The Finnish National Agency for Education is a learning organisation basing its operation on a vision, mission and way of working defined together with the whole staff.

Vision, mission and values

Vision: Education as the foundation for a meaningful future

Mission: We work as experts, developers, and service providers in education, languages, and internationalisation.

Values: Trust, Openness, Sustainability, Equality

Our societal objectives

We aim to:

  • strengthen education, learning and skills
  • enhance equality, non-discrimination and inclusion
  • advance internationalisation and Finland’s international cooperation
  • strengthen wellbeing, sustainability skills and confidence in the future
  • strengthen the role of national languages in Finnish society and culture.

Our organisational objectives:

We aim to: 

  • create the conditions for evidence-based action and constructive social dialogue
  • provide a seamless and reliable customer experience
  • build a thriving, learning-oriented working community
  • manage operations and finances with foresight
Attachments
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Minna Kelhä
Photo: Satu Haavisto
Director General Minna Kelhä

Director General Minna Kelhä 

The following units and functions operate directly under the Director General:

  • Support Services for Leadership, Lawyer Laura Francke
  • Communications, Director of Communications Aino Likitalo
  • Controller Linnea Rajamäki  
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Paula Merikko
Photo: Satu Haavisto
Director Paula Merikko

Department is responsible for improving the agency’s services and customer experience as well as supporting data driven operations and digitalisation in our field.

Director Paula Merikko 
@paulamerikko

Department houses the following units:

  • ICT Service Management, Head of Unit Joonas Mäkinen
  • Services for Student Admissions, Head of Unit Pekka Matikainen
  • Learning Materials and Publications, Head of Unit Hanna Sokratous
  • Strategic Support, Head of Unit Tommi Siivonen
  • Data Production and Analysis, Head of Unit Päivi Pöyry-Lassila
  • Data Flows, Head of Unit Petteri Kallio
  • Recognition of Qualifications and Language Proficiency, Head of Unit Carita Blomqvist

Department also houses the function for customer experience, participation and strategic support.

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Mikael Mantila
Photo: Satu Haavisto
Director Mikael Mantila

Department is responsible for providing and developing efficient and customer-oriented services for administration, personnel, finances, and planning. Its duties also include tasks related to state subsidies in the field. 

Director Mikael Mantila 

Department houses the following units:

  • Personnel and Work Environments Services, Pia Jaakkola
  • Financial and Procurement Services, Financial Manager Virpi Hasila
  • Information Management, Service Manager Tarmo Rahikainen
  • Central Government Transfers to Municipalities, Service Manager Antti Kaakinen
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Jarkko Niiranen
Photo: Niina Rodionoff
Director Jarkko Niiranen

Department is responsible for developing early childhood education, education and training. The main function is also responsible for the Swedish-language operations of the agency.

Director Jarkko Niiranen

Department houses the following units:

  • Vocational Education and Training, Heads of Unit Heli Tirri and Marko Aaltonen
  • Support for Development, Head of Unit Timo Sinivuori
  • General Upper Secondary Education, Basic Education in the Arts and Liberal Adult Education, Head of Unit Petri Lehikoinen
  • Primary and Lower Secondary Education and Early Childhood Education and Care Unit, Head of Unit Lucina Hänninen
  • Education and Services in Swedish, director Kurt Torsell
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Kurt Torsell
Photo: Satu Haavisto
Director Kurt Torsell

This unit is responsible for developing education and early childhood education and care in Swedish, as well as the Swedish-language services of the agency in cooperation with its other units.

Director Kurt Torsell 

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Minna Koutaniemi
Photo: Niina Rodionoff
Director Minna Koutaniemi

Department promotes internationalisation and education export respo. It is also responsible for the coordination of performance management at EDUFI and the results agreement with the Ministry.

Director Minna Koutaniemi
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/minnakoutaniemi/

Department houses the following units:

  • Internationalisation Services for Vocational Education and Training, Head of Unit Sari Turunen-Zwinger
  • Coordination of EU Programmes, Head of Unit Mika Saarinen
  • International Higher Education Cooperation, Head of Unit Maija Airas
  • International Promotion of Education and Finnish Language, Head of Unit Paula Paronen
  • Internationalisation Services for Youth, Culture and Sports, Head of Unit Mari Ahonen-Walker
  • Global Education Partnerships, Head of Unit Marjo Mäenpää
  • Internationalisation Services for General Education and Adult Education, Head of Unit Sirpa Holmström
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Leena Nissilä.
Photo: Joni Villanen
Director Leena Nissilä

 

Director Leena Nissilä

The Institute for the Languages of Finland (Kotimaisten kielten keskus or Kotus) is a national expert department specialised in languages. Our tasks include the planning of Finnish and Swedish and the coordination of the work of the Saami, Romani, and Sign Language Boards. The Institute for the Languages of Finland carries out language and name planning, and compiles dictionaries. We also maintain various linguistic corpora and archives.

Department houses the following units:

  • Language Planning and Maintenance Unit, Head of Unit Salli Kankaanpää
  • Swedish Language Planning, Maintenance and Dictionaries Unit, Ruotsin kielenhuolto- ja sanakirjayksikkö, Head of Unit Charlotta af Hällström-Reijonen
  • Dictionaries Unit, eHead of Unit Pirkko Kuutti
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The Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment, Director Kirsi Heinivirta
The service centre promotes the competence development of working-age people and the availability of skilled labour.

Finnish Education Evaluation Centre, Director Hannele Seppälä.

The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) carries out independent external evaluations of education and training from early childhood education to higher and adult education.

The Matriculation Examination Board Office, Secretary General Tiina Tähkä

The secretariat of the Matriculation Examination Board manages and develops the organisation of the matriculation examination as well as the administration of the Board.

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The duties of the government-appointed board include:

  • participation in the development of the operations of the Finnish National Agency for Education
  • accepting the agency's strategy, financial plan and the direction of the budget draft
  • following and evaluating the development of the national core curriculum
  • together with the director general, accepting and signing the agency's final accounts and annual report.

The board of the Finnish National Agency for Education for the term of 3 Nov 2023 through 30 Sep 2027

Chairperson of the Board, Member of Parliament Sofia Vikman, National Coalition Party

Members of the Board (deputy members in parentheses):

  • Member of Parliament Sofia Vikman, National Coalition Party (Member of Parliament Milla Lahdenperä)
  • Vice Chairperson of the Board, Member of Parliament Eeva-Johanna Eloranta, Social Democratic Party of Finland (Member of Parliament Pia Hiltunen)
  • Member of Parliament Inka Hopsu, The Greens (Director Anssi Lepistö)
  • Member of Parliament Anne Kalmari, Centre Party (Member of Parliament Markku Siponen)
  • Member of Parliament Minja Koskela, Left Alliance (Member of Parliament Timo Furuholm)
  • Member of Parliament Mikko Ollikainen, The Swedish People's Party of Finland (Alumni Coordinator Bella Alén)
  • Member of Parliament Jaana Strandman, The Finns Party (Member of Parliament Juha Mäenpää)
  • Chief Policy Adviser Mirja Hannula, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK (Adviser Mikko Vieltojärvi)
  • Head of Education and Employment Affairs Mikko Heinikoski, The Central Organisations of Finnish Trade Unions SAK (Education and Labor Policy Specialist Kirsi Rasinaho)
  • Development Manager Jarkko Lahtinen, Association of Finnish Municipalities (Development Manager Irmeli Myllymäki)
  • Director of Educational Policy Nina Lahtinen, Trade Union of Education OAJ (Education Policy Manager Jaakko Salo)
  • General Secretary Jere Liitiäinen, OSKU 11.4.2024-30.9.2024;  General Secretary Eemeli Rajala, OSKU 3.11.2023–11.4.2024 (Social Policy Adviser Iiris Hynönen, The Union of Upper Secondary School Students in Finland 27.10.2023–30.9.2024)
  • Social Policy Adviser Iiris Hynönen, The Union of Upper Secondary School Students in Finland 1.10.2024–30.9.2026 (Adviser Suvituuli Lundmark, National Union of Vocational Students in Finland 1.10.2024–30.9.2025 and General Secretary Jere Liitiäinen, OSKU 1.10.2025–30.9.2026)
  • Adviser Suvituuli Lundmark, National Union of Vocational Students in Finland 1.10.2026–30.9.2027 (Social Policy Adviser Iiris Hynönen The Union of Upper Secondary School Students in Finland, 1.10.2026–30.9.2027)
  • Education Policy Adviser Heidi Rättyä, National Union of University Students in Finland (Adviser Roosa Veijola, National Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences, SAMOK)
  • Professor Fritjof Sahlström, University of Helsinki (Professor Sonja Kosunen, University of Eastern Finland)
  • Director, Strategy and Development Taina Vallander, The Finnish Confederation of Professionals, STTK (Senior Adviser, Education and Competence Riina Nousiainen)

Additionally, the board includes the agency's director general with one person and their deputy member chosen by the agency's personnel from amongst themselves.

 

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