Aalto University Student Union has a new direction for the next four years

At its meeting yesterday, the Representative Council of Aalto University Student Union approved AYY’s new strategy for 2021–2024. AYY worked on the strategy for the most part of 2020: the work included a strategy questionnaire for members, workshops and numerous rounds of statements. In addition to the membership, the Representative Council, AYY’s office, Honorary Council and Financial Directorate actively participated in the writing of the strategy.

Elina Nieminen, Executive Director responsible for strategy work, and Laura Nikola, a member of the board 2021 responsible for the strategy, are excited about the new strategy. 

“I see this new strategy as an opportunity for AYY to move towards the common goal and vision of the best student life in the world. At the same time, I see it as an opportunity to make decisions based on insights, reflections and common values, so that the new strategy will gradually come alive in daily life as well”, says Nikola.

The goal of the strategy reform was to create a strategy for AYY, which reflects the members, responds to future challenges faced by the Student Union and supports strategic management and prioritisation. Members significantly influenced the values of the strategy. Noora Torpo, AYY Board Member responsible for the 2020 strategy, tells about the members’ influence on the strategy: “We carefully reviewed all the values proposed in the questionnaire for members and used them to create core values. Members also suggested pursuing sustainability in the property section and construction. The importance of finding one’s own community and AYY’s role in the forming of interdisciplinary friendships were also emphasised”.

Most of the strategy work was done in the year when every Aalto member’s daily life changed and the situation became the new normal. The strategy helps AYY to respond to major changes in the future and to serve its members even better in those changes. The strategy took into account Sitra’s megatrends for 2020. At the beginning of the 2020s, the driving forces faced by AYY include, among other things, the changing of the sense of community, the changing power or communications and networks, as well as diversity and internationality.  

So what can the Aalto community expect from the next strategy period 2021−2024?

“The strategy particularly emphasises that AYY is a service organisation and we want to be useful to all of our members. We believe that the services provided by AYY enable happy and unforgettable student years. With this new strategy, we will focus on offering every Aalto member an opportunity to enjoy these services”, says Executive Director Nieminen.

Further information:

Executive Director Elina Nieminen, +358 50 520 9415

Board Member Laura Nikola, +358 40 677 2566