Presenting the new Chair of the Union Teija Laitinen

Teija Laitinen stepped into her role as the Chair of the Finnish Union of University Professors on 1 January 2025.

Explain briefly about your work as a professor.

I work as a Professor of Accounting and Business Finance at the University of Vaasa. I am responsible for supervising thesis work done within the Master’s Programme in Accounting and Auditing in the Faculty of Business Studies, so I spend a lot of time with wonderful students who are in the final stage of their studies. I also serve as the Accounting team supervisor, which involves a lot of co-operation with both team members and other team supervisors within the academic Accounting and Business Finance unit.

In terms of research, I am interested in a wide range of topics related to auditing and bankruptcy prediction. These topics are closely related to one another, as one of an auditor’s key tasks is to assess the continuity of a company’s operations. In addition to teaching and research, I have worked in several expert positions outside the university, such as on the Audit Committee of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office and in the drafting of legislation, and I have trained auditors in courses organised by the Finnish Association of Authorised Public Accountants.

Tell something about yourself that has nothing to do with your job.

Most of my free time is spent around horses. I used to be an active rider and competitor in the past, and I have completed, among other things, the training to be a riding instructor. I currently serve as a dressage judge. I own 20 riding school horses that nicely fill all of my spare time. Having them requires a whole variety of chores, of course. It does, however, enable me to enjoy another one of my beloved hobbies, namely audiobooks. I haven’t had time to read for years, but audiobooks have brought that joy back into my life. Since I have no time to just sit around and listen, it makes it possible for me to do all kinds of physical things while also listening to books.

Why is it worthwhile to be a member of the Finnish Union of University Professors?

The Union is working on the very issues that I find important both in terms of my work and otherwise. Advocacy for professors is becoming increasingly significant as the University Act has reduced the voice of professors within university administration. The Union also plays a key role in negotiating professors’ salaries. Another aspect of the Union worth mentioning is its shop steward activities. In terms of solving potential problems, the Union’s support persons and legal services provide security, without which many issues would likely end up being less successful. Often, professors find their need for a shop steward to be unexpected, but these types of situations cannot be prepared for without belonging to the Union.

As an active Union member, I have also had the opportunity to get acquainted with superb professors from many different fields at different universities, and it’s truly amazing when you consider the enormous amount of culture and knowledge that exists among the members of our Union here in Finland. Each meeting brings me opportunities to learn something new from disciplines that represent the peak of excellence, but with which I am quite unfamiliar. I highly recommend that all members get involved in the activities of their local chapters!

What roles have you previously held in the Union?

I became a member of the Union as soon as I received my professorship. Before that, I had also been an active member of the former Assistant Association, where I served as, for example, chair of the Vaasa branch, so employees’ affairs were close to my heart even before I joined the Finnish Union of University Professors. In 2014, I was elected to the board of the Union’s Vaasa chapter, where I served as secretary, vice chair and chair, representing the chapter within the Union Council at large and as a deputy member of the Union Board. I have been a shop steward for the Vaasa chapter of the Union for several years and I continue to do so.

In 2021, I became an ordinary member of the Union Board, and from 2023 to 2024, I served as Vice Chair and on various committees, such as the Investment Committee. Since the beginning of 2025, I have been serving as Chair of the Union.

In your opinion, what are the most important issues on the Union’s agenda for the next two years?

Our members have stressed on multiple occasions that the salary development of professors must be strengthened so as to better correspond to the growing responsibility and level of requirements of the work and workload itself. The Union must, therefore, really focus on this issue, and I hope that it will be reflected in the results of the salary surveys conducted by the Union in the future.

I believe that increasing the influence of professors within university and scientific communities is a prerequisite for the advancement of education and research. We can influence this ourselves in many different ways, such as through university regulations. This issue is raised almost every time professors discuss the university world, so the Union must continue its work on this matter. The third important and always timely issue is the securing of long-term basic funding for universities as opposed to short-term performance-based funding.

The Union plays a significant role in many matters, and there is room to further increase awareness regarding the importance of the Union. In connection with the Union’s strategy work, I aim to bring more attention to the Union and ensure that its valuable work is recognised among the growing number of professors, our members, our stakeholders and our co-operative partners. This is a key way to ensure that our membership continues to grow. The increasing number of foreign-language members is also a currently important aspect for consideration within all Union activities.

In addition to the previously mentioned issues, I also hope that my own expertise in the field of finance will further strengthen the Union’s well-managed finances and, thereby, support the growth of the membership. A significant part of our membership fees is used on services for our Union members, and this must continue to be the case. The membership fees do not, however, cover all the expenses of the actual operations, so a portion of the expenses are also covered by revenue from the Union’s investment activities. The increase of our membership and responsible use of assets are key factors for ensuring that the Union’s finances remain balanced despite economic fluctuations within the volatile investment market.