Touko Närhi has been promoted to Advisor for Benchmark and Higher Education as of 2 April, after joining us as Junior Advisor for Benchmark & Education on 2 April 2024.
During the past months, Touko actively worked with the European higher education sector and our Members on key topics such as the Union of Skills, the European Degree, European Universities alliances, and rankings. He continues to support Task Force Benchmark and Task Force Learning & Teaching.
Touko holds a master’s degree in political science from the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. Before joining the Secretariat, he worked at the Finnish Liaison Office for EU R&I and gained experience in the Sustainable Trade unit at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
Reflecting on his promotion, Touko shared:
''Skills are emerging as a key focus at the highest political level of the EU, with human capital recognised as essential for Europe’s leadership in critical technologies and sectors. However, significant challenges remain at both the EU and member state levels in attracting, retaining, and developing talent—whether global, European, or national.
"Universities of science and technology play a central role in addressing these challenges, and I see a clear need to work closely with the EU institutions and our Members to shape a future-proof, research-driven higher education system in Europe, built on scientific excellence, cutting-edge innovation, and strong academia-industry collaboration while staying true to the core mission of universities.''
Contact details for Touko are available on this page.
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