UniPID welcomes its 10th Member University: Hanken School of Economics!

What better way to start the new year than by welcoming a new member! Hanken School of Economics has officially joined the UniPID network. With this addition, we now move forward together with 10 Finnish universities, strengthening our commitment to advancing universities’ global responsibility.

Last autumn, Hanken School of Economics expressed its interest in joining the Finnish University Partnership for International Development, UniPID. Subsequently, the network Board unanimously agreed that Hanken’s membership would be a valuable and suitable addition to our collective efforts toward enhancing universities’ societal impact.

We are very excited to join such an established and diverse network of universities as UniPiD. Hanken’s strategy particularly emphasizes that as a stand-alone business school, we must cooperate closely with universities to address sustainability challenges in a transdisciplinary manner, and in this equation, I see UniPiD as a central actor in the national landscape. With our active engagement in the intersections of development and business in both teaching and research, I also think we can bring some interesting ingredients to the table. Nikodemus Solitander, member of UniPID board and Hanken's Associate Dean of Sustainability

Who is this new member?

Founded in 1909, Hanken School of Economics is one of the Nordic region’s oldest business schools. Initially established by the local business community, Hanken has evolved from a private institution to the only university-level business school under public law in Finland. Guided by its strategy, Hanken 2030: For a Sustainable and International Finland, the institution prioritizes sustainability and responsibility as one of its five sub-strategies. This vision aligns perfectly with UniPID’s action of supporting interdisciplinary studies and research on international sustainable development.

What Hanken’s Membership Means for UniPID

UniPID celebrates the arrival of Hanken as a new member. Including Hanken in our network represents a significant contribution that will undoubtedly expand our perspectives and expertise in global development and global challenges—two fields that require collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches. Hanken brings a particular focus on corporate responsibility, business and human rights, and humanitarian logistics, enriching UniPID’s efforts to promote equitable global academic partnerships. Its strong business and economic perspective, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and extensive industry networks offer valuable opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration and innovative approaches to addressing global challenges.

We are more than pleased to have Hanken onboard at UniPID! Hanken highlights an impressive scientific impact and a longstanding commitment to social responsibility and sustainability in its activities. It shows that Hanken values partnerships in sustainability, both nationally and globally. We look forward to engaging Hanken as an active member in the network and welcoming students from Hanken to develop their expertise in global sustainable development! Kaisa Kurki, UniPID’s director.

UniPID and Hanken’s Shared Vision

While UniPID plays a pivotal role in supporting Finnish universities to promote and implement sustainable development in higher education and research, Hanken’s initiatives and research paths are geared towards societal impact, contributing to solving current and future societal challenges. Both institutions share aligned objectives that will undoubtedly complement each other’s visions.

Although Hanken joined us very recently, it has not been unfamiliar to UniPID, nor vice versa. Since the beginning of the Development Policy Studies (mechanism commissioned by UniPID and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland), academic staff and researchers of Hanken School of Economics has made significant contributions in the field. One noteworthy example is the latest DPS study, The Cumulative Effects of EU Sustainability Legislation (CEULA): Impacts on Finnish Firms.

Another example is that back in 2022, and through the close collaboration between UniPID and the global networks of higher educations institutions in Finland, academic staff at Hanken participated in the firs training on Responsible Global Academic Partnerships, composed of a series of workshop sessions focused on identifying power imbalances, while at the same time exploring in practical terms how to foster equity in education and research collaborations with partners from or in the Global South.

Speaking of partnerships, Hanken has also worked closely with other members of our network. For instance, through the Helsinki Graduate School of Economics (GSE), a collaborative program with Aalto University and the University of Helsinki, where economists study questions of particular interest to low- and middle-income countries.

Additionally, Hanken’s close collaboration with Global South partners resonates with UniPID’s interest in promoting the exchange of knowledge and perspectives between Finnish universities and partners in the Global South. In fact, Hanken has partnership agreements with about 140 universities worldwide, many of which are in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Overall, we are thrilled to welcome this new member. We are confident that this collaboration will drive more rich and interdisciplinary perspectives on societal impact while advancing universities’ global responsibility. From the bottom of our hearts—welcome aboard, Hanken School of Economics!

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Photo credits: Hanken School of Economics website.