In 2022, UCS updated its research and education strategy. The feedback collected from stakeholders as a basis for the work supported the profiling of operations according to regional needs. The respondents hoped for more education, especially degree education. UCS is expanding its range of education offerings.
Stakeholders appreciate the profiling of operations according to regional needs.
Continuation of research funding ensured
UCS had a total of 22 research groups, led by a professor or other experienced researcher. Funding is collected from many different sources and a significant part is received from donations. Year 2022 ensured that the research volume will continue at the same high level in the next five-year funding period.
UCS had a total of 22 research groups.
In research and education, the universities share four multidisciplinary areas of expertise. Tampere University plays a major role in two focus areas: smart technologies, and well-being and creativity. In the area of digital healthcare, Professor Mark van Gils’s research group continued its extensive international research collaboration. Industry Professor Iñigo Flores Ituarte received notable five-year research funding from the Academy of Finland.
A lot of medical research and research for the benefit of the well-being of families and young people is conducted in Seinäjoki. UCS prepared for the launch of the new wellbeing services counties in Finland for example by participating in a working group that promotes research and development, innovation activities, and the capacity building of the counties.
A lot of medical research and research for the benefit of the well-being of families and young people is conducted in Seinäjoki.
The festive moments in research included the inaugural lecture of Elina Kontu as she was appointed to a full professorship at UCS. The field of her professorship is autism spectrum disorders and the psychology of intellectual disability.
International networking and flexible education offering
The highlights of research, development and innovation activities included the organisation of the Innovation and StartUp Days. The event was part of the New Knowledge Interface (NKI) project. In addition to Tampere University, the University of Helsinki, the Higher Education Association of South Ostrobothnia, the development company Into Seinäjoki, and many other experts from outside the higher education institutions participated in the arrangements. The event offered international and inspiring perspectives on the emergence of new business activities.
We also made important openings to promote digital competence. The Degree Programme in Knowledge-based Web Systems, which began in autumn 2022, offers an opportunity to complete the degree of MSc (Technology) or MSc. The degree programme is supported by the development project DATOS (Strengthening expertise in data driven software engineering through industry-university collaboration in Satakunta and South Ostrobothnia), which started in spring. Both openings brought the collaboration between Tampere, Seinäjoki and Pori to a new level.
We also made important openings to strengthen digital competence.
The continuation of the flexible education offering was ensured when we received a positive funding decision from the Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment (JOTPA) in summer 2022. The decision enables the provision of flexible software competence training in South Ostrobothnia. The Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences is also a partner in this project.
Juha Alarinta
Director
Visit our website to learn more about the University Consortium of Seinäjoki.
To learn more about Tampere University’s Seinäjoki Unit, visit our website.
Highlights from 2022
Get to know to the Innovation and Start-up Days programme.
New technologies also create the need to design business in a new way.