Metropolia

Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Finland’s largest university of applied sciences, educates future professionals in the fields of Business, Culture, Health Care and Social Services, and Technology. Metropolia is a community comprising approximately 18,000 students and over 1,100 experts. 

Metropolia reached out to deidei to find a partner to support the assessment of their current equality and non-discrimination efforts and elevate their strategic development.

Based on the assessment findings, we co-created a Diverse Metropolia strategy and updated their Equality and Non-Discrimination plan. The overarching goal of the project was to ensure that Metropolia’s equality and non-discrimination work is inclusive of its diverse community, actionable, and feasible, and is embedded within the organization’s existing strategy, objectives, and ways of working.

“Working with Deidei on this comprehensive and collaborative project – from assessing our current state to creating our long-term strategy and actionable equality and non-discrimination plan – was a standout experience. The outcomes were not only impressive but also impactful.” Jenni Ylkänen, Development Team Lead, HR Services, Metropolia.

Assessing the Current State to Align Development with Real Needs and Smart Resource Use

The first part of the project aimed to map Metropolia’s current inclusion, equality, and non-discrimination practices and actively engage stakeholders to ensure that future development responds to real needs. It provided a practical yet feasible understanding of the areas that should be prioritized in the upcoming strategy and Equality and Non-Discrimination plan to make them more impactful.

The assessment began with audits of key materials and data, which were then deepened through focus group and one-on-one interviews, incorporating perspectives from both students and staff. The assessment resulted in a report highlighting strengths, development opportunities, and concrete recommendations to guide the strategy update.

A Diverse Metropolia Strategy Paired with an Actionable Equality and Non-Discrimination Plan

The next phase, updating the strategy, had two clear goals: to make inclusion, equality, and non-discrimination work both systematic and practical. In other words, the strategy needed to set the direction informed by the current state assessment, and the action plan needed to turn the direction into an everyday reality.

Collaborating closely with key stakeholders, we created the Diverse Metropolia 2025–2030 strategy. It connects inclusion development directly to Metropolia’s broader strategy, core functions, and real needs. To make sure the strategy is fully feasible in practice, we developed an actionable Equality and Non-Discrimination Plan alongside it. This plan guides implementation for the next two years and turns strategic goals into concrete actions.