuals. → jyu.fi/en/university/strategy-2030

P.O. Box 35, FI-40014 University of Jyväskylä, Finland @JyvaskylaUniversity @uniofjyvaskyla @uniofjyvaskyla JyvaskylaUniversity JYU.FI

University of Jyväskylä Annual Report 2020

Articles inside

2020 NEWS

A significant new research area connects research in social work and sustainable transition

Internationalisation in the year of the coronavirus

Know-how and scientific knowledge

Industrial scale in sight for metal recovery

Researcher’s keen eye on the enterovirus finds molecules against the coronavirus in nature

Weight control governs female athletes’ lives to a surprising degree

Courage and curiosity, but no fear

New graduates in information and software engineering will make technology more human-oriented

Emotions impact the atmosphere and results of the workplace

Rector’s overview

Planetary wellbeing as our goal

Why do some objects become so

JSBE takes the lead in climate issues