Markus Utrio appointed as the Sibelius Academy’s vice dean for education and Tuuli Talvitie as vice dean for research
The process of recruiting vice deans was launched due to the change negotiations focusing on the Sibelius Academy’s management and organisational model. As a result, the academy will have three full-time vice deans as of 1 January 2024 instead of the previous four vice deans: vice deans responsible for education, research and artistic activities.
The recruitment process for the vice dean for artistic activities is still ongoing, and the appointment will be announced later.
The vice deans will start in their duties in the new organisational model on 1 January 2024.
Strong personnel and process management skills are essential in the upcoming five-year period
The vice dean for education is responsible for the Sibelius Academy’s teaching activities and the related planning, organisation and development. The vice dean leads academic affairs and international services.
Markus Utrio has been the vice dean of the Sibelius Academy’s Faculty of Classical Music since 2018. His previous titles include dean and head of degree programme at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, lecturer at Metropolia and Stadia Universities of Applied Sciences and head of studies at the Helsinki Conservatory of Music in 2016–2018. He has a master’s degree in music.
Utrio secured the position with his strong motivation for pedagogy and teaching development, as well as his merits in long-term financial and results-oriented leadership.
“Utrio has the skills, qualities and work experience that will play a key role in succeeding as a vice dean for education in the upcoming five-year period, including in the duties of concluding the curriculum process,” says Sibelius Academy Dean Emilie Gardberg.
The vice dean for research leads the Sibelius Academy’s research, doctoral education, RDI activities, and support services for research and doctoral education. In the new organisational model, the position is a full-time management position and does not include a part-time research position.
Tuuli Talvitie defended her doctoral thesis at the Department of Musicology at the University of Tampere in 2010. During her doctoral studies she worked at the Department of Musicology at the University of Tampere and at the National Researcher School of Music and Performing Arts. During her time at the Department of Musicology at the University of Tampere, she also worked in the Academy of Finland-funded project “Local history of dance music and its sound interpretation”.
Talvitie has participated in thesis supervision processes at the University of Tampere, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and Sibelius Academy. She has also worked in administrative, supervisory and leadership positions at music schools since 2012, including as the principal of the Käpylä Music Institute (2018-2022). Since August 2022, she has been the vice dean of the Sibelius Academy’s Faculty of Music Education, Jazz and Folk Music.
Talvitie was selected thanks to her primary motivation to develop research activities, as well as her merits in strong personnel and change management skills required by the position of vice dean for research in the new organisational model.
“Talvitie has taken an active role in advancing and supporting research and doctoral education in her current position. In addition, she has demonstrated excellent process and change management skills, which will be increasingly important in the upcoming term when we strengthen research activities in each department,” says Gardberg.
Reforming the management and organisational model resulted in vice dean recruitments
In spring 2023, the Sibelius Academy held change negotiations concerning its management and organisational model. As a result, the faculty division was removed and the number and job descriptions of vice deans were changed.
As of 1 January 2024, the academy will have three full-time vice deans instead of the previous four vice deans: vice deans responsible for education, research and artistic activities. Each vice dean thus manages one of the university’s three core areas (education, research and artistic activities) and the services that support the area. In addition, each vice dean supports the academy’s department heads in their own area of responsibility.
The recruitment process for vice deans was launched immediately after the rector’s decision on the new organisational model on 1 June 2023. The vacancies included the three above-mentioned vice dean positions, two of which were agreed in the change negotiations to be filled through an open application procedure and one through an internal procedure. The internal procedure concerned Tuuli Talvitie, who already has a valid employment relationship at the Sibelius Academy.
Throughout the selection process, the dean has been supported by a recruitment team with a broad representation from the academy community, in accordance with the process established for recruiting Uniarts Helsinki’s vice rectors, deans and vice deans.
More information
Emilie Gardberg
Dean
Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki
emilie.gardberg@uniarts.fi