Sustainability and interaction

Responsibility is a cornerstone of the operation of the National Defence University, and, among other things, sustainable development, equality and non-discrimination are at the core of it. With its expertise in military sciences, the NDU responds to society’s need for information.

Highlights of 2023

The National Defence University responded to the change in the international security situation and received a total of 2009 mentions in editorial media. The editorial media potentially reached up to 2.4 billion readers. In editorial media, visibility decreased by about 34% from 2022. 

In social media, the NDU was mentioned more than 10,766 times, reaching potentially as many as 59 million people, and the updates collected more than 83,000 reactions. Visibility in social media increased slightly from 2022. 

In 2023, the NDU passed an independent audit of the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre excellently, which guarantees the functionality and effectiveness of the higher education institution's quality system. The NDU also participated in T-Media’s Trust & Reputation study, in which it achieved the score of 3.73 on a scale of 1-5. Of all the participating universities, NDU ranked 3rd being among the most reputable universities in Finland. 

The National Defence University conducted an optional evaluation of responsibility and sustainable development in the audit of the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre. The audit has identified the contribution of NDU's activities to the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda. The NDU is also committed to the WWF Green Office programme, which aims to reduce the consumption of natural resources and environmental loading. 

The NDU organised 119 events, which had a total of more than 8,300 participants. There were 28 international events out of the total. 

The National Defence University's Sotataidon ytimessä (At the Heart of Warfare) podcast collected a total of 162,000 listening sessions, with an increase of up to 70% from 2022. In 2023, the podcast covered 28 episodes of expert, analytical and timely discussions in different areas of military sciences.

More than 100,000 people visited the exhibitions in Suomenlinna of the Military Museum, which operates as part of the National Defence University. 

 

National Defence University - Sustainable Development Goals - UN Agenda 2030

In 2020, the National Defence University has prepared a responsibility programme, which has put the aim of responsibility and sustainable development at the centre of its activities. The aim of the programme is to make the themes as a whole the cross-cutting themes of the NDU. 


The FINEEC audit of 2023 examined the significance of responsibility and sustainable development in the activities of the National Defence University and identified the contribution of the higher education institution to the various areas of the UN Agenda 30. 


In connection with the audit, the National Defence University has identified its involvement in eight SDGs, which include end hunger (SDG 2), health and well-being (SDG 3), good education (SDG 4), gender equality (SDG 5), reducing inequality within and among countries (SDG 10), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), peace, justice and good governance (SDG16), and cooperation and partnerships (SDG17).