Functional quality assurance at Turku School of Economics 

The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council (FINHEEC) has conducted an audit on the quality assurance system of the Turku School of Economics (TSE), which TSE has passed successfully. The audit is valid for six years.

According to Tapio Reponen, Rector of the Turku School of Economics, the approval of the quality assurance system is significant for the university.

– As a small university, the Turku School of Economics has been able to create a very flexible and successful operating model, which this audit has found to have functional quality assurance. At TSE, quality assurance is the responsibility of everyone. This is also clearly evident in the audit report, says Rector Reponen.

The audit report states that the strength of quality assurance at TSE lies in the fact that the highest level of management has been strongly committed to it and the entire staff as well as students have participated in developing the quality assurance system. Quality assurance is comprehensive in core tasks, i.e. research, teaching and interaction in society, as well as in support services, and it steers activities in accordance with goals.

According to Mr Reponen, in future TSE will be paying attention to the development of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and the promotion of internationality, as defined as development recommendations in the report. In addition, the audit report states that the quality assurance system of TSE should increasingly respond to participation in regional development network and in the innovation system.

Good starting point for new University of Turku

Passing national audits provides a good starting point for the joint future of the Turku School of Economics and the University of Turku. The two universities will be merging at the beginning of 2010.

– The audit reports for both universities raise several strengths and good practices. The small community and interactive operating culture of the Turku School of Economics is said to create a favourable environment for efficient quality assurance. Practices for the new university will be established so that the characteristics and strengths of the current operating cultures are put to use, states Rector Reponen.

The Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council will be conducting audits on all Finnish higher education institutions by the end of 2011. The FINHEEC audits evaluate the scope, functionality and effect of the quality assurance system of a higher education institution. The audits cover the quality assurance system as a whole as well as the core functions of a higher education institution (education, research/research and development, interaction in society, impact and regional development work).

Additional infomation: FINHEEC Evaluation Report (pdf)