Niemelä made Aalto University President

The Aalto University Foundation Board at a recent meeting appointed Professor Ilkka Niemelä as the President of the university for a five-year term beginning 1 July, 2017, said a press release.

Ilkka Niemelä, born in 1961 has served as Provost at Aalto University since 1 May, 2014.

The Provost acts as deputy to the President and as chief academic officer responsible for delivering the academic mission of the University. The Deans of Aalto Schools report to the Provost.

Ilkka Niemelä was appointed Professor of Computer Science at Helsinki University of Technology in 2000.

He served as the head of the Laboratory for Theoretical Computer Science from 2000 to 2007 and as chair of the Degree Programme in Computer Science and Engineering from 2008 to 2010.

Niemelä served as Dean of the Aalto University School of Science from the beginning of 2011 to the end of February 2012, and as the University’s Vice President responsible for academic affairs and Deputy President since 1 March, 2012.

His international experience covers visiting positions in National ICT Australia in Sydney at the turn of 2005–2006, Universität Koblenz-Landau, Germany in 1995–1996 and SRI International, Artificial Intelligence Center, California, USA in 1993.

'I am very excited about the new position. Aalto University has an important national mission, the personnel is doing excellent work and the university has advanced rapidly towards being one of the top universities in the world', said Niemelä.