---

The higher education institutions can and should be managed to attain a better future and ensure high quality, but the management of higher education institutions need a framework. The framework does not only help management communicate and implement the strategies, but also to plan strategies in the strategy process, evaluate the performance and achievement of desired objectives and provide a structure for quality assurance and management information system. At the national level, the study presents a network strategy of the universities of applied sciences and the functional strategic plans of their libraries. At the regional level, the study presents a network strategy of higher education institutions and the strategy of the Turku University of Applied Sciences as part of the strategy of the City of Turku. At the institutional level, the study presents competitive strategies, which are applied in continuing education. The results of this study are useful for those who want to improve the strategic management and quality assurance of higher education institutions.

---

Dr. Juha Kettunen is the Rector of the Turku University of Applied Sciences in Finland and Adjunct Professor at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.

---