18.2.2025
Åbo Akademi University’s Board Approved Organizational Restructuring and Cost-Saving Measures
At its meeting on 17 February 2025, Åbo Akademi University’s Board reviewed the results of the change negotiations. Today, Rector Mikael Lindfelt informed the personnel about the Board’s decision.
The Board approved a new organizational structure in which the current four faculties of Åbo Akademi are reorganized into two new faculties, alongside a restructuring of the university’s leadership and support functions.
The new faculties are provisionally named Humanities and Society, and Nature and Technology.
The Faculty of Humanities and Society comprises four departments: 1) Business and Economics and Law, 2) Arts, 3) Education, and 4) Social Sciences. The Faculty of Nature and Technology consists of the departments: 1) Bio- and Natural Sciences, Health Sciences, and 2) IT and Engineering.
The goal of these changes is to create an organization with a stronger focus on the core activities – education and research – while enabling financially responsible leadership at all levels. At the same time, the aim is to achieve permanent personnel cost savings of 2.9 million euros per year. The new organization will take effect no later than 1 September 2025.
The restructuring will result in a reduction of up to 48 job positions. Approximately 120 employees may be offered modified employment terms and/or reassignment. The layoffs will not affect teaching and research staff within the faculties, nor employees at the teacher training school Vasa övningsskola.
The number of job cuts may still decrease if more employees choose to retire voluntarily or if other arrangements are made.
The Board did not take a position on furloughs at this stage. The Board instructed the Rector to also explore alternative cost-saving measures for 2025.
“Åbo Akademi University’s strategy clearly states the university’s goal of having an organizational structure with well-defined roles, clear mandates, and a balanced economy with a solid positive result. The proposed organizational model gives us better conditions to achieve these strategic goals. Unfortunately, this also means that the employer must review staffing levels and reduce the number of job positions,” says Chair of the Board Dag Wallgren.
Åbo Akademi University conducted change negotiations from 9 December 2024 to 3 February 2025 to ensure long-term financial stability and reorganize its operations.