News articles
The external members of the Board of Directors of the University of Vaasa for the term 2026–2029 were appointed at the University Collegium meeting on 20 October. The selected board members bring diverse, high-level, and up-to-date expertise from the business world, technology industry, and public administration. Their backgrounds and expertise strongly support the strategic goals of the University of Vaasa and its development into an increasingly impactful and internationally networked research university.
Collaborating with competitors may sound counterintuitive, but it can also be the key to international success. In his doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa, Shuwei Jiang examines how European and Chinese firms use coopetition – a combination of competition and cooperation – and why managing trust and protection is vital for both sides.
Rectors and representatives from the University of Vaasa and nine other European universities gathered in Kalamata, Greece, from 13 to 16 October 2025 for the EUNICE network meeting. EUNICE – the European University for Customised Education – enables the sharing of diverse course offerings across Europe and fosters deeper research collaboration among partner institutions.
Adapting to climate change is necessary for Finland, but communicating the topic to citizens can evoke conflicting emotions. This is revealed in a recent doctoral dissertation from the University of Vaasa. Annu Perälä's dissertation shows that climate change adaptation is still a relatively unfamiliar concept for the media and the public, which can complicate society's preparedness for a changing world.
Master of Science in Technology Pekka Tiitinen has been appointed as a Professor of Practice at the University of Vaasa, with a focus on the green energy transition.
According to a doctoral dissertation at the University of Vaasa, appealing to personal well-being is a more effective way to reduce clothing consumption than invoking environmental concerns. Essi Vesterinen's research in marketing reveals that extending the lifespan of clothes is linked to better subjective well-being and a more positive body image.
A report published by Akava (Confederation of Unions for Professional and Managerial Staff in Finland) in early 2025 highlighted a concerning trend: unemployment among university graduates has reached historically high levels. Despite this trend, graduates from the University of Vaasa have continued to enter the labour market successfully, according to the alumni follow-up surveys from 2024. These surveys examine graduates' employment outcomes one year and five years after graduation.
Professor Gary Knight, a leading scholar in international business and the Helen Jackson Chair at Willamette University in the United States, has dedicated decades to pioneering research on how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) succeed in global markets. He is renowned for his influential work on born global firms, companies that internationalize rapidly from their inception, and has collaborated closely with the University of Vaasa for several years.