SEAMK receives Elite Athlete Friendly University quality label

There are now a total of 17 higher education institutions in Finland that have been officially verified as elite athlete friendly university. In addition to SEAMK, the quality label was awarded following the latest audits to Aalto University and Arcada University of Applied Sciences.

“We are very pleased with this recognition. At SEAMK, around 350 students currently compete at national league level in their respective sports in the surrounding region. We believe that this, together with our other investments, such as the new specialisation option in sports business within the Bachelor of Business Administration programme, is likely to attract more student athletes to the region,” says SEAMK’s President and CEO Jaakko Hallila.

According to Tuija Vasikkaniemi, Development Manager of Learning and Teaching, SEAMK’s investments in combining sports and studies ultimately benefit all students.

“At the core of enabling athletes’ dual careers is increased flexibility in studies, which benefits all students and the development of education as a whole. The audit process has also further accelerated networking and the generation of new cooperation ideas with sports clubs,” Vasikkaniemi notes.

SEAMK’s strengths

At elite athlete friendly universities, guidance and practical arrangements are designed to support the combination of elite sports and studies. Close cooperation with regional sports academies is essential. At SEAMK, this includes collaboration with the South Ostrobothnia Sports Academy, as well as, of course, Kuortane Sports Institute.

“The aim of the network of elite athlete friendly universities is to offer athletes equal and flexible study opportunities and to develop effective dual‑career practices at national level. New universities joining the network strengthen this work with their own expertise,” says Jukka Tirri, Senior Specialist for Student Sport at the Finnish Olympic Committee.

In its audit, the evaluation panel identified the following key strengths at SEAMK:

• The staff of Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences demonstrate a strong commitment and willingness to support and guide student athletes.
• SEAMK provides its students with extensive academic guidance.
• SEAMK offers diverse and continuously developing opportunities for flexible study arrangements. At the same time, the university’s strategic choices and operating model support the quality factors of an elite athlete friendly university and the implementation of flexible study arrangements for student athletes.
• SEAMK provides student athletes with a broad range of study options, including sports‑related studies, as well as versatile opportunities to take advantage of cross‑institutional study options between higher education institutions.
• SEAMK offers extensive pathway studies and Open University of Applied Sciences routes, thereby supporting student athletes’ dual careers already from upper secondary education onwards.
• SEAMK’s strong international cooperation creates attractive future opportunities for student athletes.

The award was received today on May 6, 2026 in Rovaniemi by (from left) Jarno Ihme from the South Ostrobothnia Sports Academy, Tuija Vasikkaniemi and Johanna Koivula from SEAMK, and Maarit Laitinen from the South Ostrobothnia Sports Academy. Photo: Finnish Olympic Committee.

Growing interest in the quality label

The quality label has attracted considerable interest: a total of 20 higher education institutions have already applied for the audit. The network develops national practices that facilitate the combination of competitive sports and higher education studies and increase awareness of the support provided by higher education institutions and sports academies for athletes’ dual careers.

In addition to the institutions that have received the quality label, elite athlete friendly universities in Finland include Haaga‑Helia University of Applied Sciences, Häme University of Applied Sciences, JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Jyväskylä, the University of Lapland and Åbo Akademi University.

Six areas assessed in the quality model

The recognition is awarded on the basis of an audit. The evaluation covers six thematic areas and 23 quality factors, including individual study guidance, flexible study arrangements, recognition of prior learning and cooperation with sports academies. An additional objective is to facilitate a smooth transition from upper secondary education to higher education.

The audits are participatory in nature and support the continuous development of higher education institutions by identifying both strengths and areas for improvement.