University of Turku Builds a Strong and Sustainable Future

Social changes and global megatrends, such as climate change, digitalisation, and ageing population, challenge us as we carry global responsibility. Universities are expected to have increasing scientific and societal impact. The coronavirus pandemic that has shaken the world has shown that research and scientific knowledge have a central role in solving the great challenges we are facing as a humankind. 

Now, the University of Turku is looking far into the future as we have started implementing our new ten-year Strategy that will steer the University’s activities until 2030. It is based on the University’s basic missions in research, education, and societal interaction as well as on how we wish to impact the changing world around us. 

The Strategy is a joint effort of our entire University community and it was created in an open planning process during 2019. With these goals we have defined together as a University community, we dynamically and responsibly build social well-being and a sustainable future during this decade. 

We also have to be able to renew our activities and be an international trailblazer. In a world built on connections, the significance of strategic partnerships and collaboration is increasingly important. 

The University’s role in producing information and competence as well as in upholding creative and critical thinking and learning is highlighted amid changes. We want to increase trust in scientific knowledge and strengthen the impact of research in society by promoting open science and actively engaging in public debate. We are not only commentators on current phenomena but also initiate discussion.  

The University has to be ambitious in using research to discover solutions to the great challenges of our time. The experts we have trained to different sectors of society are in a key position to carry out the necessary changes. In order to respond to the needs of the modern professional life, we offer flexible training solutions and opportunities for lifelong learning.  

In reaching our goals, our strength lies in wide-ranging multidisciplinary actions as well as in excellence and impact. Our ability to join our forces enables activities across disciplines and new initiatives both in research and education. 

We create conditions for success together with the surrounding society and regional business life. The expansion of the engineering education and the founding of the University’s eighth faculty, the Faculty of Technology, are great examples of these aspirations.  

All this is made possible by our active University community that values well-being as well as by strong internal collaboration and well-functioning everyday life at our campuses, also now when we are working and studying remotely.  

The University of Turku was founded in 1920 with donations from the Finnish people. Today, our over 100-year-old University operates in a unique environment that fosters long academic traditions and active collaboration between higher education institutions.  

The University of Turku has a firm standing and a strong foundation on which we can build a modern, even more international research university with increasing impact. We will do this together, inspired by our values. 

We would like to invite you to join us in creating conditions for a better future. 

Jukka Kola
Rector of the University of Turku