Recruitment to begin for position of Aalto University President

At Aalto University science and art meet technology and business. Over the past 16 years, we have demonstrated that excellence in research and education along with ambitious innovation can be mutually reinforcing.  

Aalto is now seeking a new President to lead the university in its long-term work in research, art, innovation and the education of future experts for reshaping society sustainably. The duties of the new President will include moving the university towards ever greater international distinction and contributing to positioning Aalto as one of Europe’s most innovative universities.  

The President leads the university and represents the science and art community it comprises. The Aalto University President also serves as the chief executive officer referred to in the Foundations Act. The President is specifically responsible for developing and implementing the university strategy, managing and allocating the university resources, and building and maintaining Aalto’s external relations.  

The President is one of the university-level bodies alongside the Aalto University Foundation Board and the University Academic Affairs Committee. The establishment of these bodies and the relationships between them are regulated by law and by the Aalto bylaws with a view to safeguarding the distribution of powers among the highest governing bodies, in line with the basic principles of university democracy.

As the leader of the university community, the President plays a key role in shaping a culture where people can do meaningful work, grow and succeed together. The Aalto University President reports to the Aalto University Foundation Board, while also working for the university community and society as a whole.

‘Finland needs cutting-edge knowledge and educated experts as well as solutions to generate sustainable economic growth. This is an exciting time to join the Aalto story: The new President will have the opportunity to shape how the university responds to the profound changes in higher education, research and society, from artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to sustainability and geopolitical change’, explains Tero Ojanperä, Chair of the Aalto University Foundation Board.

The deadline for applications is 23 November 2026, after which the names of all applicants will be published in the news on our website. Candidates selected for interview with the Aalto University Foundation Board will be published on the website in February, and the decision on the appointment will be published no later than April. The five-year term of the new President will begin on 1 July 2027, as President Ilkka Niemelä concludes his second five-year term.

Read the vacancy announcement here:  

• In English (for Finnish, select the page language into Finnish): President, Aalto University | Aalto University
• In Swedish: Aalto-universitetet söker en rektor | Aalto-universitetet

The role of Aalto is to create cutting-edge knowledge and solutions to reshape society and industries  

Aalto University builds on the legacy of three leading Finnish universities: Helsinki University of Technology, Helsinki School of Economics and the University of Art and Design Helsinki. Since 2010, we have brought science, art, technology and business together in new ways. Aalto University was given a special mission: as an innovation university, the role and responsibility of Aalto is to create cutting-edge knowledge and solutions to reshape society and industries.  

Long-term fundamental research, together with work to commercialise research results, has allowed Aalto University to reshape industries and create entirely new ones. One recent example is the quantum sector, which would not exist in Finland without Aalto and its predecessor, Helsinki University of Technology, whose pioneering work dates back to the 1960s. IQM, founded on the Otaniemi campus, recently became the first European quantum computer manufacturer to list on a US stock exchange.

‘As Chair of the Aalto University Foundation Board, I am often asked how well Aalto has succeeded in its mission. Our campus is a unique place where people from different disciplines come together to create innovation. We strive to identify and support research with commercial potential and cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and culture. And we have done so with great success: in European university comparisons, Aalto’s spin-out companies rank third for securing funding with only Oxford and Cambridge ahead of us’, reports Tero Ojanperä, Chair of the Aalto University Foundation Board.  

Additional information about the Aalto University organisation and the decision-making bodies:

Aalto University Bylaws | Aalto University 

Organisation | Aalto University 

President | Aalto University 

Additional information about the recruitment process:  

Media enquiries regarding the recruitment will be answered by Tero Ojanperä, Chair of the Aalto University Foundation Board.

Media interview requests and other general enquiries may be directed to the Aalto University Communications.  

• Send email enquiries to communications@aalto.fi (responses are sent on weekdays between 9.00 and 16.00).  
• If you wish to contact us by telephone, please contact Communications Director Laura Aalto, tel. +358 40 507 9660.

Further information about the position will be provided during the recruitment process by our partner, Perrett Laver, 
an international company specialising in the recruitment of senior academic leaders.  

• Contact by email: Tiziano Sartor, tiziano.sartor@perrettlaver.com  

Aalto University

At Aalto University, science and art meet technology and business. We are shaping a sustainable future by delivering breakthroughs in and across our key areas, while sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating innovative solutions to tackle global challenges. The Aalto community consists of 16 000 students and 5 200 employees, including 446 professors. Our campus is located in Otaniemi, Espoo, less than 15 minutes by metro from the Helsinki city centre.