Fingrid donated professorship in electricity transmission systems to the Helsinki University of Technology

Aiming to ensure the future of high-quality expertise. Fingrid Oyj, which is responsible for the main electricity transmission grid in Finland, has donated a five-year professorship in electricity transmission systems to the Helsinki University of Technology. Teaching work within the professorship will commence on 1 September 2005.At the moment, there is not a single professor specialised in high-voltage electricity transmission systems in Finland. The new professorship donated by Fingrid will be located in the Power Systems and High Voltage Engineering unit of the Electrical and Communications Engineering department of the Helsinki University of Technology. The professorship will strengthen the profile of this unit especially as an expert in system engineering issues for electricity networks. According to Timo Toivonen, President of Fingrid, the donation of the professorship aims to retain Finnish grid expertise in the top league globally. “The high system security and the further development of the Finnish power system must be safeguarded also in the future. This requires that we need to constantly find new solutions in basic infrastructure, which is characterised by technological challenges and especially by the long time span of operations,” Timo Toivonen says. Matti Pursula, Rector of the Helsinki University of Technology, says that there is due concern over the future in the entire electricity business, which is also guided by the international rules of quarterly economy. “In line with this new professorship, research and teaching relating to electricity transmission systems will be expanded and advanced, and there will be a host of new opportunities for research co-operation with manufacturing electrical industries. I hope and believe that the challenges in this industry continue to attract the elite of the students.” Further information:
Timo Toivonen, President + 358 (0)30 395 5250
Kari Kuusela, Technical Director + 358 (0)30 395 5129, + 358 (0)40 502 7333