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The ranking listings compare universities based on different types of indicators. Most of them evaluate research publications – their numbers and, for example, how often they are cited in publications by other researchers. Other criteria may include international contacts, external funding, and a university's reputation among researchers and employers. These areas have been analysed in several rankings and the overall placement is determined by the total number of points.

‘The last ranking that we got a few weeks ago was the Times Higher Education (THE) ranking, according to which Aalto University is in 35th place among the world's universities in international outlook. The international aspects of personnel, students, and research activities are considered in the ranking,’ says School of Business Dean Timo Korkeamäki.

‘That ranking is quite a dazzling achievement. Aalto ranks higher on the list than universities such as Princeton, Harvard, and Stanford. Considering the location of Otaniemi in the world we can be truly proud of this achievement. When we can go back to campus again it will be noticeable, and it is a wonderful thing to notice what a multicultural and lively centre we have.’

Overall objective is for high quality

There has been much talk at the School of Business for a few years already about the school's rankings and the attention that our school has received internationally, especially in the field of research.

‘Although we are constantly being evaluated by different actors, we do not focus too much on some ranking, and our overall objective is for high quality. I am happy that the reputation of our research has made strides internationally. The number of high-quality applications for professorships is clearly on the rise and we have succeeded in recruiting some of the world's top-notch applicants. We have several recruitment processes under way even now. The people chosen for the tasks will get to start at our various departments in the autumn. The future of our research therefore seems bright in this respect as well,’ Timo Korkeamäki says.

Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship Arne Kroeger is doing research on how (social) entrepreneurial activities and funding address societal challenges.

‘Aalto University School of Business provides an excellent environment for teaching and research. Just to mention a few examples: Aalto University offers all kinds of intriguing pedagogical courses on a frequent basis, I have never had such a comprehensive access to journal outlets and online materials before, top scholars are right next door and everybody is very collegial,’ he says.

Also, the fact that Finland is ranked #1 in the world for well-being can be an explanation for why the School of Business gets more high-quality international applications for professorships. Helsinki has been praised as one of the world's most livable cities, e.g., by Monocle Magazine and in the Economist Intelligence Unit livability rankings. As for Finland, the country is consistently ranked highly in quality-of-life studies. It is ranked as the #1 country in the world according to the World Happiness Report in 2021.