The actors of the network
The actors of the network: six universities
In terms of its administrative and management structures, the network is a partnership network of independent universities, currently including six Finnish universities: the Universities of Helsinki, Eastern Finland, Oulu, Turku and Vaasa and the Åbo Akademi University. The member universities have agreed on co-operation with a written agreement.
The network has an Executive Board, in which all the member universities are represented. The board can co-opt experts and students. The Board makes the student selections and is responsible for the entity and development of the studies and the quality of the programme. The Board chooses a chairperson (and a vice-chairperson) from among its members. The chairperson has a versatile and visible role in the activity of the network. Chairperson is professor Leo Granberg, leo.granberg(at)helsinki.fi.
The network has at least one department in charge in each partner university. The departments offering studies introduced in the Rural Studies study guide and/or working as a contact department in their university are the departments in charge. The departments in charge act as important agencies of the network in their universities. The departments in charge develop the study modules included in rural studies and are ultimately responsible for the quality of these study units according to the quality systems of their universities. They also participate in the marketing of rural studies and the recruiting of students in co-operation with the co-ordination unit.
Each study unit has a teacher in charge. Ca. 25 teachers participate in the teaching of the network. Each university of the network has also a PR contact person. They make up a communication network, through which information related to Rural Studies is communicated.
