Finland has a reputation as a high achiever in education and happiness rankings. For decades, Finland has been basking in the glory of PISA rankings and its education institutions continue to be top choices for familiarisation trips. Finland was selected the happiest country in the world for the 7th time in a row in 2024 (Helliwell et al. 2024). Education has certainly played a role in making Finns happy, promoting well-being and quality of life.

Commitment to sustainability

Finland’s strong overall ranking of 1st in the Sustainable Development Report (Sachs, Lafortune & Fuller 2024) is supported by its high performance across multiple SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). Finland’s overall score of 86.35 indicates that it has made significant progress towards achieving all 17 goals. Finland is also recognised as the freest nation, consistently scoring 100 out of 100 in the Freedom House (2024) rankings, showing that both political rights and civil liberties are respected in our country. Furthermore, Finland has four companies in the top 100 most sustainable corporations in the world (McCarthy 2024). This highlights Finland’s strong commitment to sustainability and its leadership in the global green economy.

At Haaga-Helia, sustainability is effectively integrated into the curriculum. We teach students about environmental issues, climate change, and sustainable development practices, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to contribute to a more sustainable future. By emphasising critical thinking and civic engagement, students are encouraged to become advocates for essential social, economic and environmental causes.

Innovating and attracting talent

Finnish universities do not have high positions on global ranking lists. Finland still belongs to the most innovative countries, ranking 6th in the latest Global Innovation Index (Dutta et al. 2023). Some of this may be explained by the fact that Finland’s position in attracting talent is strong. we consistently rank high in global surveys, including the World Economic Forum’s Talent Competitiveness Index (Masterson 16.11.2023).

The education system, work-life balance, and social welfare programmes in Finland are key factors contributing to its attractiveness. The country’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship also makes it a desirable destination for talented individuals.

Towards top rankings in sustainable tourism

Tourists are drawn to countries that offer them a taste of the good life, chances for wellbeing and happiness. Yet, the tourism products and experiences in Finland focus surprisingly little on happiness, which would be a major selling point to visitors coming from hectic urban source markets. As Finland aims to become the most sustainable tourism destination in the Nordic countries (Kokkanen & Mäkelä 2024), it is crucial to climb higher in the Travel and Tourism Development Index (World Economic Forum 21.5.2024). This index benchmarks and measures the factors that enable sustainable development of the travel and tourism sector. Currently Finland holds the 20th position.

Our tourism students are well-prepared for the challenge, as they are all trained in the Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) label and its steps, enabling them to identify, understand and address sustainable tourism issues when they begin their careers.

High rankings often convert to increased enrolments, turnover, tuition fees and other financial benefits. The reasons why Finns are so preoccupied with rankings makes economic sense. Sustainability and innovations are pivotal to Finnish expertise and happiness, making it essential to focus education, energy and effort on them.

Picture: Haaga-Helia