We care for the society of today and the future

Our goals for 2030

By 2030, we will:

1. be an institution, where the task of promoting the needs of the Swedish-speaking population increasingly includes aspects of multilingualism. The goal is that 60% of our students will have a Swedish language background, 20% Finnish and 20% some other language.

In recruiting students, greater emphasis will be placed on increasing the number of applicants. Research shows that age groups will decrease from 2028. We will therefore continue to recruit students, whose mother tongue is Finnish. We also need to increase the international presence at the university and create better conditions for integrating people with other native languages than Swedish. Our goal is that 60% of our students have Swedish as their mother tongue, 20% Finnish and 20% a mother tongue other than Swedish or Finnish. This goal contributes to a more dynamic research and study environment, with a diverse approach to our cultural and societal responsibilities.

2. have an economy that shows a clear positive result, thus enabling us to promote the operational objectives we have set for research, education, collaboration and a thriving organisation.

Healthy finances are essential to Åbo Akademi University’s mission of being a societal actor for the Swedish language and community in Finland. We are committed to achieving long-term sustainable and balanced finances with a solid foundation. Long-term economic planning, economic awareness and focus on identifying new economic opportunities are an increasingly prominent part of our activities.

3. have increased the percentage of degrees completed within the allotted time by 15% from the level in 2023.

Our degree programmes must be well designed and quality-driven. In order for examinations to be completed in the allotted time, we need to ensure that we have well-planned, attractive and relevant programmes.

4. have at least two externally recognised centres of excellence in research.

We are committed to identifying excellence through agreed and transparent evaluation processes. We expect all education provided at the university to be research-based and therefore, all research should be of high quality.

5. have increased external competitive research funding by 25% from the 2023 level.

Obtaining competitive research funding is in itself a measure of high-quality activities. In order to compete for such funding, all areas of activity must be well-developed: recruitment of the right people, time for research, necessary infrastructure for research and a highly competent support organisation.

6. have increased the number of credits awarded in continuous and lifelong learning by 20% from the 2023 level, as well as improved profitability through the sale of education.

Åbo Akademi University plays a central role in developing programmes for continuous and lifelong learning in Swedish. We evaluate and create new opportunities for academic development in cooperation with our partners and stakeholders. Selling training courses and modules generates new revenue and therefore requires conscious effort.

7. have eight long-term strategic partnerships with credible partners.

Alongside our mission within education and research, synergy has established itself as a specific form of activity. Longterm, strategically important partnerships strengthen our activities. A strategic partnership involves broad-based cross-disciplinary cooperation, such as cooperation in education, internships and the promotion of working life relevance in education, as well as research cooperation and funding.

8. have an organisational structure that includes clearly documented roles, mandates and responsibilities for all our staff. Research and teaching staff will account for at least 60% of all staff at the university.

As a small university, our complex activities call for a flexible organisation with highly visible leadership and a clear mandate for decision-making and accountability throughout the organisation, while guaranteeing the ability of the academic organisation to fulfil our scientific mission. To highlight the importance of core activities, 60% of the staff consists of researchers and teachers, corresponding to the national average among all universities.

9. obtain a quality certificate (or equivalent) for high-quality workplace and employee experience.

Within the organisation, we maintain arenas for community and peer activities that support the core operations and add value to them. The university brand is associated with staff, who have a high level of affinity throughout the organisation and with each other.

To the main page of the strategy
Our mission
Our identity