At Laurea we are strongly committed to continuously improving the quality and impact of our activities

We at Laurea University of Applied Sciences are strongly committed to continuously improving the quality and impact of our activities in accordance with the PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle, with our constantly developing quality system constituting a key part of these efforts. We want to responsibly enhance the societal impact of our activities. This will require openness and active interaction between our community and operating environment, as Laurea’s strategic intent is to be an international developer of working life-related competence and vitality in Uusimaa. 

In 2023, FINEEC, the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre, granted Laurea its Quality Label for Excellence, which is given annually to only one higher education institution for exceptionally high-quality development work. According to FINEEC, Laurea’s activities have demonstrated its innovative and pioneering approach, long-term development focus, and inclusive operating culture.

FINEEC’s justifications emphasised Laurea’s pioneering role in developing its societal interaction and operating methods, as Laurea continues to engage different actors, networks, and stakeholders in the region in a goal-oriented and extensive manner as part of its co-creation initiatives. Laurea’s successful activities are also promoted by its active monitoring of working life and foresight efforts, as well as its strong commitment to reform throughout the organisation.

The second criterion for granting the Excellence label was Laurea’s exceptionally strong results and practices in research, development and innovation (RDI) activities and their development. The third reason for the Excellence label was Laurea’s open-minded focus on surpassing boundaries, as it actively seeks to engage its alumni and other networks in its development work. Laurea also plays an important role in national cooperation and international networks, such as the European Network of Living Labs and the European Organisation of Security.  

Being the recipient of a Quality Label for Excellence will encourage Laurea to continue and further develop its societal interaction efforts and the different forms that these initiatives can take. Indeed, the criteria used in the evaluation of the Quality Label for Excellence also serve as excellent guidelines and objectives for Laurea's future efforts: 

• The higher education institution is an innovative forerunner and develops its operations in a bold and open-minded manner. 
• The higher education institution has top level expertise in long-term development, and it can provide strong evidence of the impact of its development and enhancement activities. 
• The higher education institution has a positive impact on its surroundings. The higher education institution is known for engaging a wide range of actors in its development and enhancement activities and for crossing borders in an open-minded manner. 

We have compiled these reports on Laurea's societal impact and interaction since 2016. This report is the eight of its kind, and it contains numerous examples of the operating models and activities that Laurea has used to achieve its societal impact in 2023. We hope that these examples will inspire our entire higher education community, as well as our current and future partners and other stakeholders, to collaborate actively with the higher education sector and further improve the operating models and activities that will allow us to develop a more thriving and sustainable world together. 

Jouni Koski
President, CEO, PhD