Kai Öistämö elected chairman of the Board of the University of Tampere

The new Board of the University of Tampere has elected Mr Kai Öistämö, Doctor of Technology, as chairman. Doctor of Social Sciences, Ms Seija Ilmakunnas, was elected the Vice-Chair in the first meeting of the new Board on Friday 18 January. The term of office of the Board that just started its work goes on until the end of 2016.

Öistämö says that it is a great honour to be a member of the Board of the University of Tampere and to be elected the Chairman.

“I am very much looking forward to participation in the development of the university. The University of Tampere is on the leading edge and being the Chairman of the Board is an interesting challenge,” Öistämö says.

Doctor of Technology Kai Öistämö (b. 1964) is Chief Development Officer for Nokia, responsible for corporate strategy and business development in the leadership team, having been a member of that team since 2005. Öistämö is chairman of the board of Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, and also serves on the board of the Sanoma Corporation. He received his PhD in Technology in signal processing at the Tampere University of Technology.

Doctor of Social Sciences Seija Ilmakunnas is Director of the Labour Institute for Economic Research. She received her Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Tampere and her doctoral degree from the University of Helsinki. She has extensive expertise in economics, labour markets and sectoral research. Formerly director general of the Government Institute for Economic Research, Ilmakunnas has recently researched the pension system and the position of older workers in the labour market.
The Board consists of 11 members five of whom come from the outside and six from the inside of the University community.

The external members are Doctor of Philosophy Rauno Ihalainen, Doctor of Social Sciences Seija Ilmakunnas, Master of Social Sciences Marita Ruohonen, Licentiate of Social Sciences Petri Räsänen and Doctor of Technology Kai Öistämö.

The professors and staff representatives were elected in an election last October and the student representatives were elected by the Student Union of the University of Tampere. The members are Professor of radiology and oncology, Doctor of Medicine and Surgery Pirkko-Liisa Kellokumpu-Lehtinen, Professor, Doctor of Social Sciences Risto Heiskala, Systems Specialist Leena Heino, PhD, University Researcher Jaana Parviainen, student of sociology Veera Kaleva and student of international relations Johannes Lehtinen.

The Universities Act stipulates that the board of a university makes decisions on the university’s strategy and the main goals of its actions and economy. The board approves the university’s action and economic plan and prepares the financial statement for the approval of the University’s Collegiate Body.

Members of the Board of the University of Tampere, 2013-2016

Interview requests to Kai Öistämö:
Secretary Pia Huhtala, pia.huhtala@nokia.com

University of Tampere press release 18 January 2013