Extensive University Health Campus Turku Collaboration Highlights Expertise
The Hospital District of Southwest Finland, the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, Turku University of Applied Sciences and Novia University of Applied Sciences have made an agreement on developing the campus area around Turku University Hospital. The development is carried out, for example, in research and education under the University Health Campus Turku brand.
The area of Turku University Hospital is nationally and internationally a significant centre of operations in health and life sciences. The organisations on the campus and in its immediate vicinity conduct significant research in medicine and health sciences in addition to offering specialised medical services.
The campus forms the largest multi-professional education cluster in medicine and health sciences in Finland. Among other things, most doctors are trained on the campus than anywhere else in Finland.
Different joint units of the institutions operate on the campus, such as the national Turku PET Centre of the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and Hospital District of Southwest Finland, and the Auria Biobank of the University of Turku and hospital districts.
The main goal of the University Health Campus Turku is to develop especially the expertise that fulfils the aims of the social welfare and healthcare reform and crosses the traditional boundaries between disciplines.
– It is essential for the future of the Finnish service system that the professionals become familiar with multidisciplinarity already in their study environment. The compact campus promotes the research groups' collaboration and innovation activities. In addition, we receive synergy benefits from the joint support services, says Olli-Pekka Lehtonen, the Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital District of Southwest Finland.
– The success of the Turku University Hospital campus is also important in the future for the internationally top class research and education, says Rector Kalervo Väänänen of the University of Turku.
– At first, we are investing in the co-operation through our expertise in natural sciences and technology in Turku PET Centre, but I believe that he University Health Campus Turku offers many great opportunities for collaboration also in our other areas of strength, such as drug development and biomaterials , says Rector Mikko Hupa of Åbo Akademi University.
– The interdisciplinary University Health Campus creates new possibilities for tightening co-operation between different social welfare and healthcare expert groups when the entire chain of well-being operators is in the same developmental environment, says Vesa Taatila, the Rector and President of Turku University of Applied Sciences.
– The collaboration strengthens education as well as research and development, as now we can utilise our resources and networks more efficiently. At the same time, our visibility increases both nationally and internationally, says Rector Örjan Andersson of Novia University of Applied Sciences.
In addition to advancing the prerequisites for research and education, the collaboration develops the business and innovation activities of the region. The partners in co-operation are looking for new solutions in the administration and support services, such as in the realisation of IT, Library and expert services. Another goal is to enable members of the staff to work across the boundaries between the different organisations that are part of the University Health Campus Turku.
The name of the University Health Campus Turku is Terveyskampus Turku in Finnish and Hälsocampus Åbo in Swedish. The strong campus image is utilised also in recruitment.
TK/MR
Photo: Esko Keski-Oja