What we do

• AAPA forum coordinates and manages mutual  issues
• Appoints AAPA representatives to national collaboration groups
• Supports the implementation of the strategies and core businesses of the UAS
• Promote cross-functional collaboration between the information management units of higher education institutions.
• Improve interaction and information between members
• Creates opportunities for the professional development of the members
• Supports the local ICT work and development of each UAS
• Makes guidelines and disseminates best practices in ICT business
• Participates in stakeholder activities and represents the shared objectives of CIOs
• Coordinate collaboration with international ICT networks and higher education institutions abroad

Who we are

• The members of the AAPA forum are the Director of Information Management or another person responsible for information management, authorised by the Rector of each UAS.
• All Finnish universities of applied sciences (24) have appointed an official representative to the AAPA forum. An official member of the AAPA forum has the possibility to nominate 1-3 alternates for the forum meetings and mailing list.
• Every year, the AAPA forum organizes its statutory two-day summer and winter seminars, including AAPA meetings and the official annual meeting in October or November.
• A six-member AAPA executive committee and full-time IT Secretary General implement the forum’s decisions and steer its operational activities.
• The AAPA network of UAS collaborates well with the FUCIO network of universities’ CIOs. Collaboration also occurs in several special interest groups, such as the Information Security and SIG groups.

Collaborators

• The AAPA forum has an extensive collaboration network, including the Ministry of Education and Culture, ARENE, CSC, HEHF, EDU.fi, universities of applied sciences, universities, municipal owners, FUCIO, VET education federations, and commercial ICT suppliers.
• National collaboration includes enterprise architecture work, information management and governance development and benchmarking of ICT work between higher education institutions.
• AAPA’s international links include EUNIS, the European University Information Systems organisation, and EDUCAUSE, a higher education technology association and the largest community of IT leaders and professionals committed to advancing higher education.
• In addition, the various UAS have numerous international ICT collaboration partners.