LAHTI UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY
2013 – 2016
Appendix 2 | To the Board Meeting of 18 April 2013 § 38
Our strategic intent
Our vision for 2017:
To be an internationally recognised
high quality provider of education and
sustainable innovations
2
1.Introduction
In accordance with our strategy, the effectiveness of Lahti UAS is founded on four cornerstones: result-oriented management, acting as
a prime mover in higher education pedagogy,
strengthened strategic international endeavours, and a healthy economic standing. In order to strengthen our international endeavours,
we engage in strategic international networks
that enable our students and staff to expand
their competence and allow us to enhance our
international activities in education and RDI
(research, development and innovation). Our
competitiveness is ensured by increased international funding for RDI, an international
and competent staff, quality assurance measures, multicultural pedagogy and efficient international services.
The international strategic actions of Lahti
University of Applied Sciences support the
following strategies:
• Strategy for the internationalisation of
higher education institutions in Finland
2009 – 2015
• The international strategy of the Lahti
Region Educational Consortium (2010)
• The competitiveness and business strategy
of the Lahti region 2009 – 2015
• The development strategy for the innovation environment of Lahti urban region
• The regional programme of Päijät-Häme
2011 – 2014
• The FUAS strategy and the associated
international action plan of FUAS
nal endeavours
ategic internatio
tr
s
d
e
n
e
th
g
n
e
tr
S
Internationa
lisation as a
3
quality meas
ure
Lahti UAS must reinforce its role in promoting
the region’s internationalisation efforts in line
with the regional strategies. To this end, the regional development task of Lahti UAS will be
linked ever more closely to the global operating
environment. Our success is founded on building network-based cooperation, which means
collaborating with organisations in the region
and developing joint operating concepts.
In addition to regional strategies, the international strategy of Lahti University of Applied
Sciences is designed to promote the five prima-
trategy of Lahti
s
l
a
n
o
ti
a
rn
te
in
The
ation from
rm
fo
s
n
a
tr
a
s
e
lv
UAS invo
ternational
in
n
a
to
in
l
a
n
o
ti
a na
operator.
ry objectives determined for higher education
in the national strategy for the internationalisation of higher education institutions in Finland (2009 – 2015):
1) export of expertise,
2) global responsibility,
3) increasing quality and attractiveness,
4) a genuinely international higher education
community, and
5) a multicultural society.
The international strategy of Lahti UAS involves a transformation from a national into
an international operator. European policies
and development priorities (Horizon 2020),
the transparency of the Bologna Process, degree structures, and the comparability of qualifications all have a bearing on our development objectives for international activities.
Lahti University of Applied Sciences operates
as part of FUAS, the Federation of Universities
4
of Applied Sciences (www.fuas.fi), in the wider Helsinki metropolitan area. FUAS reinforces
the international profiles of its member institutions, promotes the recruitment of international students and experts, and supports competitiveness in the global education market.
The purpose of the Lahti UAS international
strategy is to support our overall strategic efforts in promoting international competencies
at all levels, including our focus areas (design,
the environment, and the development of welfare services) and profiles (integrated pedagogy, open practice-based innovation and student
entrepreneurship).
At Lahti UAS, internationalisation is seen as a
quality process which is managed and assessed
from the point of view of education, RDI and
regional impact.
2. Changes in the operating environment 2013 – 2016
Changes in the external operating environment
The content and objectives of the international
strategy of Lahti UAS are influenced by the increasingly global employment sector and international competition in higher education. Changes in the employment sector require graduates to
have the ability to operate in an international environment. Objectives set for the work-related immigration of foreign nationals and the outflow of
jobs from Finland to other countries also pose challenges to higher education.
In international activities, global crises must be
taken into consideration more closely, and rapid
changes create new challenges. On the other hand,
requirements related to sustainable development
at the international level also offer opportunities
for Finnish higher education competence and for
Lahti UAS as an institution.
The role of BRIC countries has grown. International cooperation opens up new kinds of opportu-
Global Finland
nities in addition to the existing operations which
have previously mainly been focused on Europe.
The operating environment is becoming increasingly demanding and competitive in our international target areas.
Key changes that are taking place in the national
operating environment include the structural reform of higher education, changes in the funding base of universities of applied sciences, and the
increasing importance of regional cooperation in
the internationalisation efforts of higher education
institutions.
Cooperation within FUAS is seen as a special opportunity for Lahti UAS. The ‘educational responsibility’ approach will lead to increased specialisation and the establishment of spearhead consortia
– including international endeavours – in the focus areas of both Lahti UAS and FUAS.
5
Finland’s reputation
for education
Work-r
el
immigr ated
ation
ies
BRIC countr
Respo
nsib
sustai ility and
nabilit
y
International
cooperation
Changes in the internal operating environment
During the strategy period, the quality of
education will take on an even greater importance. The starting point for the profiling of higher education institutions is
to improve the quality and impact of degree programmes, based on both domestic and international benchmarking, and
international cross-evaluation among degree programmes.
Lahti UAS’ new strategy and the identified focus areas, reinforcement of strategic internationalisation endeavours, and
the new organisation all have a significant
impact on how Lahti UAS will develop its
international activities in the future. The
focus areas – design, the environment and
the development of welfare services – are
strongly linked to regional development
efforts related to the economy and overall well-being.
The profiles describe the operating models and practices of Lahti UAS which are
shared by all faculties and operators. The
profiles (integrated pedagogy, open practice-based innovation, and student entrepreneurship) are manifested in the
content of educational offering and RDI
activities, and they steer resource allocation and the development of Lahti UAS’
focus areas, including our internationalisation efforts.
In the development of international partnerships, one of Lahti UAS’ strengths is
its expertise in its competence areas, education technologies and integrated pedagogy. International cooperation is supported by diverse learning environments
and pedagogy.
6
Integrated pedagogy
Open practice-based innovation
Student entrepreneurship
Design
The
environment
The development of welfare services
e environment
th
,
n
ig
s
e
d
–
s
a
re
The focus a
services – are
re
a
lf
e
w
f
o
t
n
e
m
and the develop
ment efforts
p
lo
ve
e
d
l
a
n
io
g
re
strongly linked to
rall well-being.
ve
o
d
n
a
y
m
o
n
o
c
related to the e
3. Strategic objectives for LUAS’
international activities 2013 – 2016
The international profile of Lahti UAS emphasises its focus
areas, the identified target regions and strong strategic partnerships. During the strategy period, development efforts will
be directed especially at the institution’s focus areas – design,
the environment and the development of welfare services.
Strategic objectives of internationalisation
• Productive international networking and
strong partnerships
• Internationalisation of RDI activities and education
• Staff internationalisation
• Development of expertise exports
Lahti University of Applied Sciences
(Lahti UAS) is a well-networked university
with a genuinely international outlook,
attracting collaboration partners and
talented individuals from both Finland and
abroad. Lahti UAS is an active contributor
to international research, development
and innovation networks and projects.
Our competence is sold profitably in the
global market. All our graduates possess
skills related to internationalisation and
multiculturalism and are prepared to work
in an international environment.
7
NETWORKING
Lahti University of Applied Sciences actively
participates in Finnish networks which promote international operations and in international development and monitoring groups in
the field of higher education.
As activities increasingly shift from the internal
processes of universities of applied sciences towards network-based activities, the importance
of strategic partnerships will increase. Network
activities will also be strengthened through the
FUAS alliance. The Lahti University Campus will also be an important regional partner.
In international contexts, cooperation will be
strengthened with selected strategic partners.
Tasks will be appropriately allocated and coordinated within networks.
In international activities, our key target areas will continue to be Russia and China as well
as the other BRIC countries, Brazil and India.
Cooperation will be increased with regional operators with regard to internationalisation efforts directed at these countries, such as in the
Wuxi region in China.
A GENUINELY INTERNATIONAL
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION
STAFF COMPETENCE
ENHANCEMENT
In order to become a genuinely international
higher education community, Lahti UAS will
include components that support internationalisation in all of its curricula and offer dual degrees, organise intensive thematic weeks, and
engage in student exchange programmes and
genuine partnerships. Measures will be developed to promote education and employment of
immigrants in the region, for example, through
cooperation with other organisations, such as
Salpaus Further Education.
Recruitment and continuous staff training will
ensure that students gain the competencies required in the global employment sector in all
fields.
NEW FORMS OF
INTERNATIONALISATION
By utilising international networks, one of our
future focus areas will be the promotion of new
forms of internationalisation – especially educational exports and international RDI and
project activities. RDI projects will be carried
out to enhance the competence of Lahti UAS
staff and to maintain the high quality of education. Expertise exports will increase our organisation’s competence and improve its financial result.
8
asingly shift from
re
c
in
s
e
ti
vi
ti
c
a
As
of universities
s
e
s
s
e
c
ro
p
l
a
rn
the inte
s networkrd
a
w
to
s
e
c
n
ie
c
s
of applied
portance of
im
e
th
,
s
e
ti
vi
ti
c
a
based
l increase.
il
w
s
ip
h
rs
e
n
rt
a
strategic p
Strategic objective 1. Our learning outcomes and
environments are of highest international standards.
Internationalisation of RDI activities
International RDI activities will be
strengthened especially in our focus areas
and profiles. We will work with our partners to strengthen international RDI activity through joint consortium projects,
which cover the whole innovation chain.
Our international RDI activities produce
new, internationally competitive content
and authentic learning situations in real-life
settings, enhancing our staff’s international
competencies. Learning and RDI activities
are efficiently combined, and international
students and interns will be leveraged in diverse ways in RDI projects.
Through RDI projects and export of expertise, Lahti UAS will acquire competence,
improve the financial result, and promote
the mobility of teachers and RDI personnel.
Critical success factors: international RDI projects as part of the internationalisation of education, increasing international RDI competence and volume, strong international RDI
partnerships, international RDI visibility and
credibility, increasing international RDI competence and volume, creating strong links between learning and RDI.
Key development measures
• increasing international RDI
• strengthening and expanding the RDI
networks
• reinforcing the research infrastructure
• increasing the mobility of RDI personnel
• increasing the number of
foreign-language publications
9
Internationalisation of education
Our foreign-language educational offering fosters
1) the sourcing of international employees,
2) reciprocal student mobility,
3) the internationalisation of Finnish citizens, and
4) the export of expertise.
In 2013, Lahti UAS offers five international
degree programmes. New programmes (Bachelor’s and Master’s) are being developed, especially in the focus areas. The aim is to increase
the number of international degree students
and to encourage more graduates to stay in Finland. In accordance with the FUAS strategy,
the focus areas of FUAS are supported through
strategic, international spearhead degree programmes, especially in the case of Master’s
degrees.
rease the
The aim is to inc
al degree
n
o
ti
a
rn
te
in
f
o
r
numbe
ncourage more
e
to
d
n
a
ts
n
e
d
stu
y in Finland.
graduates to sta
Services for foreign degree students (incl. integration and employment services, health
care and insurance matters, housing arrangements, advice and guidance counselling, tutoring, Finnish and Swedish language instruction,
and the promotion of cultural orientation) are
being developed further to meet future requirements and the objectives of internationalisation.
These practices will support work placements
for international students, their employment in
Finland and entrepreneurship. Services, organisational cooperation and task allocation will be
developed at the regional level in cooperation
with the Lahti University Campus, the University of Helsinki, and FUAS.
Quality assurance of international degree programmes will be carried out by increasing network-based cooperation and by participating
in different follow-up surveys (e.g. the International Student Barometer). International degree programmes will continue to be developed
under FUAS cooperation.
10
Key development measures
• development of international, attractive
degree programmes, especially in the
focus areas
• international cooperation in curriculum
development
• development related to work placements
and employment of foreign degree
students
• increasing regional cooperation to
improve services
• development of a multicultural learning
environment
Critical success factors: new and attractive international degree programmes, increasing the
number of degrees completed by foreign students, developing the standard of international degree programmes, promoting multiculturalism
Internationalisation of learning opportunities
The internalisation of our educational offering
is enhanced in a variety of ways. Lahti UAS
has quantitative, programme-specific objectives in place for increasing our English-language educational offering. Through international initiatives and project-based learning, the
learning environment will expand into a partnership network which contributes to learning. Our learning environments and practices will be developed in close cooperation with
our partners. In all degree programmes, students have the opportunity to participate in activities such as courses organised with international partners. Through internationalisation
at home, all students have the opportunity to
achieve the international competencies expected as learning outcomes.
By systematically increasing our English-language educational offering, we can attract international students to Lahti and support the
opportunities of our Finnish students to study
abroad. In order to secure reciprocal mobility,
the number of incoming students must be increased in all fields. Feedback and partner analyses on student mobility will be utilised in order for us to focus and deepen our cooperation
with active partner institutions. Increasing our
foreign-language offering is essential if we are
to increase the number of student and expert
exchanges. In addition, our foreign-language
educational offering will support our efforts in
the export of expertise.
Critical success factors: Improving and reforming
the education and learning process, high-quality internationalisation of education contents,
building a multicultural learning environment
that promotes tolerance, the development of
internationalisation especially in the focus areas, creating strong links between learning
and RDI in international projects, incorporating student exchange programmes as part
of the curriculum, strategic partnerships, programme-specific key partners
11
Key development measures
• the internationalisation of educational
contents
• increasing the number of credits earned
at institutions in other countries as part
of the degree programme
• utilisation of international partnerships
in education
• designing and implementation of
international joint degree programmes
in all focus areas
• utilisation of teacher exchange
programmes (incl. FUAS)
• Implementation of a summer school in
cooperation with FUAS
ments and
n
ro
vi
n
e
g
in
rn
a
Our le
ed in close
p
lo
ve
e
d
e
b
l
il
w
practices
r partners.
u
o
h
it
w
n
o
ti
ra
e
coop
Strategic objective 2. Our actions reduce social inequality.
Supporting a multicultural society
We will operate in close cooperation with the
region’s businesses and other actors in order to
utilise the potential offered by immigrants and
foreign degree students. Services will be developed for immigrants and degree students in international degree programmes. We offer innovative guidance services for the transitional
stages of study for immigrants. We will utilise
regional services and those offered by the FUAS
alliance.
We will develop a multicultural pedagogic approach and aim to reduce inequality by influencing student attitudes through different
measures, for example, by creating opportunities for a multicultural learning environment in
all degree programmes.
Critical success factors: specific issues related to
students with an immigrant background, diverse guidance and advisory services, multicultural pedagogy, supporting and promoting a
multicultural society.
Key development measures
• preparatory education for immigrants
• promotion of multiculturalism across all
programmes
• development of the work placement
opportunities of foreign degree students
as part of the integration plan and
support for work-related immigration
• regional cooperation to support
a multicultural society
12
Strategic objective 3. Our management and work methods
promote renewal and responsibility for the future.
We will operate in networks with
an active and systematic approach
and work to establish international
practices to promote continuous
quality improvements. We will
network with internal, external and
international partners, to strengthen
international and reciprocal
cooperation in education, which helps
us to diversify our educational offering
with reasonable resources. We will
renew our structures, operational
organisation, tasks and roles to have
an appropriate management system
in place, and the responsibilities
for international activities will be
clarified in accordance with the new
organisational model. We will increase
the level of external performancebased funding.
Productive international networking and strong partnerships
Lahti UAS has extensive partner networks
across Europe. International networks and organisations are an important instrument in the
promotion of our international reach and profile, which facilitates the qualitative development of our cooperation activities.
Annual objectives are identified for FUAS cooperation in international activities based on
the FUAS strategy. Opportunities provided by
the strategic partnership agreement concluded
with KU Leuven Association are leveraged at
all operational levels.
In network development, the main focus is on
deepening our existing relationships and diversifying the forms of cooperation. We seek strategic partnerships and networks at different levels, in different degree programmes, both at the
Lahti UAS level and as part of FUAS cooperation. Partnerships are assessed continuously as part of Lahti UAS’ quality management
measures.
Critical success factors: productive networking to
generate international synergies, increase competencies, accumulate knowledge and improve
quality
Contacts are sought outside Europe in accordance with our strategic focus areas, primarily
based on the regional strategies and in cooperation with other operators in each area.
13
Key development measures
• diversification and deepening of our
cooperation with strategic partners
• development activities with strategic
partners, especially in the focus areas
• systematic maintenance and development of partnerships at the international
level with organisations and businesses
in the region
Export of expertise
Export of expertise is developed under FUAS
cooperation. The objective is to create joint activities under the Global Activities concept to
promote profitable sales. Cooperation is active
with businesses in the Lahti region and with
domestic and international partners in export
development.
Critical success factors: target-oriented and profitable sales, trust-based cooperation between
FUAS members, long-term commitment to
activities
Key development measures
• building long-term customer
relationships
• promotion of sales
• development of commercial products
• building a sales support organisation
• increasing staff competence
• exploiting the results of the KOVIKE
project
14
Staff internationalisation
Staff members are required to increase broader international competencies, and these competencies will be sought through mobility and
projects. The mobility of teachers and other experts must be enhanced, and the number of
longer exchange periods in particular should
be increased in order to secure the international dimension of RDI activities.
A competent and internationally fluent staff
guarantees a high standard of education. Competence profiles are drawn up to describe the international competencies expected from staff
members. Existing international competencies
are made visible and shared through competence reviews. Competence assurance measures
are designed and carried out based on competence profiles.
International competence assurance is supported by developing action models for competence
sharing and collective learning. Special attention is paid to international competence when
recruiting new staff. The language proficiency
of staff members working in foreign-language
programmes is verified and maintained.
Critical success factors: description of international competencies of staff, nurturing a culture
that promotes renewal and innovation, proactive management, appropriate resource allocation
Key development measures
• International competence profiles and
competence reviews with staff
• competence assurance (competence
sharing, teamwork to promote the visibility of international activities, language
training, multicultural pedagogy)
• increasing staff mobility
• staff mobility as part of performance
reviews
• internationalisation competence as part
of performance reviews
• leveraging networks in international
recruitment
internationally
d
n
a
t
n
te
e
p
m
o
c
A
ntees a high
fluent staff guara n.
atio
standard of educ
15
Financial management of international activities and the development of support services
International services (mobility services, services needed by foreign degree
students, services for the export of expertise, international RDI services) are
developed to better support the strategic objectives. Internal synergy is promoted in order to secure sufficient resources for all activities that promote
internationalisation across all degree
programmes. Attention is paid to the
harmonisation of resources in order to
safeguard the equality of students.
Support services will create a working
infrastructure and practices to provide
appropriate service for international degree students in particular. Support services are aimed at all stages of the studies, from enrolment to graduation and
the potential of further education. Services for foreign degree students in the
Lahti region are developed in cooperation with the Lahti University Campus
and the University of Helsinki. Immi-
grant services are developed in cooperation with organisations in the region.
Critical success factors: establishing a
new organisational operation in international activities and reforming the
operating culture, efficient and functional support services, appropriate organisation of international activities,
promoting internal synergy
Key development measures
• strengthening the focus areas
and profiles
• reinforcement of the efficiency of
processes
• harmonisation of the resourcing
policy
• promotion of internal synergy
16
4. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation
of international strategy
International activities are evaluated as part of
the PDCA cycle at Lahti UAS. The implementation of the international strategy is monitored
annually with interim assessments, and the final assessment is carried out at the end of the
strategy period based on the predefined goals
and objectives. Feedback on international activities is collected as part of quality management measures, in feedback surveys (educational quality surveys, ISB) and possible reviews.
The cooperation network is evaluated regularly
as part of quality management. In addition, the
benchmarking and harmonisation of processes in international activities at the Lahti UAS
and FUAS level are an integral part of the assessment and development of operations. International activities will be evaluated as part
of the audit of FUAS’ quality management system, which will be carried out by the Finnish
Higher Education Evaluation Council in 2016.
Lahti UAS will make preparations for the evaluation of the national internationalisation strategy for higher education, which will be carried
out in 2016. International evaluations are utilised in the development of operations.
Concrete objectives derived from the strategy
are set each year as part of Lahti UAS’ annual
planning in cooperation with different degree
programmes. The implementation of the internationalisation strategy is monitored by a number of different departments.
17
APPENDIX 1: PROGRAMME INDICATORS
STRATEGIC INDICATORS:
Performance indicators for international activities, which are monitored based on the objectives
set by the Ministry of Education and Culture and
as part of the operational management of both the
Päijät-Häme Educational Consortium and Lahti
University of Applied Sciences:
• The percentage of degrees earned by
international students
• Credits earned in foreign-language education,
Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes
• The percentage of credits earned in studies
abroad, Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes
• Student mobility (incoming/outgoing
students)
• International mobility of lecturers and
researchers (min. 5 days)/ full-time lecturers
and R&D staff
• Sales of international education services,
students from outside the EU/EEA / a trial on
tuition fees
LUAS
2012
TS 2013
2014
2015
The percentage of degrees earned by
international students
%
4.7
7.0
7.0
7.0
The number of international degree students
Qty
306
300
300
300
The number of international exchange students
Qty
426
375
410
410
Foreign-language education (credits earned)
cr.
21,610
18,000
21,000
21,000
Credits earned in studies abroad
cr.
5,602
6,000
6,000
6,000
Knowledge exports Export of expertise
Eur
51,000
300,000
300,000
300,000
Staff mobility (teaching and RDI staff)
%
1.0
1.0
1.0
1.1
18
APPENDIX 2: DEVELOPMENT OF SUPPORT SERVICES
Services for international activities will be developed to better support the objectives.
Services for foreign degree students in the Lahti region are developed in cooperation with the
Lahti University Campus and the University
of Helsinki based on the outcomes of the UrbanEnviro project. Support services will create
a working infrastructure and practices to provide appropriate services in particular for international degree students. Support services
are aimed at all stages of the studies, from enrolment to graduation and possible continuing
education. Service models have been researched
through participation in the HERA International project (Services for international students in the wider Helsinki metropolitan area).
In immigration matters, we have worked closely with Salpaus Further Education and three
other universities of applied sciences as part of
the HERA Competence project. The project
focused on promoting higher education among
the immigrant population through measures
such as the development of Finnish language
training, preparatory studies, language proficiency testing, and entrance examination procedures.
Internal efficiency is increased with regard to
mobility by seeking and identifying synergy
benefits between different degree programmes.
The responsibilities for international activities
vary between programme levels. International coordinators are in charge of mobility; other significant international actors include the
principal lecturers and student affairs secretaries of international degree programmes and
RDI principal lecturers.
Services for the export of expertise services are
developed under FUAS cooperation as appropriate.
The international coordinators of the LUAS
student union and programme-specific student
associations organise recreational activities and
tutoring for international students and interns
19
and participate in the development of the social aspects of study for international students.
The international tutor secretary of the LUAS
student union participates in the development of tutoring activities and in international development teams (the international team,
UrbanEnviro).