Introducing Turku University of Applied Sciences
The Turku University of Applied Sciences (TURKU UAS) is an innovative and multidisciplinary higher education institution, which creates international competitiveness and well-being for Southwest Finland. As one of the leading universities of applied sciences in Finland, TURKU UAS hosts around 10,000 students studying for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, with around 700 personnel. The range of our degree programs provides a good platform for interdisciplinary learning.
The Faculty of Health and Well-being educates future professionals to work in the field of health care and social services. The starting point for teaching activities is innovation pedagogy, which is a learning approach based on emphasizing multidisciplinary, experimental and practice-oriented learning. It emphasizes the viewpoints of RDI and working life, providing skills for independent thinking, effective communication and international activities. The aim of the social and healthcare degree programs is to educate students to work in international and multicultural contexts, providing them with the skills and competences to support individuals and communities to achieve favorable health and well-being and to strengthen clients’ own resources and improve self-care. Learning and teaching in social and healthcare degree programmes are integrated to different kind of research or development projects, which are closely connected to working life. DOMINO online course will offer new possibilities for students to increase their knowledge and skills related to domestic violence prevention. Studying in multidisciplinary groups by mixing degree programme students on nursing, midwifery and social care will bring new possibilities for students to view prevention of domestic violence from different perspectives and to learn from and with each other.
In addition to the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes, TURKU UAS provides continuing professional education and tailor-made training courses addressing the specific needs of companies and other organizations. We participate actively in the Health Campus Turku cooperation, a significant multidisciplinary education cluster within medicine and health care, formed by three other higher education institutions and a university hospital (Hospital District of Southwest Finland). Health Campus offers an inspiring operating environment for studies, research, innovations and corporate collaboration. The collaborating parties promote research and cooperation, education as well as innovation and business activities. The teaching, research and innovation activities of the Health Campus operators support the internationally recognized high-quality special health care provided by the local university hospital. The objective is to develop interdisciplinary expertise in line with the targets of the health and social services reform.
In the field of applied research, TURKU UAS represents the top tier in the country, coordinating or acting as a partner in over 200 RDI projects every year. As mentioned in our strategy “Excellence in Action”, regional and international development is one of the main goals of TURKU UAS. Close interaction with working life helps us to react to changes in skill requirements in a highly flexible way.