By gaining independence as Switzerland’s eighth public university of applied sciences, one of the most important goals of the Strategy 2017–2020 was achieved. We will continue on this journey, demonstrating the same level of courage and agility in the process. However, courage and agility are not an end in themselves for the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons. Instead, these qualities represent the focussed and refined continuation of the successful path embarked upon by our predecessor schools. At the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons, agility also stands for a 'culture of proactive advancement'; we see agility as a key competence of our university that should run through all areas.

The Strategy 2021–2024 of the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons has been developed on a participatory basis, as we can only act in an outcome-oriented manner if we know the needs of our most important internal and external stakeholder groups and are able to integrate these in our work. One result of this work has been the 'My University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons of the future' film series, which includes students, employees and the participation committee as well as external experts from the worlds of business, industry and politics.

The University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons defines a strategic goal for each of its most important stakeholder groups in order to provide constant guidance during this strategy period.

• Society
  As the outcome-oriented University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons, we develop sustainable solutions for relevant issues for society.
• Economy
  As the outcome-oriented University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons, we contribute to the region’s economic competitiveness and generate cross-border benefits by making a key contribution to reducing the shortage of skilled workers and increasing innovative strength.
• Students
  As the outcome-oriented University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons, we offer students a skills-based study programme and further training offering that enables them to get off to a successful start in practice as a specialist or management figure.
• Employees
  As the outcome-oriented University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons, we are an attractive employer for employees.

Working on the basis of its goals, the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons will focus on five partially overlapping strategic development priorities during the 2021–2024 period. These include making the Grisons university of applied sciences hub an attractive learning and research location and meeting place for business and society. To support the economic performance and society of the canton of the Grisons, the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons has defined three development priorities, namely contribution to regional development, technology and health. With innovative life-long learning as the fifth development priority, the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons wants to provide its students and alumni with a comprehensive offering of innovative teaching and learning forms.

• Health
  The provision of healthcare to the region is to be advanced for the benefit of society – with a focus being placed on healthcare provision in sparsely and decentrally populated Alpine regions. The overriding question is how high-quality yet fundable healthcare provision can be assured for the entire population in future. This provides the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons with the opportunity to make a significant contribution to ensuring the provision of healthcare in the canton of the Grisons by developing health as a specialist area and introducing a corresponding study programme.
• Technology
  The regional economy is strengthened through the further development of technology. Here, emphasis is primarily placed on the training of engineers with a view to reducing the shortage of skilled workers and establishing partnerships between the field of applied research and development and the high-tech segment. In the area of technology, the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons focusses on the profile fields of Key Technologies and Computational Science as defined in the cantonal University and Research Strategy in order to play a leading role in these areas. The overriding question here is how to ensure that the region’s engineering needs can be met in the long term and a brain drain can be avoided. The University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons offers high-profile study programmes with unique selling points that at the same time also meet the region’s requirements.
• Innovative life-long learning
  The rapid change and acceleration being observed in the world of work in the wake of digitisation mean that we have no choice but to learn new things on an ongoing basis. In this sense, the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons believes that life-long learning does not just constitute further training, but rather an overall process that encompasses both education and further training, providing students with the opportunity to successfully develop their skills at all levels. A central element of skills-based teaching is the change from teaching to learning: focus is placed on students and their learning and no longer on teaching staff and their teaching. Teachers act as learning facilitators, providing students with a framework and offering feedback.
• Contribution to regional development
  In keeping with the mandate issued by the sponsoring canton of the Grisons, the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons provides support that strengthens the canton’s competitiveness. The University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons is therefore expanding its networks with local companies, research institutions and administrative bodies. In addition to the development priorities of health and technology, the university of applied sciences also wishes to support the canton of the Grisons in implementing its integrated education, research and innovation strategy.
• University of applied sciences hub
  The university of applied sciences hub represents a pioneering step for the agile and courageous University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons of the future. It will primarily offer an attractive learning and research location and place to meet as well as a cultural institution for everyone. Together with the canton of the Grisons as its sponsor and the city of Chur as its geographical home, the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons has a unique opportunity to bring together its decentralised locations and premises at the existing site on Pulvermühlestrasse. This development means that the university of applied sciences will increasingly become a forum for intellectual exchanges and project work for its students. The objective is to create a high-performance and economically efficient higher education and research hub in an urban environment with national appeal.

The implementation process will take place with a road map that is divided into the individual years of the strategy period. The road map is accompanied by two strategic guidelines: the quality assurance system and the six strategic principles.

The six strategic principles can be divided, on the one hand, into three principles for action, which are specified by the canton as guidelines for action: we want to generate growth with our niche strategy; our regional roots and the development of our expertise and quality are ensured with our networks; our focus on relevant issues necessitates the promotion of our interdisciplinary approach. On the other hand, we deal with cross-cutting issues with our three other strategic principles: digital transformation space for thought and action, innovation and sustainable development.

• Digital transformation
  We coordinate and bundle our digital expertise for the benefit our students and project partners at the 'Artificial Intelligence', which provides a space for thought and action in this area.
• Innovation
  We assume a leading position in the innovation and start-up ecosystem of the Grisons. Here, we develop innovation as a space for thought and action within the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons.
• Sustainable development
  In a space for thought and action at the University of Applied Sciences of the Grisons, we will discuss, further develop, flesh out and implement topics at the intersections of the three dimensions of sustainability (ecological responsibility, social solidarity and economic performance) and their interactions.
• Niche strategy
  We achieve growth with our niche strategy. As a rule, further developments or new innovations should be unique upon their conception and should remain so for as long as possible through the application of suitable measures.
• Networks
  We adopt a targeted and focussed approach in entering into new networks. This allows us to expand our skills, open ourselves up for new areas and further develop our quality.
• Interdisciplinarity
  As a university of applied sciences, we want to resolve relevant economic and social challenges in an interdisciplinary manner. Our offers, cooperation, structures and processes are influenced by this.

With its understanding of quality, quality culture and principles for the shaping and implementation of quality, the quality assurance system defines the guidelines for the implementation of the university strategy. The quality assurance system is part of the quality assurance Strategy 2021–2024.