A reformative UAS promotes the success of its region
Universities of Applied Sciences exist to support the success of their region, reminded Vesa Taatila in his speech at TUAS’ opening event in ICT-City on Thursday. Taatila will start in the new post of Rector and President of TUAS in October.
At the opening of the autumn term, PhD Vesa Taatila said that Turku University of Applied Sciences has to participate in fortifying the development of Southwest Finland into a region where “the quality of living is the best in Finland” and the development of Turku into “the most interesting city in the northern Baltic Sea region”.
According to the future Rector and President of TUAS, who is moving from Metropolia UAS, the aim of the University of Applied Sciences is to bring competitiveness, sustainable growth, well-being and energy to the region in cooperation with the other universities and development organisations.
“In our global operational environment success is measured not in a national zero-sum game, but on an international level. Even if we in Turku developed better than the regions of Helsinki, Tampere and Oulu, it doesn't matter, if Finland's situation is deteriorating compared to the rest of the world. Our key competitors are both Tallinn, Stockholm, St. Petersburg and Hamburg and Shanghai, Cambridge, Barcelona and Daegu", the future Rector and President said.
TUAS’ Innovation pedagogy – learning by implementing reforms
“We face a lot of work and choices. I’m glad that Turku University of Applied Sciences, which implements Innovation pedagogy, has both staff and students with a lot of competence and enthusiasm to regenerate Southwest Finland into a perfect illustration of success in the tightening international competition", Vesa Taatila continued.
TUAS celebrated the opening event of the academic year in a novel way, with only the staff and students as the audience. The top management of TUAS and the Chairman of Student Union TUO gave speeches at the event, and the audience also got to enjoy performances by Arts Academy students.
TUAS’ partners and cooperation network will be invited to a new kind of laid-back event in September: Tomorrow’s Show 25 September at 13:30.