The University of Vaasa has continued its upward trajectory in the Times Higher Education (THE) Sustainability Impact Ratings, published on 24 June 2026. The University improved its position to the top 401-600 globally.
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Two new professors started at the University of Vaasa in June. Their research addresses current sustainability challenges from the perspectives of accounting and finance. Professor of Accounting (ESG reporting and sustainability) Tatiana King studies sustainability reporting and climate risks, while Professor of Finance (international financial markets) Vanja Piljak focuses on sustainable finance and investment.
The university celebrated its master’s and doctoral graduates who completed their degrees during the spring semester at the Publiikki ceremony held on Wednesday, 17 June. The Publiikki is a joint graduation celebration organized by the university twice a year.
The EUNICE network organised the summer school Strengthening Resilience in the Times of Polycrises, with the University of Vaasa leading its organisation in Vaasa and Helsinki. Over the course of the week, 20 students from across Europe had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with Finland’s comprehensive security model. The programme also featured a visit from internationally renowned intelligence expert, Professor Jan Goldman from the United States.
Two subprojects funded by the Strategic Research Council (SRC) of the Research Council of Finland will be transferred to the University of Vaasa, along with their research teams. The host organisation will change from VTT to the University of Vaasa as of 15 June 2026. The projects are AIdemoc, part of the DEMOC programme, and CAREFUTURE, part of the SKILLS programme.
The University of Vaasa has received significant funding for five research projects. Three projects were funded by the Research Council of Finland and two by the Interreg Aurora programme. Altogether, the projects received approximately €2.12 million in funding.
Promoting innovation through urban development has grown in popularity around the world. However, urban development centered on economy and technology can unintentionally increase social inequality and marginalise low-income residents. In her doctoral dissertation from the University of Vaasa, Johanna Kalliokoski presents inclusive innovation policy as a solution.
Successful cockpit operations in high-speed workboats are not achieved by overemphasising the technical skills of individual crew members. Instead, safety and performance are built on the proactive mastery of human factors and the functionality of the operating system, according to a doctoral thesis by Mikko Lehtimäki at the University of Vaasa.
Hydrogen could play a key role in making future energy systems cleaner, more resilient and less dependent on fossil fuels. In his doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa, Vahid Shahbazbegian demonstrates how hydrogen-integrated microgrids can help balance fluctuating renewable energy production while improving energy security and reducing costs.
A doctoral dissertation by Mikko Suorsa, to be defended at the University of Vaasa, reveals that the energy retail sector is an essential yet vulnerable part of the energy industry’s value chain and of critical infrastructure. Having received comparatively little attention in cybersecurity efforts, the sector requires strengthened resilience, and the study introduces concrete methods to achieve this. It is one of the first studies to focus specifically on energy retail organisations.