An excellent forum for discussing the future, preparing for changes and renewing the concept of Bildung

We are living in exceptionally uncertain times. Many of the values and principles shared among Western countries over the past 80 years seem to be crumbling, and we are not always able to perceive what is provocation meant to provoke, what is long-term manipulation or a real shift of geo- or superpower political tectonic plates into a new position.

Unpredictability, tempo, and the multidimensionality and hidden effects of phenomena make it difficult for us to anticipate changes that will inevitably affect our work at universities of applied sciences and at the interfaces of business cooperation. Fortunately, we have ways to peek into the future and create, for example, through scenario work, different models of what may lie ahead. We do not have to do this work alone or only in our own circle. There are many parties with whom we have the same interests and with whom we can get a broader perspective on developments.

The theme of the UAS Journal issue 1/2025 is current topics and the role of universities of applied sciences in forward-looking business cooperation and RDI activities. This fits the picture, as the UAS Journal is a joint online publication of Finnish universities of applied sciences, which communicates about the research, development and innovation activities and business cooperation taking place in universities of applied sciences to both the actors of universities of applied sciences and the stakeholders of working life and business life (UAS Journal, 2025).

Universities of applied sciences – up-to-date building the future

One convenient way for the operators of universities of applied sciences to keep up to date with the change is to be involved in the activities of learned societies, for example. In addition to one’s own specialty, a good option is, for example, the Finnish Society for Futures Studies, which is independent of restrictive classifications of disciplines. Its purpose is to promote futures research, its utilisation and the discussion based on it in Finland, and to bring together people and communities in our country who are interested in the future, who are researching futures and making the future. The society acts as a network of researchers, experts and others interested in the future, and it also has local action groups around the country. (See https://www.tutuseura.fi/).

Sitra presents itself as a company of the future that looks to the future, produces innovations and renews society (https://www.sitra.fi/teemat/sitra/). Although it has sometimes been considered a bit introverted and paradoxically functional, (Halme et al 2019; Huhtanen et al 2017), it is currently active in building initiatives, programmes, publications and various tools that facilitate future work.

For example, the article ”Do I need a degree for this?” published in this issue. New solutions to competence bottlenecks together with working life (Husman, Oksanen and Uusi-Mäkelä) highlight the Futures Frequency service concept offered by Sitra. It is intended for leading a three-hour workshop in cases where it is good to challenge future assumptions, imagine desirable futures and outline the necessary measures. According to Sitra, ”the method tunes the participants to think about a future that is worth imagining and striving for. It inspires us to think about the future from new perspectives and it also challenges us to identify ways to act for the desired future.” (https://www.sitra.fi/caset/tulevaisuustaajuus/). The website of the Futures Frequency service provides all the necessary instructions for organising a workshop, such as the leader’s handbook, a ready-made slide set, sheet music and futures plays, as well as examples of the application of the Futures Frequency method.

In January 2025, Sitra published Heikkoja signaaleja tulevaisuudesta. Opas havainnointiin ja tulkintaan (https://www.sitra.fi/julkaisut/heikkoja-signaaleja-tulevaisuudesta/) and the Heikot signaalit probe included in it are another example of Sitra’s concrete foresight tool that can be used free of charge by anyone.

Universities of applied sciences – developing working life in cooperation and critically

In a more straightforward way, the Chamber of Foresight cooperation has been established in Uusimaa, for example, only to anticipate the competence needs of working life. With the help of the programme, the business community and education providers operating in the region aim to strengthen the relevance of education to working life, interaction between companies and educational institutions, and pioneering the anticipation of labour needs and education. In its work, the Chamber of Foresight brings together the employment and economic development administration, companies, educational institutions and regional administration, whose views form the basis for the assessment of the situation and recommendations for action produced by the forum. It produces two annual situation reports on the Uusimaa region on the basis of statistics, studies, reports and foresight data, as well as the Chamber of Foresight’s own reports, and publishes other reports on employment and competence needs. In Southwest Finland, on the other hand, there is a foresight academy, which is an extensive cooperation consortium based on a partnership and cooperation agreement with its own annual budget. The practical work is carried out by working groups formed by key sectors of the business sector, to which the parties have appointed members.

Although proximity to working life and the development of business and industry are the basic tasks of universities of applied sciences, from the perspective of foresight of the future, critical consideration should be given to whether both continuous learning and the maintenance and development of competence are too one-sidedly tied to working life and the maintenance of the skills needed in working life. Adopting the ethos of working life without constant critical reflection on one’s own may be short-sighted.

In addition to the requirements of working life and its development, the Universities of Applied Sciences Act (932/2014) also talks about lifelong learning. It is a broader concept than continuous learning or continuous development of competence, and it also includes the cultural needs of the individual and human growth for more than just working life. The law governing universities of applied sciences also recognises the concept of non-formal education, which has gained unnecessarily little weight in discussions within or between universities of applied sciences – not to mention non-formal education in the context of cooperation with working life.

However, Sitra, for example, believes that education is needed to build a sustainable future. The ideal of non-formal education should be discussed in order to ensure that an open and critical perspective is maintained in future considerations. The concept of non-formal education must be renewed: in the post-industrial society of the 2020s, non-formal education can no longer be emphatically just erudition and competence, but it must be increasingly associated with intergenerational responsibility and readiness for change. (Lahti and Mero 2021.)

In the traditional conception of non-formal education, people are too often the sole individual at the centre, which means that the significance of nature and communities is left in an unnecessarily small role. Bildung is more than just an individual’s characteristic, which is why it is sometimes good to think about Bildung as a social force. (Lahti and Mero 2021.)

Writing and sharing towards the future

With communal articles, reviews and speeches – anticipating alternative visions of the future – it is possible to discuss the future and prepare for changes together. That is why UAS Journal is an important forum that has the potential to grow into an even more collegial community, a community that draws more than just from its own activities and is increasingly interested in solutions found by others. Foresight is by its nature doing things together and exploring possible futures together. The significance of different communities of practice as processors, producers, distributors and disseminators of constantly renewing foresight information is central for both the members of the higher education community and the stakeholders involved in the cooperation. (Ojala and Kantola, 2024.)

Writing, verbalising one’s own experiences and sharing other kinds of good things about RDI activities may produce not only direct results or benefits, but also weak signals, the meaning of which will only be revealed later. They help us identify emerging changes, prepare for surprises, and generally challenge assumptions about the future. Weak signals can also help us evaluate our decisions and actions. At their best, they inspire us to innovate when we identify phenomena that we have not encountered before. (Poussa and Ylikoski 2025.)

The purpose of futures research, scenario work and foresight is to produce information on what possible, undesirable or probable futures could be like. Of course, by utilising the information obtained in this way, even a private person can influence their own life, but the channels of influence of universities of applied sciences are many times greater. With the help of our cultural capital, foresight and wise choices, we can make tomorrow a much better place for many people.

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