ANNUAL REPORT
2022 AT HAMK
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.
HIGHLIGHTS
January: Increase in amount of applicants
2623 applicants from all over the world applied for our English-language degree programmes. The number of applicants increased by almost 130 percent. Read more.
February: Funding for Bio-Raw Material Expertise
Together with the Natural Resources Institute Finland, we received funding for the establishment of a Centre for Bio-Raw Material Expertise in Kanta-Häme. Bio-raw materials can be obtained, for example, from industrial by-products or through shifting cultivation, which can enable the local production of even more exotic raw materials.
March: Participating in the Climate Week
- The national career monitoring survey showed that HAMK graduates five years ago are satisfied with their degree (84 per cent of the respondents) and their career so far (83%).
- The Future Wearables Lab focusing on wearable intelligence and the esports Gaming Lab were opened on HAMK’s Valkeakoski campus, offering new opportunities for companies and students.
- In the second joint application process for Finnish-language courses in the spring, more than 10,000 applications were received. The most attractive study options were part-time studies in social services, business administration and information and communication technology.
April: Record in credits, Environmental actions listed, help for Ukrainians
- Of the universities of applied sciences, HAMK completed the most credits for specialisation studies – over 3000 – in 2021.
- The Climate Watch service (Ilmastovahti), which brings together the climate, circular economy and environmental actions of various organisations in the region, was launched. The contribution of HAMK’s sustainability students and bioeconomy engineering students played a major role in collecting the activities.
- In response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, HAMK offered Ukrainians a number of different study opportunities and scholarships. Read more.
May: Units merge
School of Entrepreneurship, Business and Technology merged, and Lassi Martikainen started as the Dean of the new unit. Read more.
June: New double-degree, summer partnerships, excellence in audit
- HAMK and the Austrian FH Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences agreed to launch a double degree programme for International Business education. This was the first double degree programme at the RUN European University. Read more.
- HAMK was a partner in several summer events, such as the Weekend Festival, the Scouts’ Grand Camp Kajo and Kuninkuusravit.
- Our education and quality systems were both rated as “excellent level” in the audit carried out by FINEEC (Finnish Education Evaluation Centre). Positive feedback was given, for example, on the student-centred nature of education and the work-life orientation. Read more.
August: Significant, new investment
We announced a significant, new investment: the construction of the Smart Systems & Biotechnology education and research environment at the Hämeenlinna University Centre. In particular, it will strengthen business-oriented education and research activities. Read more.
September: Celebrations
- HAMK celebrated its round years. We were pleased that many of the goals related to education, research and internationalisation have been achieved. Read more.
- Finland’s oldest forestry skills trainer, HAMK’s Evo unit, celebrated its 160th anniversary. A new, English-language degree programme, Sustainable Forest Management, will also be launched on campus.
October: New exchange studies, strategic partnership...
- We told that in the last couple of years, HAMK has introduced new opportunities for 5–30 days of exchange studies. Short exchanges are well suited for students with families, for example.
- In addition, we told that of all HAMK’s bachelor’s degree programmes, there is already a route to a master’s degree, which gives eligibility to continue studying even until the doctorate. A dedicated team was established for the development of master’s degrees.
- HAMK and the investment company Voulu Ventures agreed on a strategic partnership aimed at developing sustainable food using smart biotechnology methods. Read more.
November: Recognition for Mustiala, RUN-EU General Assembly...
- TP Organics, an organic network recognised by the European Commission, named the farm on our Mustiala campus a “lighthouse” farm, along with four other European farms. Read more.
- We hosted the largest annual event of the RUN European University, which gathered about 200 guests from all over Europe to plan the future of the European University. Read more.
- Our President Pertti Puusaari was elected to The Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Arene ry.
- We signed a sponsorship agreement with nine of our students who engage in goal-oriented sport.
December: Alumnus of the Year, Success in Ranking
- We chose Karri Koskelo, who graduated from our Business Administration Degree Programme and is nowadays the CEO of Lundia, as the Alumnus of the Year. Read Karri´s interview.
- We were ranked 17th out of more than a thousand higher education institutions in the international GreenMetric ranking, which measures the sustainability of higher education institutions’ operations and operating environment. Read more.
ABOUT COMPETENCES
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.
ABOUT RESEARCH
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.
ABOUT FINANCES
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.
KEY FIGURES
11
international programmes
1 400
degrees
17th
IN AN INTERNATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY RANKING
38
PRINCIPAL RESEARCH SCIENTISTS