The Jyväskylä Higher Education Group enters the concept development phase – highlights from the spring preparations

The orientation phase had extensive participation. The phase included 20 workshops with about 400 participants from the community. In addition, nearly 2,000 people contributed to the preparatory work via surveys, collaboration platforms and participating in events. During the orientation phase, the development programmes were further specified and are now preparing for decision-making. The decisions with the most extensive impacts for the coming years will be made by the end of this year.

Key achievements in the orientation phase

The formation of the Higher Education Group has progressed in an inspiring, innovative and trust-building atmosphere. The most significant achievements in the orientation phase include:

• Synergies in the degree programme portfolio: curriculum planning is being conducted jointly, common curricular principles have been created as a foundation, and preparations have been made for harmonising our degree regulations.
• Aiming for a national leading position in continuous learning: the concept design for continuing education is underway, which will yield a strong solution for service business in the future. Decisions will be made in autumn.
• A shared vision for the community experience has been defined and concrete work has begun: we aim to provide the best higher education community experience in Europe for both staff and students.
• Aligned digital solutions: shared overall architecture principles have been prepared. The Higher Education Group has ambitious aims for the utilisation of AI, and a joint AI specialist has been recruited.
• New types of pilot initiatives: for example, JSBE and Jamk’s School of Business have a shared Business Services Manager, who integrates the expertise of a practice-oriented university of applied sciences and a research university in a way that is easily accessible for society.
• FIER’s follow-up study is a unique ethnographic study with a large data set on the development of the Higher Education Group.
• We have decided to create a joint leadership development programme in the Higher Education Group.
• Cooperative development of doctoral education, with the aim of creating doctoral education that is closely connected to working life.
• A report on the current state of university and higher education services has been completed. By the end of the year, a decision will be made on a service model for the Higher Education Group.
• We have identified more than 400 common policies and principles, and the most important of these will be revised and harmonised to support the shared Higher Education Group. This will lay a foundation for the Jyväskylä model far into the future.

The concept development phase will draw a roadmap for the coming years

The formation of the Higher Education Group has now moved into its concept development phase, which will last until the end of October 2026. During this phase, development targets and projects for the coming years will be prepared for the Strategic Steering Group. At the same time, resources will be prioritised and allocated. The most important decisions with the most extensive impacts for the coming years will be made by the end of this year.

Once the decisions have been made, more detailed planning will begin, after which the decisions will be implemented. This will create a roadmap for the coming years and a series of steps for change.