For the first time, higher education in the field of bioeconomy has been assessed at the national level. Bioeconomy degree programmes provide competence based on the needs of the work life. Bioeconomy education has responded well to changes in the environment, with topics such as climate change and biodiversity being added regularly to the teaching. However, there is a need to increase food chain thinking and digital green technology skills related to security of supply in the degree programmes.
The Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) has carried out an evaluation of the provision of higher education in the field of bioeconomy between 2022 and 2024, focusing on the competences produced by the degrees, the ability of higher education institutions to anticipate changes in the operating environment, relevance to work life and continuous learning. The evaluation looked at the strengths and development needs of education in the field of bioeconomy. All Finnish universities of applied sciences and universities providing education in the field of bioeconomy participated in the evaluation.
The evaluation showed that higher education provision covers a broad and diverse range of priorities in the bioeconomic sector, such as sustainable food chains, rural development and entrepreneurship, new technological solutions for production, national and international issues related to sustainable forestry and natural resources in the Arctic. Education in the field is offered in a wide range of locations in Finland.
Sustainability skills, which require knowledge and skills that support change, ethical reflection and forward thinking for the ecosystem’s well-being, are strong in bioeconomy education. Students perceived the education in the field as timely and relevant. However, some students experienced ethical stress due to polarized societal debates surrounding the field of bioeconomy. Additionally, after the COVID-19 pandemic, barriers to social engagement have grown The degree programmes should therefore build effective policies to support community engagement and include more ethical issues in their teaching.
Sustainability is a key subject in the education, but also a key area for enhancement. Sustainability was taught as a broad theme in the education, with the risk that the economic and social aspects may be neglected. Economic and social aspects of sustainability need to be better integrated into the teaching objectives.
Students graduating from bioeconomy education have the knowledge and skills required by the work life. Bioeconomy education also responds to changes in the operating environment on a continuous and multi-level basis. Sustainability and climate competence topics are regularly updated in the courses.
Susanna Aro, Chair of the evaluation team, highlights the important role of the degree programmes in influencing the society.
- Bioeconomy education could contribute more to the debates taking place in the public by offering research-based alternatives and solutions to the controversial discussions in society.
The evaluation also showed that the education in the field of bioeconomy should reinforce food chain thinking and digital green technologies for all students as part of the development of security of supply skills. In addition, marketing skills, international trade and export-related topical issues should be promoted in the education. The latest research on emission calculations should also be more effectively integrated into the teaching.
Multidisciplinary and multiprofessional cooperation enhances the utilisation of new research results into solutions for work life. Student internships and work placements for teachers were a good way to update work life skills. However, cooperation between universities of applied sciences and universities in this field needs to be enhanced.
- We encourage the development of education in a direction where universities and universities of applied sciences strengthen their cooperation, for example in continuous learning. There is still a lot of untapped potential in this area. Future work life will have an increasing need for multidisciplinary professionals," says Susanna Aro, chair of the evaluation team.
Evaluation team:
- Director of Education Susanna Aro, MTK (chair)
- Student Antti Paunonen, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences
- Vice-dean Janna Pietikäinen, University of Helsinki
- Dean Mona-Anitta Riihimäki, Häme University of Applied Sciences
- Senior Development Agronomist Mervi Seppänen, YARA
- Head of the department Jukka Tikkanen, University of Eastern Finland.
The following higher education institutions participate in the evaluation: Häme University of Applied Sciences, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Novia yrkeshögskolan, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, University of Helsinki and University of Eastern Finland.
