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Preparations for the next strategy period

The operating year was characterised by preparations for the future. The powerful drivers in our activities included us entering the second to last year of our current strategy period and the awareness of the new funding model of the universities of applied sciences to take effect in 2021 – which will have unfavourable impacts on Haaga-Helia. We launched an extensive education reform with the aim of structuring our offering to meet the demands of workplaces and the new funding model. Our first measures in the reform included reducing the number of degree programmes and defining the general competences of the Bachelor's degree programmes at the Haaga-Helia level. We also began building our new strategy jointly with our personnel, students and partners.

The 3AMK cooperation between the three large universities of applied sciences in the Helsinki metropolitan area (Haaga-Helia, Laurea, Metropolia) was deepened and we progressed in all areas of cooperation. Projects based on artificial intelligence supporting education planning was our most visible work in terms of the society. They raised plenty of national interest and served as examples in the meeting of the Ministry of Education and Culture’s administrative sector during the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the autumn of 2019.

The number of our official partners hit the 100th mark. The multi-layered cooperation with companies helped to develop our teaching and strengthen our RDI activities. The Helia Foundation once again supported our operations by granting us approximately EUR 800,000, which enabled us to carry out a number of development projects concerning digitalisation and personnel. Personnel attended training classes actively and by doing so, introduced new competence to Haaga-Helia.

Our cooperation with the student union was constructive and transparent. Student participation in our activities was extensive. The strong support provided by Haaga-Helia’s Board of Directors on our independent development and various pilots built a foundation for us as a frontline university of applied sciences.

Financially, our result was better than budgeted, and our academic indicators were as targeted. We proceeded according to plans in both the RDI operations and Commercial Services, although we did not receive an operating license for the hospitality sector institution planned in Tallinn, for reasons that were not quality-related.

We had a lot on our plate during the year of operation. We implemented a number of innovative projects in teaching, and our international visibility was good. Haaga-Helia opened doors to workplaces and built a foundation for future success as well.

Teemu Kokko

President