How national co-operation can support higher education institutions in sustainable development - case Finland

Abstract

In Finland, there is strong national level collaboration among higher education institutions (HEIs)in sustainable development. Joint sustainable development goals were set for all the universities of applied sciences (UASes) in Finland already in 2020. These goals have been further developed in continuous national collaboration that each UAS can utilize and adapt to their own policies and activities. This paper presents how national collaboration in sustainable development among higher education institutions in Finland takes place especially in the four thematic areas: education and training; research, development and innovation (RDI); management and competent personnel; and carbon footprint. Additionally, it introduces Turku University of Applied Sciences as a case example describing the practical implementation of the national level sustainability guidelines and solutions into the HEI’s daily operations. Experiences and good practices are shared along with challenges and research needs for the future.