News 
Asta selected as name of the higher education institutions’ data platform. The steering group made the decision on the name at its meeting on Tuesday 27 October 2026.
The name of the data platform was selected in October in a name competition organised for higher education personnel. Respondents could vote for their favourite alternative or propose a completely new name. A total of 588 respondents participated in the competition, of whom more than 30% chose Asta as the name for the shared data platform of higher education institutions.
In the grounds given for their choice in the name competition, respondents stated that Asta is easy to remember, pronounce and spell. Other strengths of the name mentioned by respondents was that it works in Finnish, Swedish and English, and its clear connection to the word “alusta” platform in Finnish. In addition, Asta was seen as a Finnish name that stood out and was easy to distinguish from other services and alternatives.
A large number of excellent and well-justified new name proposals were also submitted to the name competition, all of which were reviewed by the Digivisio project office. The proposals provided valuable insights into what features and image respondents wanted the name of the data platform to impart. The proposals also supported the assessment of the final name selection and confirmed the understanding of what kind of name works best for different target groups.
A big thank you to everyone, both those who voted for their favourite and those who came up with new alternatives! Three Finnkino gift cards worth EUR 20 will be drawn among all those who have left their email address. The winners will be contacted personally.
Asta will serve as the name of the shared data platform of higher education institutions and support in increasing the platform’s recognition during its deployment and further development.
In the future, it will also be assessed whether the name Asta could be more visibly linked to the Higher Education Data Hub, for example in the form Asta – Higher Education Data Hub. The platform’s domain name will be hedhub.fi.
What is the shared data platform of Finnish higher education institutions?
- The data platform for the higher education sector compiles data related to the educational offering and study attainments of higher education institutions and creates the foundation for new types of digital learning services.
- The platform is primarily not visible to users but rather a background foundation which enables the building of new services on top of it.
- The data platform will be beneficial to higher education institutions, learners, authorities, and service providers. It enables the smooth and secure flow of information between higher education institutions, authorities, and national services.
- The platform will not replace other higher education institution systems, although it may operate in the background.
- A shared solution lays a foundation for cooperation between higher education institutions and the development of services. In the future, the data platform may enable services that would be too difficult for one higher education institution to create alone but that could benefit everyone.
- In the coming years, the data platform may influence the ways in which information related to higher education studies can be utilised. Its introduction may be reflected in the everyday life of higher education institutions as new operating methods, processes and instructions as early as next year.
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