Social responsibility and sustainability at Xamk

Xamk has taken social responsibility and sustainability into its strategical priorities and as part of all daily activities. We offer degree programme studies in wellbeing, engineering technologies and creative industries and aim to be identified as an institute of higher education responsible for social, economic, cultural and ecological sustainability throughout its operation.

Society is rapidly changing with a growing demand on responsibility and sustainability. Xamk constantly monitors and aims to improve its social responsibility and annually reports the results of its responsibility and sustainability programme which is one of the guiding instruments for development alongside with the university strategy, performance agreement with the Ministry of Education and Culture for 2021-2024 and joint programme of responsibility and sustainable development of Finnish universities of applied sciences. At Xamk, the development of responsibility and sustainability is coordinated by the Team for Developing Responsibility and Sustainability.

Xamk’s responsibility promises

  • Responsibility is part of our daily activities.
  • We care.
  • We work for tomorrow.

Strategy, programme and reports

 

Networks of responsibility

Responsibility and sustainability at universities of applied sciences

The objective of the joint programme of responsibility and sustainable development of Finnish universities of applied sciences is to ensure that their operation becomes carbon neutral by 2030. The programme aims to increase influential imprint and reduce carbon footprint. This has been further specified by 14 promises concerning actions to be taken from the beginning of 2021

Common objectives

Xamk to be the first Finnish university of applied sciences signed on to the UN Global Compact initiative

Xamk wants to take part in international networks of responsibility. In November 2020, Xamk became a signatory of the UN Global Compact, as the first Finnish university of applied sciences. UN Global Compact is an initiative which seeks to promote responsible and sustainable business all over the world. Xamk is currently updating its own responsibility and sustainability programme to comply with the Global Compact.

By committing to the Global Compact, Xamk wishes to promote the objectives, declarations and agreements of the UN. All participants of the Global Compact make a promise of responsibility to their employees, clients, customers and owners and seek to set an example for other operators and society as a whole as to what sustainable conduct of business will be in the future.

The UN Global Compact is part of a wider UN framework based on principles expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the United Nations Convention against Corruption. The main goals of the UN are presented in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Read more about The UN Global Compact corporate sustainability initiative

 

More information

Olli Ervaala, Director of Education Services, Director of Sustainability
+358 44 702 8507, firstname.lastname@xamk.fi

Vappu Kunnaala-Hyrkki, Sustainability Coordinator
+358 44 702 8424, firstname.lastname@xamk.fi