The ACEEU (Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities) accreditation is an acknowledgement of the University’s commitment to promoting societal vitality.
ACEEU accredits universities which promote societal and economic well-being. The accreditation is a sign that the University provides entrepreneurial training, supports members of the University community in entrepreneurial activities, and produces research with a high potential for commercialisation.
– This means active interaction and creating and seizing opportunities – how the University is engaged in and linked with the surrounding world and acts as a driving force for the economy. Entrepreneurial thinking and operational model are a way for us to increase our impact. This is significant in the region, the whole society, and also internationally – we are a proactive and dynamic partner, says the University’s Vice Rector responsible for partnerships and strategic engagement Mika Hannula.
Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial activities have been underlining strategic themes at the University of Turku for a long time. The work on strengthening the entrepreneurship themes started in 2015.
– The newly granted ACEEU accreditation verifies that we have been successful in our purposeful development activities which have aimed at increasing the University’s interaction with the surrounding society and integrating high-level, academic entrepreneurial expertise in education and research, says the Rector of the University Jukka Kola.
Entrepreneurial competence is an example of impact
In the new accreditation evaluation, the University of Turku received praise for how it is able to integrate entrepreneurship in its activities and operational culture.
– The University of Turku has been able create university support structures for entrepreneurship and integrate entrepreneurship to its educational activities, says Thorsten Kliewe, Chair of the Peer Review Team that visited the University of Turku in November.
In the ACEEU accreditation, universities are evaluated based on 15 different standards. The University of Turku was very successful in the accreditation, receiving the classification of “excellent” for four standards.
For impact, the University received the classification of “excellent”. This serves to prove that through is basic missions of research and education, the University of Turku directly impacts the vitality of its operational environment. In particular, the University stands out for its clearly defined 4-step pathway to entrepreneurship and for having support services available for each step. The employees engaged in entrepreneurship activities have a high-level of expertise on entrepreneurship. The University also integrates entrepreneurship to its educational efforts excellently on an international scale. At the University of Turku, entrepreneurship studies can be completed by students from all disciplines.
– The University educates experts who will build a sustainable future. Our graduates need the ability to create employment for themselves and others. Entrepreneurship competence provides a good foundation for this, says Entrepreneurship Programme Manager Kirsi Peura, who was responsible for the accreditation process at the University of Turku.
– The accreditation process and the feedback we received during it are very valuable for developing the operations at the University of Turku. We have an important role as an international science community, but also as one of the driving forces of competitiveness in the economic region, says Vice Rector Hannula.
