The Research Assessment recommendations for Uniarts Helsinki include a model for research time management, establishing a career development infrastructure and developing a shared understanding of societal impact
The Assessment Panel noted an excellent reputation on which the Uniarts Helsinki can build and emphasized the importance of strategic planning as well as resourcing research activities adequately.
The University of the Arts Helsinki Research Assessment 2021–2022 is the first research assessment conducted at Uniarts Helsinki. For a relatively new university, one of the most important goals of the assessment was to provide an overall understanding of the quality and impact of the university’s research as well as its research environment including doctoral training.
The assessment period covered the years 2015–2020, and the assessment included the following four Units of Assessment: Academy of Fine Arts, Sibelius Academy, Theatre Academy and Research Hub.
Excellent doctoral researchers and reputation
The Assessment Panel noticed some excellent research staff and an excellent reputation on which the Uniarts Helsinki can build. According to the assessment, Uniarts Helsinki has a good reputation for fostering excellent practice-led doctoral researchers who also operate within the professional sphere.
The outcomes of the assessment include several themes common to all Units of Assessment such as insufficient goal-setting and strategic planning, challenges in defining and recognizing research in general and artistic research in particular, and limited research resources.
Research Institute to catalyse intra-, inter-, multi- and transdisciplinary research
The panel gave the Units of Assessment recommendations for future measures. These common recommendations include developing a university-wide model for workload with time mandated for research; establishing a career development infrastructure and opportunities and developing a shared understanding of societal impact.
At the University-level, the panel further recommends the establishing of a Research Institute to generate critical mass to catalyse intra-, inter-, multi- and transdisciplinary research at Uniarts Helsinki.
The assessment themes and structure
The assessment was founded upon four assessment themes: Quality of research and research collaboration, Societal impact, Research environment, and Future potential. The panel gave their assessment on each of these themes and provided the units with recommendations for future measures. The panel based the assessment on units’ Self-Assessment Reports, metrics, and interviews.
Research assessments are typically designed for evaluating scientific research and the assessments formats are to a certain extent standardized. The University of the Arts Helsinki Research Assessment 2021–2022 included artistic research into a research assessment format and provided a platform for the units to bring forward distinctive features of artistic research.
The assessment was carried out by an external international panel that assessed all four units and also gave university-level remarks. The University of the Arts Helsinki Research Assessment Steering Group, appointed by the University Board, oversaw the execution of the assessment. University’s Assessment Team was in charge of the implementation of the assessment.