The School of Engineering (JTH) of the Jönköping University in Sweden was awarded a five-year accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (ACEEU), which certifies them for their excellence in community engagement.
As a socially engaged unit, JTH demonstrated to be strategically oriented and positioned to generate a wide range of societal contributions, benefits, and impacts. JTH is aligned to the regional social and economic needs, integrates a wide range of external stakeholders, develops collaborative research, has the people and organizational capacity for engaging with society, and plays an influential role in the regional ecosystem. These characteristics allow JTH to generate social impact while strengthening its institutional efficiency.
JTH was founded in 1994 to be a Swedish and international leader in developing and spreading new technology and knowledge to small and medium-sized enterprises from a collaborative and sustainable perspective. Beyond offering technical engineering education, the SJT offers entrepreneurship, leadership, communication, and sustainable development skills that allow its students and alumni to successfully integrate into the regional ecosystem. This is balanced with a strong international orientation that has positioned Jönköping University as one of the top destinations for international students in Sweden.
"It was really gratifying, and we are incredibly proud of this accreditation. It indicates international qualities which confirms that we do the right things in a good way when it comes to preparing students for professional life by alternating theory and practice. Engaged University means that you get involved and want to contribute to the benefit of society. The accreditation will certainly open new doors for us and show that the research we conduct together with companies makes a difference" - Says Ingrid Wadskog, Managing Director and Dean at JTH.
The university was visited by Johan Blaus, Elina Gaile-Sarkane, and Maryam Hansson Edalat. The Peer Review Team highlighted the excellent leadership around the topic of university-industry engagement, which allows the school to foster strong cooperation, partnerships, and co-creation with the industry. Also, they observed this is reflected in a clear organizational culture. The staff at JTH naturally have close interaction with the outside world, especially with the industry. This shows that practice is in line with a culture conducive to social engagement. Further, they also highlighted how the education mission is clearly aligned to regional needs. This is evidenced in the curricula aligned to regional needs, active involvement of professors with industry, opportunities for practical work (Industry Placement Course), development of thesis based on real industry cases, active dialogue with the local companies, involvement of students in product development, and high flexibility to adapt to changes.
JTH demonstrated to be an influential stakeholder on a regional level. It is clear that the contributions of JTH are particularly important for the development of business in the region. This conclusion emerged in the interviews and was strengthened, among other things, by testimonials from the external stakeholders. Additionally, the Science Park is an example of how JTH stimulates entrepreneurship, especially among students. At the same time, it stands as the major hub for innovation support in Jönköping. The exchange of knowledge and the development of innovations are vital for JTU to play a key role in the local community.
In sum, the institutional commitment to social engagement articulates the mission, strategy, planning, and assessment to offer education, research, and innovation with a clear regional impact. This allows JTH to provide the local communities, businesses, researchers, university staff, and students with multiple benefits, social impacts, and career opportunities. Watch the video below, on the announcement of JTH's accreditation.
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