Åland University of Applied Sciences joins the higher education service ecosystem developed by CSC
The integration of Åland University of Applied Sciences (Högskolan på Åland in Swedish) into the student data services developed by CSC streamlines everyday processes for both students and the institution, while improving the nationwide flow of information through a shared service ecosystem. VIRTA higher education achievement register now covers all higher education institutions in Finland.
Åland University of Applied Sciences joined the VIRTA Higher Education Achievement Register in autumn 2025, thereby becoming more closely integrated into Finland’s shared higher education information infrastructure, in which CSC plays a key role.
The common service ecosystem enables seamless data exchange between different services and actors. This supports cooperation between higher education institutions, reduces overlapping administrative work, and provides students with services that make everyday processes easier, such as the OILI enrolment service and the Cross-Institutional Study Service.
The VIRTA Higher Education Achievement Register and OILI enrolment service simplify everyday processes for students and administration
The VIRTA Higher Education Achievement Register now covers all higher education institutions in Finland, with Högskolan på Åland joining as the 38th institution. VIRTA is a service owned by the Ministry of Education and Culture, where higher education institutions maintain a copy of their core student register data. The service contains data on approximately 1.5 million degree students.
Through a technical interface, data is securely transmitted in a consistent format for use by different actors. Through the VIRTA service, student data from Åland University of Applied Sciences is transferred, for example, to My Studyinfo portal (Oma Opintopolku), the Finnish Licensing and Supervisory Authority, Statistics Finland, and The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) via integrations. These integrations enable students to use public digital services that utilise VIRTA data and streamline the work of both higher education institutions and other actors by enabling the automation of tasks such as statistical reporting.
The integration was successfully implemented through close cooperation between Åland University of Applied Sciences, CSC, and Funidata. Funidata provides the SISU student information system used by the institution as part of the overall solution.
Following the VIRTA integration, the institution can also adopt other CSC services that utilise data available through VIRTA. In May 2026, Åland University of Applied Sciences deployed the OILI enrolment and registration service for higher education institution students, which streamlines enrolment processes and reduces manual administrative work. The service is already in use in 35 Finnish higher education institutions.
For students, the OILI service is clear and easy to use. Students can enrol for the academic year in one place without separate forms. Åland University of Applied Sciences has initially introduced OILI for continuing students, and new students will begin using the service at a later stage.
“We are happy that even if Åland has its own educational legislation, we can be a part of the digital infrastructure and have the opportunity to offer our students the same service as in the mainland of Finland. The integration also enables the participation in Digivisio 2030 and the future of collaborative education. The collaboration with CSC has worked well. Together we have solved the challenges that have arisen,” says Emmy Karlsson-Hellman, Development Coordinator at Åland University of Applied Sciences,
Next step: Cross-Institutional Study Service
In addition to VIRTA and OILI services, CSC is preparing the deployment of the Cross-Institutional Study Service together with Åland University of Applied Sciences. The service supports cooperation in teaching between higher education institutions and enables the automation of processes related to cross-institutional studies.
With the Cross-Institutional Study Service, students can browse course offerings from other higher education institutions directly within their own institution’s student information system, include courses in their personal study plan, and enrol in them. Completed studies are automatically transferred to the student’s home institution’s register. The service simplifies everyday processes for both students and higher education institutions by enabling consistent data transfer and processing without manual steps.
CSC’s services bring smoother everyday processes for students, higher education staff, and public authorities
Åland University of Applied Sciences’ integration into CSC’s services strengthens interoperability between higher education institutions and creates new opportunities for more flexible, equitable, and efficient services for students, institutions, and authorities alike. The shared ecosystem supports the digital development of the entire higher education sector and improves the national mobility of data.
“We welcome Åland University of Applied Sciences to use the services provided by CSC! VIRTA Higher Education Achievement Register now covers all higher education institutions in Finland, enabling us to centrally collect higher education data for purposes such as statistics and research. Additionally, services such as the OILI enrolment service and the Cross-Institutional Study Service provide greater benefits for both students and higher education institutions when institutions are comprehensively included in centralized services,” says Jukka Kohtanen, Director of Collaborative Digital Services at CSC.
Image from Mariehamn, Åland: Adobe Stock
More information
Jukka Kohtanen
Jukka Kohtanen is responsible for digital services for higher education.
Melanie Lotz
Melanie Lotz is responsible for support services for higher education student management, Peppi consortium and student management collaboration networks.
Minna Pylkkönen
Minna Pylkkönen is responsible for services for digitalization and collaboration of higher education.
