The academic communities at ILU shall be highly ambitious — whether the goal is to advance the international research front or to develop national and local practices. During the strategy period, we shall strengthen our contribution to knowledge development for and with the sector, based on a combination of experience‑based and scientific knowledge.

During the strategy period, ILU shall strengthen its overall research and development activity through a broadly anchored research and development culture. ILU shall establish clear expectations for academic contributions at all levels of the organisation and increase the proportion of staff who publish peer‑reviewed research, both nationally and internationally. As a department, ILU shall promote the visibility and use of knowledge, and we shall contribute with groundbreaking research.

ILU shall assume national responsibility for the development of teacher education. The study programmes at ILU shall be characterised by high academic quality, helping to recruit ambitious and engaged students. Quality is created through research‑based teaching, practical experience, in‑depth study, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The programmes provide academic, pedagogical, and subject‑ and vocational‑didactic depth and breadth. They are also characterized by cutting-edge expertise in the academic communities.

ILU shall be visible in professional and education policy discussions nationally, and, through this, contribute to shaping policy and practice. As a department, we shall support our staff in disseminating their research and participating in discussions on school, education, subjects, and working life. We shall safeguard academic freedom as both a value and a prerequisite, creating the conditions for people to express themselves.

ILU’s most important contribution to societal development is our graduates. Through programmes that recruit effectively and set high professional standards on campus and in practice, we shall educate professionals capable of managing complex professions and who are well prepared for a constantly changing school and society. The education programmes shall foster knowledge development and knowledge‑based practice, curiosity, analytical thinking, independence, and the ability to collaborate.

Our graduates can use a variety of academic, pedagogical, subject‑ and vocational‑didactic tools and technologies with sound judgement across diverse learning arenas. They have the humanity and professional ethical awareness necessary for wise action, and they also have the knowledge and courage to change and further develop their subjects, their profession, and themselves.

ILU’s activities shall promote environmental, social, and economic sustainability, and contribute to educating active citizens. We shall foster awareness of the connections between the local, national, and global, and strengthen internationalisation within the study programmes.

Research at ILU shall be relevant, strengthen professional education, and provide decision‑makers with a solid academic foundation. The research communities at ILU shall combine academic specialisation with interdisciplinary collaboration and explore multifaceted issues through diverse methodological approaches.

Research and education shall be closely integrated. Throughout their studies, students shall encounter teachers and supervisors who are actively engaged in research and dissemination, and they should also be included in research activities. Research and development work that investigates and develops teaching practices holds a particularly central position at ILU. We develop experience‑based, practical, aesthetic, and exploratory forms of teaching within the full range of school subjects.

ILU shall develop and promote scientifically grounded knowledge and critical thinking as protection against simplification, misinformation, and polarisation. We shall educate professionals who think and act responsibly; who are warm and courageous in their encounters with others, and who can counteract exclusion. In this way, ILU shall contribute to a future democratic and inclusive society characterised by trust in knowledge and community.

ILU assumes that academic and human communities are essential for knowledge development, critical thinking, and democratic participation. We shall help strengthen the school as society’s most important arena for community through academic development work and research‑based teaching across a wide range of school subjects and academic fields. The academic communities at ILU shall develop significant knowledge contributions within various aspects of the concept of community.

Technological development is driving radical changes in the field of education. These changes have the potential to threaten trust in community, knowledge, and democracy. ILU shall contribute knowledge‑based insights into both the opportunities and challenges that these technologies bring to learning, schools, and society.

The ambitions are created and developed within research groups, subject sections, the administration, centres, and study programmes. The academic communities shall be stimulating, supportive, and respectful collaborative environments where curiosity, creativity, and diverse perspectives are valued. Through respectful interaction, we shall maintain active dialogue and debate about what constitutes good and important research and education within our fields.

ILU shall facilitate different career pathways for employees and utilise the varied strengths within staff competencies as an asset. ILU shall support the research and development activities of staff both individually and collectively, and foster career development toward higher academic qualification. ILU shall engage in dialogue with regional, national, and international partners in the development of academic fields and research, and more employees shall gain experience as project leaders.

ILU’s activities have a clear connection to the development and challenges of the field of practice. Professional relevance is developed in partnership with relevant stakeholders. We collaborate with, investigate, develop, and are challenged by the field of practice we educate for and within. This means that education, research, and development work take place in continuous dialogue and co‑creation with the field, with the aim of strengthening quality in schools, teacher education, and other relevant sectors. Within the programmes, on‑campus studies and practice‑based studies are well integrated and organised with an emphasis on academic quality and flexibility. In dialogue with the field of practice, ILU contributes to research and development work, dissemination, and innovation regionally, nationally, and internationally.

ILU shall be a learning academic community with a culture of knowledge development and knowledge sharing, characterised by openness, inclusion, generosity, and collaboration. Working and studying at ILU involves a balance between having academic freedom and taking responsibility. ILU’s staff and students are competent, ambitious, curious, and engaged, and they contribute to the development of the department both individually and collectively.

ILU shall safeguard a diverse academic culture marked by mutual respect, where employees and students with different backgrounds can perform and develop. A safe and stimulating learning and working environment shall promote mastery, belonging, and academic motivation.

ILU shall work toward creating a vibrant campus that serves as an academic meeting place for students and staff, reflecting our core activities to the greatest extent.

Good organisational frameworks shall support ILU’s core activities and ensure balance between tasks and resources. ILU must adapt to the economic conditions. The leadership shall facilitate participation, and decision‑making processes shall be characterised by transparency and systematic procedures.

Clear leadership at all levels shall promote trust and contribute to clear goals and frameworks for the work. The study programmes at ILU shall be well organised and academically and financially sustainable.

ILU shall strive for employees and students to be linguistically aware and to follow the principles of plain language. The statutory linguistic rights of employees and students shall be safeguarded.