Universities’ social work funding appeals to be heard together

Appeals by six universities and a higher education foundation over social work research funding decisions will be heard together by the Administrative Court of Eastern Finland, Yle reports. The court expects to issue its rulings in late spring 2027.

The appeals concern a decision made in June by Social Affairs and Health Minister Wille Rydman, under which the ministry did not fund nine social work research projects recommended by ministry officials and an expert panel.

The universities of Helsinki, Eastern Finland, Jyväskylä, Lapland, Tampere and Turku, along with Tampere Higher Education Foundation, initially filed appeals with different administrative courts and asked for the cases to be consolidated. The administrative courts in Helsinki, Hämeenlinna, Northern Finland and Turku transferred the appeals to the Administrative Court of Eastern Finland at the institutions’ request.

The court’s chief judge, Anu Koivuluoma, said related cases can be heard together even when appeals were filed with different courts. Such joint proceedings take place a few times a year, according to the court. Related appeals have been eligible for joint handling since 2020.

The court will consider all the appeals at the same time and issue its rulings on the same day.