We care for the society of today and the future

Our values

The values we choose to emphasise in our strategy set the tone for our way of working:

1. Knowledge: we take responsibility for safeguarding critical academic thinking, open science and the processes of credible knowledge production.

If the understanding of academic research is weakened, the position and importance of science in society may be increasingly called into question. The university’s task is to produce and communicate credible knowledge. We value the autonomy of science, transparent and responsible production of knowledge and making scientific knowledge available.

2. Community:: we take responsibility for creating a sense of community in our activities, where our relatively small size and concentrated campus environments allow flexible interaction between students and staff. We support our diverse student association activities.

The special conditions in which Åbo Akademi University operates provide us with plenty of opportunities to take advantage of our relatively small size. Closeness and seamless interaction between teachers and students are such advantages. Small study groups make it easier for people to get to know each other. We emphasise the positive aspects of an informal context and the potential of low thresholds in forming the ÅAU community. The free and independently organised association activities that students enjoy are a valuable part of the ÅAU culture.

3. Enabling: we take responsibility for providing competence development for tomorrow’s needs in an innovative environment.

People of different ages attend university. We want to support and equip them with knowledge and skills for the future, including digital transformation. Similarly, our research environments provide researchers at different career stages with platforms in which they can develop their abilities and knowledge. We are also a dynamic and diverse organisation that enables personal development through work experience, skilled colleagues and continuous training.networks, the Coimbra Group University Network, the CHARM-EU University Alliance and the European University Association.

4. Sustainability: through our activities, we take responsibility for contributing to economic, social, ecological, technological and cultural sustainability and we apply the principles in our own activities.

We are responsible for ensuring that we are professional, purposeful and far-sighted in our management of funds, assets and investment activities. Social sustainability is evident in the way we manage gender equality, accessibility, equal treatment, fairness and support for study and work skills, health and well-being. It can also be seen in our continuous efforts to eliminate all forms of discrimination, harassment and hate speech. To promote ecological sustainability, we apply the theses on sustainability development and responsibility laid out by Unifi (the Council of Rectors of Finnish Universities) and will strive to achieve carbon neutrality during the strategy period. Cultural sustainability vis-à-vis the vitality and social function of Swedish is built into both our responsibility and our mission. Cultural sustainability also means managing the cultural heritage that belongs to us, making it available, and contributing to itsdevelopment. Diversity is an asset.

Our Roadmap for Implementing Our Values for 2025–2030 defines our priorities, working methods and objectives.

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Our identity
Our choices