Turku University of Applied Sciences passed the audit conducted by FINEEC – the university of applied sciences is a strong and effective regional actor

Turku University of Applied Sciences passed the audit conducted by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC). The audit team appreciated the systematic and regionally effective RDI activities of the university of applied sciences and its comprehensive quality system that guides the development of its operation. The planning of education in the university of applied sciences is based on its strategy, regional needs and anticipation of working life needs.

RDI activities of Turku UAS are purposeful and have regional impact

The societal impact of Turku UAS and especially its regional impact are very strong. The university of applied sciences is a sought-after partner for RDI projects and its RDI activities focus on supporting companies in the region. RDI activities are well managed and systematic.

– The RDI activities of Turku UAS are based on the strong expertise of research groups, open-minded support from management and successful partnerships, says Riitta Konkola, chair of the audit group and President and CEO of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.

According to the audit group, Turku UAS has a lot of opportunities and competence to increase its impact also at the national and international level. This would enable it to respond more comprehensively to the changing challenges in society.

A comprehensive quality system guides the development of the operation of the university of applied sciences

Turku UAS has developed its quality system over the long-term and systematically. It has created a quality system that encourages renewal and supports strategic management.

– One of the strengths of the university of applied sciences is the quality group, whose tasks have been clarified on the basis of the results of the previous audit. The activities of the quality group guide the development of the operations of the university of applied sciences and the activities are valued throughout the organisation. However, the development of the quality system must ensure that the balance between the guiding nature of the quality system and the innovative culture of experimentation remains, says Konkola.

Turku UAS supports the well-being of its personnel in many ways. An occupational well-being group operates in the university of applied sciences, and the well-being of the personnel is assessed in an annual personnel survey.  Issues and measures related to the gender equality and non-discrimination plan are described in concrete terms in the equality and non-discrimination plan “Equal Turku UAS 2021-2022”.

The planning of education is strongly based on the strategy, the anticipation of working life needs and the needs of the region

In Turku UAS, the planning of education and the education offered are based on the strategic focus areas of the higher education institution, anticipation of the competence needs of the region of Southwest Finland and the working life relevance of education. Extensive networks have been created around the education in the operating area of the university of applied sciences. The management of the education is based on the focus areas, indicators and quarterly monitoring determined in the strategy.

The innovation pedagogy developed by Turku UAS and the modern learning environments support the connection between studying and the world of work. The university of applied sciences has excellent opportunities for taking advantage of multidisciplinarity and cooperation between the education sectors in the planning and implementation of degree programmes. Cooperation already takes place in both the education and the RDI activities, but according to the audit team, the opportunities provided by multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral cooperation in education should be assessed and utilised even more systematically than at present.

Continuous learning must be given more weight in the strategy of the university of applied sciences

Turku UAS demonstrates a willingness to enhance continuous learning. A continuous learning team has been set up in the university of applied sciences with the aim of developing the competence of working-age people with a closer link to the needs of workplaces and improving the industries and the vitality of the regions by developing and coordinating education that does not lead to a degree. The continuous learning team works in a committed and reflective manner. The establishment of the team promotes systematic development of continuous learning.

Continuous learning is related to the institution’s strategy objective of educating competent professionals for the needs of workplaces in Southwest Finland. The audit team recommends that, in connection with updating the future strategy, the emphasis of continuous learning be strengthened in the strategy and that the management system be developed to better take into account the needs of continuous learning. The multidisciplinary university of applied sciences and its close links with the world of work provide good opportunities for the strategic development of continuous learning.

Turku University of Applied Sciences passed the audit conducted by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) and was awarded a quality label for six years. Passing the audit shows that the activities and the quality system of the university of applied sciences meet both the national criteria and the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area. The audit focuses on higher education institutions’ procedures for maintaining and enhancing the quality of education, research and societal interaction. The audit criteria have been published in FINEEC’s Audit manual for higher education institutions.

The audit report is available on FINEEC’s audit platform.

Further information

• Riitta Konkola, President and CEO of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and chair of the audit team, +358 9 7424 5000, riitta.konkola@metropolia.fi
• Niina Nurkka, Senior Evaluation Adviser at FINEEC and the audit’s project manager, +358 29 533 5573, niina.nurkka@karvi.fi