Our strategy

Radical creativity

Radical creativity is one of the three cross-cutting approaches in our living strategy.
Radical creativity illustration, showing wave and some details from campus architecture, illustration by Anna Muchenikova

The world is changing at a pace like never before. Our focus of development is to build an outstanding creative community for new thinking. The actions we need to take to reach this include empowering an experimental culture by building the spaces and practices that encourage us to break boundaries and create novel perspectives. 

Radical creativity is one of the three cross-cutting approaches in our living strategy. Over the next years, we will invest in developing creative mindsets, capabilities, processes and spaces that support radical creativity.

The other cross-cutting approaches

Solutions for sustainability

Entrepreneurial mindset

Join discussion on radical creativity

We need radical creativity

Tuomas Auvinen

Tuomas Auvinen: Radical creativity as culture

Creativity is experimenting, and therefore a valuable skill for us all to master in a constantly changing and complex world. Radical creativity does not appear overnight, but we can build capabilities for it, says Dean Tuomas Auvinen.

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Provost Kristiina Mäkelä. Photo: Jaakko Kahilaniemi

Radical creativity empowers new thinking

Aalto aims to take an internationally leading position concerning radical creativity and its leadership.

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Christian Guckelsberger in front of graffiti

Teaching creativity to computers - Christian Guckelsberger wants to equip AI with the motivation to discover the unexpected

Research on computational intrinsic motivation could answer some fundamental questions about the nature of creativity, but also improve household robotics or even self-driving cars

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Riikka Mäkikoskela

Riikka Mäkikoskela, Doctor of Arts, appointed as Head of Radical Creativity

Creativity is an important capability as we spark the game changers of tomorrow, and renew our society. A culture of radical creativity supports learning from exploration, experimentation and failure.

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Imagining alternative futures Illustration: Janne Kuisma

Imagining alternative futures with creativity

Creativity is a buzzword – but what does it mean?

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Professor of practice Tua Björklund. Photo: Mortti Saarnia

‘The low hierarchy and open labs of Aalto build a foundation for our community, as we’ve seen through the number of patents, ventures and initiatives not only from our staff but students, too.’ 

Tua Björklund 
Professor of Practice, Design Factory
School of Engineering 

 

Our scholars' takes on radical creativity

Aalto-yliopisto, Otaniemi stories: Jaan Praks, apulaisprofessori, radiotieteen ja -tekniikan laitos / Kuvaaja: Sinikoski

Radical creativity – it’s a gamble

The first Finnish satellite was a creative and very risky project.

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Julia Lohmann and Department of Seaweed. Photo: Mikko Raskinen

From not knowing to new knowledge via imagining

Julia Lohmann considers design a bridge-building discipline that enables collaboration and communication across disciplines.

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Associate professor Elisa Mekler. Photo: Matti Ahlgren

Contributing to a better future with creativity

Radical creativity is my elixir, it motivates and revitalises my interest in research and the world at large, says assistant professor Elisa Mekler.

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man standing in a storage in front of the window, wearing a white laboratory coat, smiling

Mixing people

Mixing people with different backgrounds is a nutrient for creativity, says professor Tapani Vuorinen.

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Professor of Practice Niina Nurmi Photo: Jaakko Kahilaniemi

Shaking up the status quo

Leading creativity can be paradoxical because it often includes destruction, uncertainty, and conflicts, says professor of practice Niina Nurmi.

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a man with a dark beard and a dark carnegie, a mic in his hand talks with his hands as well

A virtue of the Nordic system

Henri Weijo focuses on what creativity is and how it can benefit both individuals and society as a whole.

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a man smiling, wearing a dark red pullover

Designing smart digital worlds

We benefit from online learning approaches that bravely cut across all schools at Aalto University, says Tomi Kauppinen.

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Professor of practice Lauri Järvilehto. Photo: Mikko Raskinen

Fuel for entrepreneurship

Professor of Practice Lauri Järvilehto says that radical creativity is an important part of entrepreneurship.

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Professor of practice Tua Björklund. Photo: Mortti Saarnia

To experiment and explore

Curiosity breeds creativity says professor of practice Tua Björklund.

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It may start from a crazy idea - dare fail!

Aalto innovations present at Flow Festival, photo by Samuli Pentti

Radical creativity sparks discoveries

An idea that may sound crazy at first can be the key to solving significant challenges. Aalto University provides a favourable environment for daring initiatives that can lead to the discovery of some genuinely novel solutions.

Give for the future
Kuvassa Pasi Herranen, Orvokki Ihalainen ja Panu Miettinen

Anything but an ordinary greenhouse

A wood-structured windowless greenhouse consumes only half as much energy as a traditional glass greenhouse. In addition to producing food, Pasi Herranen’s invention could generate electricity and excess heat in the future.

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Valokuvassa on kaksi talitiaista oksalla, toinen lintu seisoo toisen päällä. Kuva: Sanna Kannisto.

Try, fail, try again, fail better

Failure is an unavoidable part of life, but does failure have to be all bad? How about failing upwards and forwards?

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Professori Adam Foster pitelee kättään pään takana ja katselee hymyillen yläviistoon.

Oops! Failure to launch

As a student, Professor Adam Foster dreamed of studying the stars, but an over-running holiday interrupted the countdown.

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What is creative pedagogy?

Creativity is a continuous possibility to think and act differently.

Juuso Tervo (picture by Tuuli Saarelainen)

Creative pedagogy

Creativity is a continuous possibility to think and act differently.

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A woman talking by the table, a tv screen nearby showing what the topic is

The next steps in developing creative pedagogy

Aalto University’s new strategy encourages us to spark dialogue, build understanding, and boost creativity in the different fields of pedagogy.

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red color making sliding shapes on blue background

Learning to unlearn: What could radically creative education be?

Juuso Tervo is urging us not only to learn new things, but also to unlearn the already learned.

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Colorful Made in Aalto University -t-shirts hanging at Aalto University Shop's wall

Design Inside brings design education to all Aalto students

Design offers tools and new perspectives that would not be found otherwise. . It can help make a difference in every field. That is why Aalto University wants all students to have access to design education.

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U-CREATE 2020: Creativity amid Crisis. Graphic Design by Heini Hälinen

U-Create 2020: Creativity amid Crisis

U-Create 2020 will be organised as an online event and invites keynotes from Aalto University professors and international researchers on the topic of Creativity amid Crisis.

Research & Art

Our recent examples of creative approaches

U-Create teaching symposium's live illustration about producing collective knowledge by Apila Pepita Miettinen

Courage and creativity in higher education—how could we teach that?

Answering the complex, dynamic and networked problems we face today means rethinking our traditional ways of working and building knowledge, according to a recent symposium on teaching arts and design at Aalto University.

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What is contemporary design?

Contemporary design enables critical reflection

Design is the method with which we shape our world. The new MA Contemporary Design combines material-led design with critical and conceptual thinking practices.

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Students participating in the 2040+Helsinki=? event held in Väre building. Photos: Valtteri Heinilä, Aino Vaarno

Helsinki 2040: the future is full of hope!

Some 50 Aalto students from arts, technology and business backgrounds presented a promising vision for Helsinki in year 2040.

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E-textile sample by Emmi Pouta

Arts and creativity in stimulating innovation and technologies with a human touch

The know-how on sustainability that Finnish society, educational system, and industries have been long excelling in, is something that the world is eagerly willing to learn from Finland and other Nordic communities.

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people sitting on sofas with laptops

Research project CreaTures seeks to further the sustainability agenda with creativity

The transdisciplinary project highlights how the arts can contribute to addressing climate change and associated effects. The project aims at demonstrating effective paths to achieving sustainability, social cohesion and peaceful co-existence at a time of rapid change.

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Creativity Unfolded

Aalto University’s blog series Creativity Unfolded focuses on insights linked to creativity in a multitude of ways. Topics include design, technology, media, architecture, film, games, art theory and more. Read and join the conversation.

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Creativity Unfolded_blogi_visu_Milja Komulainen

Unfolded

Aalto University UNFOLDED magazine focuses on contemporary issues dealing with creativity, experimentation, and transdisciplinary co-creation.

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Colourful yarns on a loom in an Aalto University studio facility
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