Matti Pursula

Professor Matti Pursula is the Rector and Professor of Transportation Engineering at Helsinki University of Technology (TKK) and Chairman of the Finnish Academy of Technology. He is also current Chairman of the Steering Committee of the EUNITE University Network.

He was awarded an M.Sc. degree in transportation engineering at TKK in 1970 and Lic.Sc. (Tech) in 1974. He served the university in different positions in 1972-1986. In the years 1986-1989 he was the Research Manager at Viatek Ltd. In 1990 he was appointed Associate Professor in Transportation Engineering at TKK and in 1998 became full Professor. In 1994-1995 he was Visiting Professor at the University of Delaware (USA).

Before being elected as the Rector in 2003 he served six years as the Vice-Rector in charge of undergraduate and continuing professional education. In 2001-2004 he was Member of the Management Committee of TNE4 and Promotor of the Activity 5 (Innovative Learning and Teaching Methods). In 2004-2007 he was chairman of the NORDTEK network of Nordic engineering universities. He is also chairman of the board of Otaniemi Marketing Ltd and member and chairman of several foundations supporting science and technology in Finland.