ANNUAL REPORT

Round years, major developments!

There were many positive things in 2022, of which at least four were particularly important for us: We returned to campuses after the coronavirus period, our research expanded as it received significant funding, the quality of our education received significant recognition, and the activities of RUN European University accelerated. We also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Häme University of Applied Sciences! https://www.hamk.fi/2022/hamk-30-years-determined-development-produces-results/?lang=en

It was important to us that our staff and students returned to campuses and that we were able to work in a more communal way after the coronavirus period. The pandemia years have been challenging for higher education institutions.

In research, we made a number of gains in 2022. The significant growth in Academy of Finland funding was particularly pleasing. Häme University of Applied Sciences is also one of the few universities of applied sciences in Finland that has been given the task of leading a project funded by the Academy of Finland. It was achieved in one of our strong profile areas, the development of teachers’ education. HAMK has also been able to establish strong university networks in its own research activities.

Another significant achievement is that in 2022, we were the first higher education institution to receive an Excellence level assessment of education in a quality audit. We also received the Excellence label for the development of quality culture and competence. Similarly, our GreenMetric World University rankings were again good, as we were ranked 17th out of 1050 higher education institutions. HAMK is thus one of the greenest higher education institutions in the world.

European universities are consolidating, and so did RUN European University, of which HAMK is a member. Mobility between universities gradually began to normalise. HAMK organised a RUN General Assembly in November, bringing together students, staff and stakeholders from different RUN-EU universities.

The year ended on a great note, as we had been able to celebrate our 30th anniversary together with our staff, students, stakeholders and international partners.

In 2022, Häme University of Applied Sciences achieved a significant result in a quality audit. HAMK was the first higher education institution whose education was assessed at the level of Excellence. HAMK also received the Excellence label for the development of quality management and competence.

At HAMK, competence development has two main lines: the development of educational competence and the construction of research competence. Competence development is supported, for example, through career paths. At the moment, HAMK defines two career paths, one of which aims at supervisor responsibility and the other at the top of substance competence, i.e. Principal Research Scientist. In 2022, Häme University of Applied Sciences had 37 Principal Research Scientists, 14 of whom developed their skills in the Tenure Track system. Admission to the Tenure Track requires a doctoral degree, the preparation of a portfolio based on evaluation criteria, and the support of the supervisor and the evaluation team consisting of leading research assistants.

Competence development is also supported by the HAMK100 programme for personnel, which includes diverse coaching. During 2022, special emphasis was placed on the development of supervisor work. The research project supporting the professional growth of supervisors through peer group mentoring examined the prerequisites of peer group mentoring (verme, in finnish vertaisryhmämentorointi) to support supervisors’ professional growth, development of leadership skills and well-being at work. The Verme operating model remained permanent.

In addition to peer group mentoring, other participatory and dialogical ways of working have been used and experimented with in a variety of ways, such as Tutkimuspöyhimö, Reading Circles, and the peer discussions of the Hyvin sanottu -project.

Learning together and peer-to-peer sharing was also reflected in the active launch of the HRD network of universities of applied sciences in 2022. Together with other UAS, we invited experts working on the development of competence in human resources services to network and share their expertise. Nearly 30 experts joined the action.

HAMK also utilises the opportunities offered by the RUN European University for the development of knowledge capital in the fields of education, research and innovation.

HAMK continued research, development and innovation work, for example, in projects that were prepared in large cooperation with the universities of RUN-Europe University, HAMK’s strategic partners and other cooperation entities. In 2022, HAMK was involved in almost a hundred project applications. Of the applications, 71 have received a funding decision by the end of the financial year. Of these applications, 37 received a positive funding decision, with a pass rate of just over 50 percent.

Compared to previous years, HAMK took part in larger and more impressive project applications and was also successful in them. HAMK received a positive funding decision from, for example, the Academy of Finland, Business Finland and the European Union’s Erasmus+ and Horizon Europe programmes. Climate-wise agriculture, promoting the well-being of university teachers and developing a new Smart & Bio education and research environment are some of the topics that are being studied in the projects. In total, in the projects that received funding, HAMK’s total budget was around 8.5 million euros and external funding around 6.5 million euros. The funding is distributed mainly for the years 2023–2024, but there are several projects that will continue until 2025 too.

The number of project applications, the number of positive funding decisions and the passing rate were close to the 2021 level. The difference to the previous year is the amount of project budgets of both project applications and projects which received funding. At the end of the financial year, approximately 2 million more external project funding had been granted to HAMK than the previous year.

HAMK promoted its R&D work in many other areas as well. For example, HAMK participated in one of the first RUN-EU researcher mobility periods. HAMK and Aalto University’s research on an environmentally friendly material for, for example, camping and national defense purposes, attracted international interest when the science magazine New Scientist made an article about the research. Sustainable development was also a central theme of research and development work in HAMK’s cooperation with Africa, such as in the research project where it was found out how the fast-spreading, difficult-to-destroy water hyacinth could be used, for example, as a source of bioenergy in the Lake Victoria area in Africa.

Häme University of Applied Sciences Ltd’s turnover for the financial year 2022 totalled EUR 59.8 (58.2) million.

Personnel expenses accounted for the biggest item of operating expenses, EUR -40.0 (-39.1) million.

At the end of 2022, the number of personnel at Häme University of Applied Sciences was 682 (617), of whom 236 were men and 446 women. 539 (534) were permanent personnel and 143 (180) temporary employees. The average age of the personnel at the end of 2022 was 46.4 (46.5) years.

Häme University of Applied Sciences Ltd’s operating profit was EUR 7,884 (1,269,040). Income and expenses from investment and financing activities amounted to EUR 680,884 (296,413). The change in fair value was EUR -1,820,521 (877,161). The loss for the financial year was EUR -1,202,960.00 (2,596,931.70).

Investments in buildings, machinery and equipment amounted to EUR -2.2 (-2.4) million. The solvency and liquidity of the limited liability company were excellent. The equity ratio was 83.05 (84.9) per cent.

Composition of the Board of Directors 30.9.2021-31.12.2022

Tarja Filatov has acted as the Chair of the Board of Directors and Veera Kiretti and Kari Moisiola as Vice Chairs. The other members of the Board of Directors were Jari Marjamäki, Kirsi Lehto, Pasi Niemi, Mika Laine (resigned 28.11.2022), Piia Gauriloff and Leenakaija Lehto.

Pertti Puusaari has acted as the company’s CEO and Johanna Närhi, CFO, as deputy to the CEO.