Good things taking place in Southwest Finland!
The soon-ending year 2018 has been great in Southwest Finland. The employment rate has risen and throughout the region, it can be sensed that people's faith in the future is increasingly strong. This development is generated through a wonderful cooperation between both people and organizations. A region of growth is a region of cooperation.
Turku University of Applied Sciences has been delighted to participate in this positive structural change. The 10 000 members of our community have actively developed working life and society as well as produced services in the fields of culture, well-being, business and engineering. Our ambition has been to act, in accordance with our strategy, as an inspiring community and contribute to raising our region towards an even bolder future.
It has been a joy to notice how our partners have also participated in the shared endeavour of promoting competence. The most recent figures from our fund-raising campaign are yet to be seen; however, we will get extremely close to the level of EUR 2 million, which is something I couldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams a year ago. For this achievement, I wish to thank all of you – companies, communities and individuals – who have been willing to show your support for boosting expertise within the region.
Next year looks bright both for our region and for Turku University of Applied Sciences. The national growth is estimated to abate but, at the same time, it seems like Southwest Finland is only accelerating its pace. I strongly believe that the networking actions of the regional higher education institutions, such as Health Campus and Technology Campus, will continue to boost our economic, social and cultural well-being.
Let’s bring the 2010s to an excellent end through a great year of collaboration and build a strong foundation for the success to continue in the next decade!
Vesa Taatila, Rector and President of Turku University of Applied Sciences