Master's Programme in IT Engineering Now Permanent in the University of Turku

Master's Programme in IT Engineering Now Permanent in the University of Turku


Helsinki, 18 October, 2005 — In Turku Centre for Computer Science, TUCS, a joint organization involving the University of Turku, the Turku School of Economics and Business Administration, and ?bo Akademi University, a master's programme in IT engineering has achieved permanent status in West Finland. The new IT experts graduating in Turku will ensure Turku, and Finland, a head start in research in the years to come. The IT centre can engage in globally competitive applied research and product development with companies in South-West Finland.

The Turku Centre for Computer Science is in an excellent position to respond to the product development challenge coming not only from Europe and the USA but also from India and China, as approximately one third of the TUCS doctoral students have come to Turku from outside of Finland. The TUCS entrance requirement is a bachelor's level IT degree and instruction is given principally in English in the Master's and doctoral programmes. TUCS's strength is in its broad base: algorithms, electronics, mathematics, and communication technology. The TUCS organisation has 35 professors of IT – two of these positions by donation – and 50 other researchers and faculty members with doctoral degrees.

The companies are expecting TUCS to play a more prominent role in defining IT research objectives among the universities, municipalities and companies. Indeed, TUCS is currently working on several major R & D programmes which would determine the companies' long-term objectives and on which the top IT know-how in Finland would be utilised. The recent analysis by ICT Turku of IT objectives in South West Finland also supports the strengthening of IT activity.

TUCS has hitherto operated at various locations in the premises of its founding institutions. The ICT building due to be completed in summer 2006 will facilitate the realisation of TUCS objectives, bringing the whole of TUCS under the same roof. TUCS is moreover endeavouring to reorganise its funding. The funding from the Ministry of Education for the first Finnish graduate school is paramount, but the aim is to expand and ensure commitment with sub regional, Academy of Finland, companies', TEKES and EU in funding of IT experts and international partners to productive, global development work in the field of IT.

Since 2002 Turku Centre for Computer Science has been led by Professor Timo J?rvi, who retired at the beginning of September. According to Professor J?rvi, resources are being wasted in the IT field in Finland by making too many ineffective and poorly compatible information systems. For example, different hospital districts of Finland are simultaneously developing different systems and the municipalities are also being offered disparate systems by several producers. The aim should be to accept the common good, basic information systems created through national co-operation. These would make it possible to achieve international competitiveness.

More information:

Turku Centre for Computer Science TUCS
Timo J?rvi, Professor
Tel. +358 40 081 2897



More information
timo.jarvi@gmail.com
http://www.tiedetoimittaja.com