Viestintä, brändi ja markkinointi
Innovation and Entrepreneurship InnoLab
Innovation and Entrepreneurship InnoLab is a phenomenon-based, multidisciplinary open research platform with focus on open and user innovation, entrepreneurship, and public sector innovation and renewal. InnoLab also encourages the application of citizen science, open science, and design thinking.
The goal of InnoLab is to create innovative and unique research and to promote new ways of doing science through inclusion, creativity, reduced hierarchies, and active citizens.
InnoLab invests in dynamic cooperation with its external partners and in communication that is interesting and inviting to all types of audiences.
Matched funding scheme 2020-2022
The Finnish Government will capitalise Finnish universities in 2020–2022 thanks to a one-off contribution of EUR 100 million allocated by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.
Based on research impact criteria, EUR 33 million will be allocated to the Finnish universities in autumn 2020 and, based on fundraising that entitles the universities to receive matched funding from the Finnish Government, EUR 67 million will be allocated in autumn 2022.
Each donated euro may yield up to 2.5 euros of matched funding as long as the donation follows the rules of the campaign.
The donations will be allocated in accordance with the sum or donor's wish either to a general fund supporting the university strategy and future or to a specific field of education. An individual donation of EUR 10,000 or more can be allocated to a field of education: economic science, technology or social science.
The matched funding investment from the state always becomes a part of the basic capital of the university. The university can only use the return of the matched funding investment. The donated sum itself can either be used as such or invested in a fund.
The university invests basic capital and receives an annual return on it. The returns are used to support projects that are directly linked to the strategy of the university.
Eligibility for matched funding
The following donations are NOT eligible for matched funding:
- Donations from companies belonging to the university group, the university’s own funds or foundations associated with the university.
- Donations from state-owned companies entrusted with special duties. However, donations from commercial state-owned companies are eligible for matched funding.
- Donations from entities and foundations that have traditionally supported the operations of only one specific university.
- Donations from municipalities and donations from companies and enterprises that are either directly or indirectly owned by municipalities.
- Donations from entities that are mainly financed by public funds (e.g. universities of applied sciences) or bodies governed by public law with the right of taxation (e.g. parishes).
- However, donations from student unions and student nations, as well as companies owned by them, are eligible for matched funding. The same applies to donations from chambers of commerce that are not entities financed by public funds.
Deed of donation
For donations of EUR 850 or more, we kindly ask that you also fill in and sign a deed of donation. The deed of donation defines the fields of education eligible for matched funding to which the donor can allocate a donation of EUR 10,000 EUR or more. In the message field, please add "matched funding" and the donor's contact information as well as the eventual allocation to a specific field of education.
Danske Bank: IBAN = FI43 8119 9710 0170 72, BIC: DABAFIHH
Beneficiary: TheUniversity of Vaasa
Message: Please write "matched funding", the eventual allocation to a specific field, and the donor’s name and contact information.
Return the signed deed of donation to the Univeristy of Vaasa, kirjaamo, PL 700, 65101 Vaasa / kirjaamo(a)univaasa.fi
More information regarding donations
- All information regarding donations (donor, amount, allocation) is public according to the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999).
- Information about donors will be added to the customer relationship management (CRM) database. The University of Vaasa will send the information about donations eligible for matched funding to the Ministry of Education and Culture in the autumn of 2022.
- The donor can chose not to allow the publishing of their name or the amount of their donation in communication material produced by the university.
- For all donations of 850 EUR or more, we need a signed deed of donation. The document ensures that your donation is processed in accordance with the tax deduction policies.
About our CFA affiliation and scholarships
“The close links of the Master’s Degree Programme in Finance to the highest standards in the profession through the CFA affiliation will help us bring highly-skilled, ethically-oriented professionals to the business world. We are glad that the obtained affiliation provides our students with new opportunities to enhance their CVs”, says Professor Janne Äijö.
CFA Institute
Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and administers the industry gold standard CFA charter. The organisation is a champion for ethical behaviour in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. CFA Institute has more than 160,000 members in 166 countries.
For more information, visit the CFA Institute website.
CFA program
The CFA Program sets a standard for developing the skills, standards, competence, and integrity of financial analysts, portfolio managers, investment advisers, and other investment professionals worldwide. It is widely considered the investment profession’s most rigorous credentialing program. Administered in English, the CFA curriculum and examinations are identical worldwide. Fewer than one in five candidates who begin the program successfully complete it and go on to earn the coveted CFA charter, the “gold standard” for investment professionals. The top employers of CFAs globally include JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, UBS, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Canada, and BlackRock.
To become a CFA Charterholder, students need to pass three levels of CFA exams, submit reference letters, achieve qualified work experience and submit an application.
As the University of Vaasa has an affiliation with CFA, it confirms that the curriculum of Masters’ Degree in Finance covers at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) and emphasises the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice within the programme. The coverage of at least 70% helps students prepare for the CFA exams because they already have a lot of knowledge on those issues that will be asked in the exams.
The core CBOK curriculum includes the following topics:
- ethical and professional standards
- quantitative methods
- economics
- financial reporting and analysis
- corporate finance
- equity investments
- fixed income
- derivatives
- alternative investments
- portfolio management and wealth planning
| Level I exam | Level II exam | Level III exam | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Question format | Multiple-choice questions | Vignette-supported multiple-choice questions | Vignette-supported constructed response questions and multiple-choice questions |
| Exam results | Within 60 days | Within 60 days | Within 90 days |
| Advancement | Meet CFA Program enrollment requirements | Pass level I CFA exam | Pass level II CFA exam |
| Pass rate | 43% | 45% | 56% |
| Details | Level I Details | Level II Details | Level III Details |
CFA scholarships
Students of Master’s Degree Programme in Finance can get scholarships to pay the overall fees applied to those who try to pass CFA exams. For example, the normal one-time enrollment fee for registering for CFA Program and level I exam (that is not applied to subsequent exams) is USD 450. Further exam registration fee for each of the levels is USD 700 with an early bird registration or USD 1,000 with standard registration.
Being a CFA-affiliated university, the University of Vaasa is eligible to provide its students with 3 scholarships per year for taking CFA exams.
The CFA student scholarship waives the one-time enrollment fee (USD 450) and discounts the exam registration fee to USD 350. This means that students may save up to USD 1,000 by receiving the CFA scholarship. Students do not receive cash/money transfers and the scholarship is used via a provided link while registering for the exam. Students also receive full access to the CFA curriculum and all available study tools for preparing for the CFA exam.
When applying for a CFA scholarship, students need to provide a full CV. The CFA scholarship application deadlines are regularly sent to the students of the Master’s Degree programme in Finance by representatives of the University of Vaasa.
A full guide on how to apply for a CFA scholarship is provided by the CFA Institute.
The CFA scholarship is valid for one year from the date of receiving it. Students should still register/enrol for the exam before the expiration date. It is the students’ responsibility to be aware of and abide by the important exam dates.
CFA challenge
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis. Students work in teams to research and analyse a publicly traded company. Each team writes a research report on their assigned company with a buy, sell, or hold recommendation and the best teams are asked to present and defend their analysis to a panel of industry professionals.
The first-ever CFA Institute Research Challenge competition was hosted by the New York Society of Security Analysts in 2002 and involved just five teams from the New York area. Since then, the competition has grown to involve tens of thousands of students from over 1,000 universities in more than 80 countries.
The competition consists of a local final in Finland, Northern Europe sub-regionals, EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) regional finals and the global final.
More information on the challenge is on the CFA Institute website.
Attending the competition has several benefits for the university and the students as it:
- Provides career opportunities for students
- Gives students practical training equity research and exposure to industry experts
- Adds a lot to classroom learning
- Extends the network with professionals, peers from other universities, and others in the community
- Helps to represent the university on a global scale and improve its reputation
The University of Vaasa encourages students to participate in the CFA Research Challenge. One to two teams representing the University of Vaasa participate in the CFA Research Challenge on an annual basis. Based on the results of the provided report, students can get up to 5 ECTS to their studies. The quality and sufficiency of the report are preliminarily evaluated by a university advisor.
Student testimonials
The team of the University of Vaasa got to the local final of the 2024-25 CFA Institute Research Challenge. The CFA Institute Research Challenge gathers students, investment industry professionals, publicly traded companies, and corporate sponsors together locally, regionally, and globally for an annual competition.
The team of finalists consists of students from Master’s Degree Programme in Finance of the University of Vaasa – Jaakko Oikari, Niklas Ruusunen, Martina Badidová and Andrii Nadtochii.
– Participating in the CFA Research Challenge was an incredible journey that challenged us both professionally and academically. We strongly encourage University of Vaasa finance students to take on this challenge in upcoming academic years. These type of opportunities and experiences will add value to your overall university journey and can be beneficial for you even after graduation, students in the team say.
Further information
Tatiana King
About our CIMA affiliation and the master's gateway route
The University of Vaasa is only the third university in Finland accepted into the CIMA Master's gateway route.
CIMA Institute
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountant (CIMA), originated in 1919, is a UK-based professional body focused on accounting for business. CIMA as the world’s largest professional body of management accountants offers training and qualifications in management accountancy and related subjects to their 203,000 members and students in 173 countries.
While most other accounting qualifications are concerned with financial accounting, external audit and tax, CIMA combines the rigour of an accounting qualification with the business skills needed to offer strategic advice and manage risk.
For more information, visit the CIMA global website.
CIMA Professional Qualification
CIMA is an internationally recognised qualification, providing the necessary skills to succeed as a Management Accountant or many other roles. Becoming CIMA-qualified shows that students have the skills and knowledge needed to work in various accountancy, business and finance roles.
Entry of the University of Vaasa into the CIMA Master's gateway route signals to potential students, employers, and the marketplace that the curriculum of the Master’s Degree Programme in Accounting and Auditing is closely tied to professional practice and is well-suited to preparing students to sit for the CIMA examinations and covers more than 80% of CIMA curriculum.
The Master's gateway route is an accelerated entry route to the CIMA Professional Qualification.
The CIMA qualification contains a number of papers that students need to pass. Being accepted into the CIMA Master's gateway route, the University of Vaasa is eligible to offer its students who graduate with a Master’s Degree in Accounting and Auditing 11 exemptions from CIMA’s Professional Qualification. Instead of taking 11 CIMA exams, students need to pass a three-hour-long CIMA Master's Gateway Exam (CGME) that can be taken globally and approved by the CIMA exam centre.
The CMGE is drawn from the management level of the CIMA syllabus:
- P2: Performance Management
- E2: Enterprise Management
- F2: Financial Management
Participation of the University of Vaasa in the CIMA Master's gateway route allows students to get free:
- Registration with CIMA
- The first year’s subscription fees (normal fee for registration and first-year subscription is GBP 77)
- One attempt of the CIMA Master's Gateway Exam that is valid for two years (normal fee for 11 exemptions is GBP 1220)
- Entry to the Professional Qualification at Strategic Level after successfully passing the CIMA Gateway Exam
To get started, students need to register as CIMA students (using the ‘gateway route’ option) and submit documents proving their eligibility for this route. Documents that students need to include:
- Complete transcripts for all courses
- Graduation certificate or a letter from University of Vaasa confirming completion of Master’s Degree in Accounting and Auditing
Students will be emailed with full details of how to submit the documents to CIMA after completing the registration. Once the documents have been reviewed and approved by CIMA representatives, students will then be confirmed onto the gateway route and will be eligible to schedule the CIMA Gateway Exam.
Further information
Tatiana King
Bloomberg Market Concepts
- Read more about the BMC online course
- BMC consists of 3 sections — Core Concepts (includes four modules – Economic Indicators, Currencies, Fixed Income, Equities), Getting Started on the Terminal and Portfolio Management.
- If you want to do this course, please contact the teachers in charge of the lab: John Kihn or Stig Xenomorph
Back to the Bloomberg Lab
John Kihn
Stig Xenomorph
Digital Economy
An open research platform for interdisciplinary research on innovations enabled by new technology
The digital economy is one of the cornerstones of growth and employment as well as an important innovator for the industry, business, services and procedures. The Digital Economy platform of the University of Vaasa is an open research platform for interdisciplinary research on innovations enabled by new technology as well as their impact on individuals, organisations, industry and society. Research objects include AI, machine learning, automation and the impact of digitalisation on ways of working, communicating and building business.
The research platform makes use of the multidisciplinary expertise found at the university along with extensive cooperation with businesses, the public sector, and other research institutes and institutes of higher education.
Research
The Digital Economy is a phenomenon-based, multidisciplinary open research platform focusing its activities on digital technologies and their impacts on businesses, individuals, and organisations. Research within the Digital Economy platform concentrates on the digital transformation in industry and society. Topics include various aspects of data – generating, collecting, transferring, storing, analysing, managing, utilising, protecting, and securing. The platform impact will be realised through extensive research collaboration with other research institutes and universities, businesses, and public sector organisations.
The platform is mainly operating via externally funded research and development projects.
Research topics and interests in the platform are related, but not limited to, e.g.:
- Artificial intelligence and machine learning in industry and decision making
- Smart Industry
- robotised logistics, manufacturing and transport
- resilient IoT and connectivity (5G and beyond)
- sustainable automation
- Data analytics in business and FinTech
- Virtualisation
- Development and utilisation of big data, open data
and cloud services - MyData – data rights, ownership, ethics and regulation
- Digital crowdsourcing platforms and ecosystems
- Intelligent and robust ICT of power systems and distribution
- Sensing in the built environment, situational awareness and space-based data utilisation
VEBIC - Vaasa Energy Business Innovation Centre
VEBIC is a multidisciplinary research and innovation platform at the University of Vaasa responding to the local, national and global needs of efficient energy business and sustainable development goals. By combining a unique set of resources: top-level researchers, versatile infrastructure, business community know-how, support from international networks and government involvement, VEBIC joins forces with its stakeholders to achieve a broader business and societal impact at all pertinent levels.
Focus areas
VEBIC's work is organised in two interacting research programmes, three research laboratories and one educational laboratory. Research Programme 1 focuses on Future Resilient Energy Systems, whereas Research Programme 2 focuses on Energy Transition Management. VEBIC laboratories enable innovative research and testing activities related to combustion engines, future fuels, and integration of future reliable electrical and energy systems.
Key functions:
- to engage and connect stakeholders,
- to enforce networks and cooperation in relevant fields in Vaasa, Finland and the EU area
- to facilitate, coordinate and manage internal and external multidisciplinary R&D and innovations
- to provide academic services that link academia and companies with focus on RDI activities, networking, academic and business support and infrastructure development
- to valorise science