ARENE
The Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences is an organisation that represents all the rectors of the Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences. ARENE is the abbreviation of the Finnish name and is commonly used referring to the Rectors' Conference.
The main goal of ARENE is to strengthen the dual system and the professional higher education in Finland.
With the support of it's members ARENE wants to make Finland the leading country in developing the dual system in the European higher education area.
ARENE is an important expert and influencer on professional higher education politics and the main that looks after the interests of the universities of applied sciences. 
The priorities for ARENE in 2010 are:
- To develop the system for how universities of applied sciences are maintained to strengthen their autonomy and operational capacity.
- To have an active role in the preparation of the structural developing of higher education to makers, inrerest groups and administrators through the principles of February manifest.
- To prepare own government platform comment during sgpring and to actively improve it in cooperation with policymaker and interest groups.
- To actively participate in cooperation on higher education policy at a European level through membership in relevant organizations.
- To actively cooperate with other actors to realize the national innovation policy. Universities of applied sciences are key players in realizing regional innovations.
- Universities of applied sciences play an important role in the practical implementation of the Strategy for Internationalisation of Higher Education Institutions in Finland.
- To secure the operational basis for universities of applied sciences, regional educational provisions, and research and development as well as regional development in an operational environment where structural changes are a reality.
- To monitor and evaluate the new procedures for performance agreements as well as to influence the development of performance indicators.
- To monitor the development of higher education institutions’ information systems and online services as part of the RAKETTI project.
- To apply the principles of the dual model, as defined in the Government Programme and the Development Plan for Education and Research 2007–2012, consistently towards both universities of applied sciences and universities in to reduce the overlaps between higher education institutions as well as to develop cooperation and division of labour in an equitable manner. It should be made possible legislative to have a new type of regional institutes of higher education. Different kind degree structures should be maintained even though totality will have a shared governmental guidance.
- In preparation of the structural development of universities of applied sciences, should the possible tax implication (i-e- VAT-questions) be resolved, in that way so the operations don't cause any extra payments which would prevent or jeopardize the making of the reform.
- To continue executing training programme project after Ministry of Education's project has ended, to prepare universities of applied sciences' training programmes and degrees and future's wider definitions of policy that involve them.
- To continue to have a functional cooperation between ARENE and Suomen Yliopistot ry. to develop higher education organism in entirety and to work with the divide between higher education institutions ans develop the cooperation further.
- To monitor the national and regional development of research and development at universities of applied sciences as a part of both the innovation policy and the development of the national research infrastructure.
- To improve student healthcare by supportinfg YTHS model in the universities of applied sciences students' healthcare.
