State Funding for Universities is Insufficient

He told the newspapers Aamulehti and Turun Sanomat that the Ministry of Education is currently working on ways to entice donations through tax breaks.

Kalliomäki feels that universities could get a financial boost from grants and sponsorships from the private sector. He says this can be encouraged by giving companies expanded tax breaks for these kinds of donations and stipends.

In addition, he says universities need to revamp their outmoded organisations and find where they can save money. Kalliomäki stopped short of demanding that universities merge in order to cut spending.

In 2004, the state budgeted just under 1.2 billion euros to universities and institutions of higher education. The funds fell short of the 1.68 billion euros that was needed to run the institutions.