The University of Helsinki is investigating allegations that the department engaged in discriminatory recruitment practices when selecting students for vacant positions.
Gemäß einer berichten In the press of Iltalehti, the Faculty of Theology approached four students about the possibility of organizing Islamic education in primary school and informed them that they had been selected on the basis of Finnish surnames.
The magazine wrote that the practice first came to light when one student hat getwittert a question to the faculty asking for confirmation of rumors that several students had been called for the assignment based on their last name.
The official account of the faculty replied to confirm that this information was correct on the basis of a preliminary test, and further stated that the preferential treatment of students of the Finnish surname was completely inappropriate.
Dean of the faculty Antti Räsänen admitted to Iltalehti that it had made a mistake, but pointed out that the case was still under investigation.
"This procedure was wrong. There is, of course, no reason for such a procedure, and it is not part of the faculty’s policy. On the contrary, we are very strict about fairness and equal treatment for all," Räsänen told IL.
An extensive report from the University of Helsinki, published in 2019, had highlighted the extent to which Finnish employers select interview candidates on the basis of their surname.
The episode marks the second time this week that the university has been at the center of controversy since the debate that followed reports that first-year geography students at the university dressed as African star characters to attend a game-themed, student-organized event.
Yle News ’weekly podcast All Points North reviewed discriminatory pay practices in 2019. You can listen to the entire episode using the embedded player here through Yle Arena, Spotify or Apple Podcasts oder auf Ihrem normalen Podcast-Player mit einem RSS-Feed.
Quelle: Die nordische Seite