Laurea - Your University of Applied Sciences Laurea University of Applied Sciences Strategy 2020
Laurea Strategy 2020. Approved by the Board of Directors of Laurea University of Applied Sciences on 10 June 2015. Images: Heidi-Hanna Karhu, Unto Kotilainen, Jenni Kauppila, Sampsa Suokas and Ilpo Vuorivirta. The persons in all photos are Laurea students and staff. Visual look and layout: Saara Saarinen. Future professions - illustrations: Annika Leppäaho.
Laurea University of Applied Sciences Strategy 2020
Your International University of Applied Sciences The strategic goal of Laurea University of Applied Sciences is to be an international developer of well-being and competitiveness in the metropolitan area in 2020. Our work as a university of applied sciences (UAS) serving the needs of the area is characterised by our brand promise: together we are stronger Laurea in Uusimaa region. The framework for our strategy is laid down by global megatrends that we identified in joint collaboration with one another. The significance of people s participation, changing knowledge and expertise, technologisation and globalisation affect the strategic choices of our institution. In drafting our strategy, the Twitter ID #Laurea2020 manifests the strategic process where all parties interested have had the possibility to be involved, sharing thoughts and developing them digitally, in our social media. To make Laurea s strategy more practical, we have included authentic comments from the preparation stage, as we are working together building a digitalised university that takes the person into account and values him/her as an individual. Laurea s strategy 2020 has seven central themes: your UAS, UAS integrated with working life, the UAS of an entrepreneuring person, the international UAS of applied research, a UAS that serves the needs of the region, a responsible UAS and a UAS that values the person. These reflect the following success factors that develop competitive advantage: a) redeeming the service promise, b) future work life and entrepreneur competence, c) solution-centric and ethical activity in the partnership networks and d) cost-efficient operations. The implementation of the strategy becomes reality in Laurea s three-year operation and financial plan, refined each year to reflect recent changes. Our higher education community is integrated with working life and comprised of active and entrepreneuring people whose activities are in harmony with Laurea s Ethical Code of Conduct. As part of the Finnish higher education system, Laurea University of Applied Sciences concentrates on applied research and professional higher education together with the working life. Fulfilling our service promise for our students and partners every day is an honour! Laurea University of Applied Sciences Jouni Koski President and CEO 6
Laurea University of Applied Sciences Strategy 2020 7
At Laurea, you can study flexibly and plan your own study schedule. You get guidance, feedback and highquality services that support your studies. At Laurea, you build your future with us together with working life. Work and study are fun. This is supported by clear rules but also the courage to change them if necessary. Partnership at all levels. Here we have wonderful and decisive learning encounters. Getting a job, a career and a learning experience 8
- As learners, we are different, as humans, unique! Strategic goal: Laurea is a choice for various stages of a lifelong journey where competence must be renewed and developed as the world changes. We are flexible and demanding: our students who are already working receive flexible, challenging and perspective-widening education while continuing their professional activities, and their background and previous competence supplement the interaction of the entire learner community. For young people enrolling straight after high school, we offer the possibility of connecting to international professional networks and making their dream future come true with major experts from the field. We offer a high-quality education and enable year-round learning together with our partners. We measure the credit accrual, number of graduates, satisfaction of students and graduates and the development of our education s attractiveness. We guide our students towards working life as responsible and ethical experts with education and competence to consider the sustainability of solutions, strive for results, produce an impact and cultivate a desire and an ability to think in a human way. We meet our students here and now. We care. We meet at Laurea campuses in inspiring and modern learning environments. Online, we can be far from each other but still present, working on the same issue. All of our personnel produce high-quality student services. Student-centricity and the various study programmes are the core strength of the education we offer. At Laurea, the teacher embarks upon a journey with the student, guides, instructs, encourages, advises and supports the student in professional growth. The teacher develops her own work and, together with the students, creates the foundation for new competence through research. The teacher understands the changes of working life, develops and maintains collaboration. The teacher is present. At Laurea, the student receives guidance for a lifelong path that involves continuous renewal of competence and success in face of changes in work life. 9
Laurea offers ten Bachelor s Degree Programmes in Finnish: Degree Programme in Physiotherapy Degree Programme in Beauty and Cosmetics Degree Programme in Business Management Degree Programme in Hospitality Management Degree Programme in Correctional Services Degree Programme in Nursing Degree Programme in Social Services Degree Programme in Nursing (Public Health Nurse) Degree Programme in Business Information Technology Degree Programme in Security Management authenticity Individual s learning partnership LbD Community s learning experiential nature There are also Bachelor s Degree Programmes implemented in English: Business Management Business Information Technology Social Services Restaurant Entrepreneurship Nursing Security Management Additionally, Laurea provides Master s Degree Programmes, read more at www.laurea.fi research oriented approach Building of new competence The elements of the Learning by Developing action model. creativity At Laurea, we are active in multiple fields in digitally extensive networks where technology is a means, not the end. Student guidance is open and it is about partnershipbuilding, whereby the student-teacher relationship has developed into one that supports mutual expertise, not knowledge-sharing. Making work educational is empowering. Taking into consideration not just classroom expertise. 10
Competence = learning, life and career Strategic goal: The professional experience emerging at Laurea is unique and responds to the needs of international working life. The Learning by Developing action model (LbD) guarantees a connection to working life and joint development over the course of one s studies. The shared learning environments, combined with working life, offer experiences, spark creativity and foster curiosity, encouraging students to explore and develop. We measure the number of employed graduates from Laurea, the realisation of working life projects, the number of virtual studies completed, the use of digital material and international exchange volume. Globalisation opens doors. Laurea s degree programmes are broad-scale and offer a competitive advantage. Our students graduate in an international world, where global interactions are a natural part of everyone s work and studies. Technologisation changes work and working life, breaking the limits of time and space. It affects everyone and varies for individuals, companies, different fields and all sectors. Digital competence is a professional s basic skill in all fields. Learning while sharing and improving together is our forte. We create future competence and build a sound working life together. The networks created during one s studies last long into the future. Working life collaboration, various entrepreneurship, competence and employer networks secure good employment and career development for the student. Versatile and renewing working life is an opportunity for us. We want to challenge students to go outside of their comfort zone, at the core of learning and developing. 11
Is an up-to-date, geared towards working life, entrepreneurshipsupporting education that takes today s global world into account. Possibility to learn new operating ways and coach oneself for changes with an entrepreneur s attitude. Failure is allowed when trying something new. Laurea s graduates trust the future and themselves, they are developers who can also take responsibility for developing society and help Finland grow as entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship-oriented -> from customer experience to the core of business. 12
- Courage and creativity Strategic goal: Laurea s way is best described by an attitude of entrepreneurship, the will to do, experiment, learn and try as an individual and organisation. The competitiveness of Finland s future requires strong exports, an international outlook, growing SMEs and the start-up culture in the SME sector that produces these. This way we break away from the traditional concepts of entrepreneurship and professions. We develop diversified expertise for the needs of the future, producing work and entrepreneurship value for the society. Our activities accomplish an encouraging and experimenting atmosphere where the students become inspired by entrepreneurship. We support all students in learning the entrepreneur s skills. Our systematic operating method serves as the start-up platform for our students and allows them to set up a company, develop a business and promote entrepreneurship. We measure the number of companies set up and owned by Laurea students. We offer support and services throughout the life cycle of the company, from small ideas to ownership or generation change. We are bold and creative. We want to participate in the first steps, development and growth of new companies originating at Laurea and born at Laurea. 13
The illustration shows the strategic research areas of Laurea s RDI activity (coloured cells) and what enables them (green boxes). People-oriented planning and service innovations Health and societal integrity Comprehensive security Entrepreneurial activity Service Business Exploiting technology Analytic, practical operations. The air we breathe ;-) Is flexible and feels like we re doing it together. Where Laurea is involved, a solution is possible. 14
Value-producing solutions Strategic goal: Laurea s applied research produces expertise, solutions and new business, promoting future well-being, security and international competitive advantage. Globalisation, technologisation and the related upheaval of the economy build a framework for the sources of competitive advantage and renewing working life creating a challenge for new types of competence and innovative solutions. We measure the volume of RDI activities, number of publications and number of RDI credits in studies. We create solutions based on research data by carrying out practical research and development in selected strategic areas. These areas are based on anticipating future needs and identifying the present core strengths (figure). We provide our partners with a versatile, national and international network of partners. We educate top-level experts for the needs of society by getting students involved with genuine research, development and innovation projects based on the Learning by Developing action model (LbD). Together with companies, public organisations and third-sector actors, we seek current and long-term challenges as areas of development. We respond quickly to the needs of our partners and students, combining various topics and methods, quickly finding solutions and creating and promoting competitive advantages. We use various methods to disseminate solutions so they can be used broadly. In our publications, we connect the results to the discussion of the research community and the everyday life of our partners. Laurea is the most desired solution partner in Uusimaa in 2020. Applied research and development activities means building bridges between functions, expertise and competence in all areas. We strengthen the competitiveness of the global metropolitan area. 15
Laurea enables various forms of collaborations for its customers, students and companies. The vision of future competence is created together and working methods are sought flexibly. A sense of doing. Collaboration! 16
Well-being, expertise and competitive advantage together! Strategic goal: As Laurea, we are where expertise is needed internationally in Uusimaa. The vitality of the region is made up of the actors shared goals, and therefore we participate in preparing and implementing regional strategies. Regional development means consistent interaction in the region, actively collaborating for the well-being of Uusimaa and its competitive advantage. Laurea s partners include companies, public organisations and third-sector actors as well as labour and employer organisations. Our partners make extensive use of our expertise through the regional services we offer in Uusimaa. We work proactively with eyes on the future: we are bold and flexible enough to work in new situations. We have excellent regional services and close collaboration with the region. We measure the satisfaction of interest groups, the open university of applied science credit accrual, adult education and other service activity volumes. In regional development work, we take into consideration Uusimaa s special regional issues. The metropolitan area is becoming strongly internationalised through immigration and this represents a challenge to service development. Service formation enables the development of services outside of major population centres as well. Laurea s strategic collaboration with other education institutions and division of duties are organised jointly with other actors in the region. We work in close networks with our partner institutions. As part of the region s development, we create smooth paths from the secondary level to the tertiary level and provide extensive open UAS studies. We create a competitive future Finland with our partners. Uusimaa is the engine of this country, and Laurea serves the region better than any other institution. 17
Studying at Laurea means assuming responsibility for developing one s own expertise and oneself. ethical competence learning Laurea s RDI activities views the challenges of the surrounding society as an area for development means proactively responding to all the effects of climate change A better world is being made at Laurea. 18
- Operational Excellence Strategic goal: Laurea uses natural resources with respect to the environment and works responsibly when using the resources of society. With its activities, Laurea promotes economically, socially and ecologically sustainable development. We want to increase people s ability to take personal responsibility for their lives and shared issues while supporting their active participation in society. In their studies, all students at Laurea participate in volunteer activities that support society and well-being. In the Laurea community, we respect diversity and all people. We promote health, well-being and safety with our activities in a way that also increases learning motivation and well-being at work. We measure the efficiency and impact of our operations. At Laurea, we work so that the resources of society are utilised optimally with respect to the learning of the students and the progress of their studies. We develop and assess the quality and impact of our operations in a systematic way. Laurea works actively in order to create services that enable accessibility regardless of time and space. We want to do things better today than we did yesterday. Fruitful activities and a sound economy reflect our community s responsibility. 19
The illustration depicts the mood of Laurea staff in 2020 as they are leaving for work (the material was collected in seminars on future). Laurea is a nice work community that takes different competences into account and is headed toward the future; it offers possibilities for development. Laurea is humane and skilled You get to participate in a community that values expertise and doers. True freedom and responsibility in day-to-day life. 20
- Trust capital as the foundation Strategic goal: Laurea s activities are all based on sense of community, social responsibility and creativity. Laurean working and learning activities all consider sustainable and broadly accepted values. Well-being at work and trust capital form the foundation for the societal activities in higher education. With the Great Place to Work method, we build a positive working and learning environment every day. Responsible, continuously developing management, encouraging supervision and working on things together help us attain our goals. The university community will only succeed by continuously developing higher education. Laurea s Ethical Code of Conduct guides us in the day-today life of the community and gives us a professional approach even in difficult situations, respecting one another. We respect learning as individuals and as a community in a decisive and bold way. We measure our trust capital annually. With a higher education democracy, we want to make all voices heard in the community. Each of us will create a sense of trust, safety and enthusiasm in our encounters. A university of applied sciences that values people always begins from a human perspective. We want to foster a development, sharing and management culture that is fruitful, just, respectful and humane. At Laurea, we listen to each other. We can respect each person as unique and value different competences. We want to be proud of our work and results. 21