20 19 PHENOMENON / LEADING FINLAND INTO THE FUTURE
CELEBRATE DIVERSITY IN LEADERS CLOSE UP / JUSSI AHOKAS
HOW TO BUILD A WINNING TEAM OUT OF GREAT INDIVIDUALS EXPORTING EDUCATION
UNIQUE COLLABORATION FOR A NEW HOSPITALITY SCHOOL IN TALLINN BUILDING BRIDGES
BOLD EXPERIMENTATION LEADS TO SERVICE INDUSTRY SUCCESS SIGNALS HAAGA-HELIA’S STAKEHOLDER MAGAZINE
PICTURE THIS
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HELSINKI, FINLAND
LEADING REQUIRES READING SIGNS OF CHANGE PHOTO TUOMAS UUSHEIMO / OODI
The ability to detect shifts in the operational environment and respond to them is a mark of smart leadership. Oodi, Helsinki’s new Central Library and meeting place, shows the way in keeping libraries vibrant in the digital-social age.
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2 PICTURE THIS 5 EDITORIAL 6 PHENOMENON / LEADING FINLAND INTO THE FUTURE Celebrate diversity in leaders The future is female: women as leaders Sustainability: essential part of a prosperous business
12 BUILDING BRIDGES Bold experimentation leads to service industry success Lab8: Welcome to the wonderful world of service design!
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14 CLOSE UP / JUSSI AHOKAS How to build a winning team out of great individuals Passion for sports? The Degree Programme in Sports Coaching and Management
18 EXPORTING EDUCATION Unique collaboration for a new hospitality school in Tallinn
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Haaga-Helia to open a R&D centre in China
20 AROUND THE GLOBE What makes a great leader?
22 INTERNATIONAL BENCHMARKING Pathway highlights Finnish education export Finnish expertise to support vocational training reform in Uruguay
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24 FIGURE OUT Finland leads the way
25 FLASHBACK
25 2019
Knowing how to communicate is knowing how to lead
26 SHORT AND SWEET
FINLAND TAKES THE LEAD EDITORIAL HAAGA-HELIA SIGNALS Publisher Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Ratapihantie 13, 00520 Helsinki, Finland, tel. +358 9 229 611, www.haaga-helia.fi Editor in Chief Ari Nevalainen, ari.nevalainen@haaga-helia.fi Editorial team Ari Nevalainen, Nina Finell, Mikaela Berghem / Recommended Finland Contributors Päivi Brink, Harri Palomäki, Nora Savolainen, Anna Sorainen Layout Jani Leino / Recommended Finland Cover image Shutterstock Paper Cover Galerie Art Silk 200g Pages Galerie Art Silk 115g Printing Newprint Oy, Raisio, Finland Print ISSN 2242-9948
FINLAND IS preparing for the presidency of the Council of the European Union, as our third presidency period starts on July 1st, 2019. The previous two presidency periods were in 1999 and 2006. The feedback from those periods was excellent, and it was said that Finland “wielded more influence than suggested by its size”. During the presidency, Finland will host the formal Council meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg and the informal meetings of ministers held in Finland. At the moment, six informal meetings have been planned – all to be held in Helsinki. EDUCATION AND RESEARCH will certainly pay a key role in the Finnish presidency agenda. As Europe is suffering, one way of getting out of the bad loop is simply to increase knowledge. Finland is commonly known as an educationoriented country. We believe in education. We believe in research. We believe that all future success stories are based on education. HAAGA-HELIA, too, will be operationally involved in the coming presidency, as our students will plan the menus for the informal meetings of foreign ministers. Haaga-Helians will also be helping in many EU-related events – both operationally and contentwise. THE YEAR 2018 was a good one for Haaga-Helia. According to our strategy, “we kept doors open to new careers”. We had more than 100 company partners, our academic results were on a good level and we experienced an increase in our international exchange numbers. Financially, we lived within our budget and took a big leap ahead in the area of digitalisation. We also opened two new laboratories – one for eCommerce and another for sales analytics. IN JANUARY we launched a transformation process with the goal of developing Haaga-Helia according to a very simple slogan: “Haaga-Helia is a learning platform”. The process will take three to four years and make us even more competitive in the education market. Competence-based thinking, modular structures and team-teaching will be some of the main keywords in our development process, where the students are at the core. We will continue to be active in the export of education and – as a part of that – we are in the process of establishing a private university of applied sciences in Estonia. The discipline will be hospitality, with a twist of innovation. More news will follow. IN THE MEANTIME, I salute our partners and friends all over the world. Let the year 2019 be a successful one!
DR. TEEMU KOKKO Principal and CEO of Haaga-Helia
PHENOMENON / LEADING FINLAND INTO THE FUTURE
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CELEBRATE DIVERSITY IN LEADERS TEXT PÄIVI BRINK PHOTOS MEERI UTTI
What kind of leaders answer the demands of the future? Alf Rehn doesn’t believe that there is one Finnish way to lead a company, but there are some features that are typical for Finnish bosses. He believes honesty and genuineness are key characteristics of a good leader.
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rofessor of Innovation, Design, and Management Alf Rehn doesn’t accept the stereotypical perception of Finnish leadership. “Finns tend to believe that they are action-focused and not very good in communication and that Finnish leaders are tough and rough like the Marlboro Man. But according to my studies on leadership and managing styles, Finnish leadership is surprisingly diverse, especially considering the population of only 5.5 million,” Alf Rehn says. Examples of hard, authoritarian managing style are rare. The equality of the Finnish society is reflected in the leadership. “A typical Finnish leader is modest, reserved, very well behaved, even shy. Finnish managers are often polite and they are quite grey personalities. Of course there are other kind of personalities as well. Finnish employees in general also appreciate humble leaders and frown upon arrogance.” FIND YOUR OWN WAY TO LEAD
“Leadership is not something that changes quickly. The whole world is different from what it was hundred or even twenty years ago, and of course there are elements that have changed a lot. But the basics of good leadership have stayed the same,” Rehn says. He believes that people in managerial positions should be true to themselves, not the managing trends of the moment. “You don’t have to constantly update yourself to the latest trend. Rather find the core of your own style of leadership. According to many studies, employees want their leaders to be honest and true to themselves. They want their bosses to be direct and communicate their ideas clearly. A leader whose views change according to trends is not considered trustworthy.”
You don’t need to be creative to run a creative company. “An Excel-reading, controlling leader can be good for a creative company. You can’t decide to become creative, it should come naturally to you. You should not pretend you’re creative. I encourage leaders to reflect their own leading style. What followers expect from their leaders is honesty and transparency. If you are clumsy in communication, for example, recognise it and work with it, not against it. Even awful people have managed to capture the hearts of many by being authentic,” Rehn says. LEARN SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE
Rehn believes every culture should learn from the others. “In conversation with other countries, we develop our own knowledge. Finnish leaders, for example, are not very quick in making decisions. Even Swedes are faster to adapt in new situations, let alone Chinese leaders. We should learn from them.” Understanding technologies will be a central part of future leadership, but that’s not enough. “Artificial intelligence will not come and change organisations quickly, but it will in 20 years’ time. Many managerial tasks will be done by AI, but we still need humans for leaders. I’ve studied leadership for decades, but I can’t programme it.
Technological change is one of the reasons we will need continuous learning and also unlearning, leaving behind us things that don’t work anymore.” USE COMMUNICATION TO LEAD CHANGE
In Rehn’s experience, most organisations everywhere are resistant to change. “Change requires us to reformulate ourselves, and it’s understandable to resist. I find that reflectivity is the key to accepting change. When fears and discomforts are openly discussed and the fear of change is accepted, it’s easier to move forward. People want to feel they are in control and listened to and treated respectfully in the process. We all need to become better communicators. That is essential.” Both leaders and followers should look at the future with open minds. “Finns need to learn to celebrate diversity in our leaders when it comes to gender equality and ethnical or cultural differences. There are many ways to lead, and we shouldn’t look for only one right way,” Rehn says.
I ENCOURAGE LEADERS TO REFLECT THEIR OWN LEADING STYLE. WHAT FOLLOWERS EXPECT FROM THEIR LEADERS IS HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY. Professor of Innovation, Design, and Management
Alf Rehn 2019
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PHENOMENON / LEADING FINLAND INTO THE FUTURE
THE FUTURE IS FEMALE: WOMEN AS LEADERS In Finland, the corporate culture allows women to pursue their career goals, and gender equality of the wider society supports them in their efforts. Haaga-Helia’s Vice President Minna Hiillos believes that in the future, the values considered feminine will be increasingly appreciated in leadership.
Vice President Minna Hiillos, the Director of the Business Programmes Education Unit of Haaga-Helia, has studied women’s leadership and women as managers. “In Finland, women have long been part of the work force. Finland was a rural country until World War II, and women took part in farm work. During the war, women had to step in and do men’s work as well. After the war, they didn’t stop working outside their homes. Women work mostly full time, eight hours a day and five days a week. There is good, affordable child care available,” Hiillos says. About 67% of working-age Finnish women are employed. According to the Finnish Centre for Gender Equality Information, the share of women on the boards of directors of Finnish public limited companies is 29% on average.
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OVERCOMING CHALLENGES BUILDS SELF-ESTEEM
Hiillos emphasises three factors that help women reach managerial positions. “Firstly, it’s very helpful to have a great foreman, who gives positive feedback and pushes the employer forward. Secondly, it’s important that women are offered challenges early on in their career and that they manage to overcome them. And thirdly, the support of a partner at home helps women achieve their career goals.” Hiillos brings up the feminisation of leadership. According to studies, women leaders and managers, on average, show more emotional intelligence than men, which is a valuable asset in corporate life both today and in the future. “Characteristics typically considered feminine, like empathy, communication skills, understanding of emotions and showing enthusiasm, are very important, especially in knowledge organisations, where employees are highly educated experts. Both men and women can develop these skills. We should be able to make the managerial roles flexible enough for both men and women to be able to thrive in those positions,” Hiillos says.
2019
SUSTAINABILITY: ESSENTIAL PART OF A PROSPEROUS BUSINESS In order to produce results, sustainability has to be integrated into the strategy and leadership of the company. It should reflect the true values and goals of the company. It’s not charity or expense, but an investment. Sustainability is a driver for long-term business success.
The whole career of Sari Kuvaja, the Director of Sustainability Services at T-Media Relations, has been built around both social and environmental corporate responsibility and sustainable business. She has written a book about corporate responsibility as a part of leadership together with Terhi Koipijärvi. “Defining your company’s sustainability strategy means defining the company’s place in the world. As any other sector of society today, businesses are part of solving our common problems, from climate change to poverty. Companies are dependent on a stable society. Being sustainable is more than just diminishing negative effects of the company, like pollution. Companies need to evaluate their effects on society as a whole and bind their values and goals into their strategy,” Kuvaja says. Sustainability work starts with the top management of the company. “The managers have to be able to make their vision clear to everyone working in the company: What kind of a company is this? What are our goals? How do we reach them? Sustainability has to become an integral part of the business.” KEY TO CO-OPERATION
Kuvaja emphasises that sustainability ensures the company’s licence to operate. “If your business does not express openly what happens in the supply chain or what the effects of your company are on the climate or natural resources, you will very soon be out of business. Other companies will not co-operate with you, employees will not want to work for you, investors will not invest in you and customers will not buy your products. Sustainability is not something extra your company does, it’s an essential part of your survival.” On the 2018 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations listing by Corporate Knights, there were seven companies from Finland. That was more than from any other Nordic country. “Finnish companies are often too humble when it comes to their achievements. They could communicate about their impacts with pride and joy,” Kuvaja concludes . Terhi Koipijärvi & Sari Kuvaja: Yritysvastuu – Johtamisen uusi normaali, Kauppakamari 2017.
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BUILDING BRIDGES
BOLD
EXPERIMENTATION LEADS TO SERVICE INDUSTRY SUCCESS
What ensures the success of a service company in this era of automation and digitalisation? One answer is to be bold enough to experiment rather than wait for solutions.
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he service industry, like other industries, is facing challenges that require it to adapt and renew or perish. As digitalisation, automation and e-commerce slowly but surely spread throughout the industry, the question raised is: “What must an organisation operating in the service industry do to become a leader, not a follower?” According to Haaga-Helia’s Principal Lecturer in Experience Design and Imagineering Mário Passos Ascenção, first and foremost, companies need to adopt a new mindset. “Companies need to concentrate on designing and redesigning services all the time. There is always room for improvement. At Haaga-Helia we have created a combination of services, called Lab8, to help the companies to do just that.” Service Design refers to service innovation, development and design. The goal is to co-create value that is desirable, useful and usable for customers while remaining distinctive, effective and efficient for service companies. A successful service combines the in-depth understanding of customers with participatory development and a great deal of experimentation.
DESIGNING EXPERIENCES THAT MATTER
Instead of merely waiting, Passos Ascenção believes that companies should initiate thinking about how they can offer experiences that are more desirable than those offered by competitors. “Many service companies imitate service concepts and business models that work for others. However, we believe they should continuously play with new possibilities. I know that is not easy, but it is something that the companies should consider. Especially those that require a strong offline presence. If they don’t offer engaging experiences, people will most likely go online.” One possible way to initiate a new solution is fast prototyping, which means testing a new service with the right customers as early as possible. 2019
TEXT NINA FINELL PHOTO MEERI UTTI
“When companies try fast prototyping, they are able to determine quickly and early enough whether a service works or not. At Lab8, we use existing design tools and create new ones.” Innovations are developing faster and faster, whether we are ready or not. But are companies aware that they should take innovation and experimentation questions seriously? “I believe many companies operating in the service industry are starting to realise that they do have to concern themselves more with these meta service challenges. However, I believe there is still a lack of possibilities for experimenting with new ideas.” ADDING PEOPLE AND FUN TO THE EQUATION
It isn’t enough for the companies to personalise in order to succeed. If they truly want to achieve, they need to become more customer-focused. “Some companies are already doing it, but the majority still operate from the inside out. The only way for service organisations to remain competitive is for them to become digital and to demonstrate even more humanity. Soft skills are becoming an increasingly important element in the industry.” Even though these are important questions, Passos Ascenção wants to remind people that not everything has to be so serious all the time. “I believe the act of playing is the seed of service design and innovation. We can be so process-oriented that we forget we are actually working with people. At Lab8 we help companies become more creative and add more value via play. The best way to do this is to co-create with others and to bring diverse minds together in creative but structured ways.”
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Service Experience Laboratory
LAB8: WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SERVICE DESIGN! THE NEW AND UNIQUE Lab8 – the service experience laboratory of Haaga-Helia – was launched in January 2019. Lab8 is a solutions laboratory where companies can co-create services by working with the experts and students from Haaga-Helia. Lab8 combines innovations like service design, prototyping, trends, and scenarios building. “Lab8 enables companies to become more customer-centric, experimental, innovative, and playful,” states Passos Ascenção. “This is made possible by, for example, the free tools that we offer to our teachers and the trend reports we make available for industry as well as our staff.” Lab8 controls the work, gathers people for the tests and offers facilities and materials. It also provides companies with the possibility to try different scenarios in real life environments. “We help companies to anticipate future. And, by guiding companies to practice the process of designing services, they are more likely to do it on their own.” lab8.fi
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CLOSE UP / JUSSI AHOKAS
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HOW TO BUILD A WINNING TEAM OU T OF GRE AT IND I V ID U A L S
2019
The head coach of the Finnish U20 national ice hockey team, Jussi Ahokas, believes in knowing the players’ strengths. After the gold medal in the IIHF World Junior Championship in Vancouver this year, Ahokas is going to finish his master’s degree in Sports Coaching and Management at Haaga-Helia’s Vierumäki Campus.
TEXT PÄIVI BRINK PHOTOS MEERI UTTI, PASI MENNANDER / SUOMEN JÄÄKIEKKOLIITTO
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ussi Ahokas spent his youth playing ice hockey in various teams in Helsinki and Espoo. He was a goaltender and also started coaching already when he was 16 years old. “Ice hockey is a great sport for children and teenagers. You learn how to work hard to reach your own goals. You also learn to commit to the common goals and develop as a team. Later, if you’re applying for work contracts and money starts to play a part, you need to know how to handle pressure. But when you’re young, you can just enjoy playing as long as you manage to do your school work as well,” Ahokas says. All players in the U20 team are, of course, under 20 years old. How do you lead a team of young men? “When you coach young people, you need to know how they think and where they are coming from. They are quite different from my own generation, and I shouldn’t assume they think like me. They are absolutely wonderful people to lead since they’re motivated and goal-directed,” Ahokas says.
Management at Haaga-Helia. During his almost 20-year-long coaching career, he has learned a lot. “I’ve gained knowledge and skills during these years. I can relate better to different kinds of situations and lead the management team of ten members. My view of the game has become broader, and I’ve learned a lot about leading and managing people. The coaching team consists of enthusiastic people with different skills, and my job is to get the most out of them and the team.” Ahokas is now finishing his master’s degree in Sports Coaching and Management at HaagaHelia. But after the gold medal, it can be asked if any school can still teach him anything about coaching. “I don’t really need the degree itself anymore, and it’s difficult to find time for my studies. But I continue studying because at Haaga-Helia I learn a lot and also deepen my understanding about coaching. Among the students, there are representatives of different sports, and we learn from each other. I find it especially educational to exchange views with the coaches of individual sports. Even when I coach the whole team, I also coach the individual players,” Ahokas says.
HOW TO KEEP DEVELOPING AS A COACH
COULD CORPORATE LEADERS LEARN FROM COACHES?
Ahokas finished his playing career at 19 and continued coaching while he studied for his bachelor’s degree in Sports Coaching and
Even if sport is not business, there are similarities in leading a company and leading a team.
CLOSE UP / JUSSI AHOKAS
“In both cases you’re trying to get people to perform as well as they can as individuals and as a group. The coach needs to find the players’ strengths and get them to use them. He also needs to notice when certain players work well together. Everyone should find their role in the team.” “All the members of the team are important, and so-called star players are not above others. Many players who are not recognised outside the team are valued very highly among the team members,” Ahokas remarks.
Ahokas works under constant public scrutiny, and his choices are sometimes criticised in media. “I don’t really follow what media is saying about my style of coaching. They don’t know everything that’s going on inside the team. Criticism is part of the job. It’s good that people have opinions about ice hockey because it is a sign of passion for the sport. But I have to make my decisions myself. If the team fails in a game, we go through the situations and think about what we could have done better. You must regain confidence because after that there’s always the next game,” Ahokas concludes.
ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM ARE IMPORTANT, AND SO-CALLED STAR PLAYERS ARE NOT ABOVE OTHERS.
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Jussi Ahokas Education: Bachelor degree in Sports Coaching and Management, Haaga Helia. Studying for master’s degree at HaagaHelia’s Vierumäki campus. Age: 38 Profession: The Head Coach of the Finnish U20 national ice hockey team. Motto: “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” Family: Wife and three children. Jussi Ahokas has three children, and his baby son was born during the IIHF World Junior Championship in January. He says that he combines family life with work life with the help of his wife and his network of family of friends. “But when I’m at home, I’m present and I really spend time with my family.”
PASSION FOR SPORTS? THE DEGREE PROGRAMME IN SPORTS COACHING AND MANAGEMENT TEXT NINA FINELL PHOTO HAAGA-HELIA
USING A COMPETENCE-BASED APPROACH, The Degree Programme in Sports Coaching and Management prepares students along four main development streams. The focus is on personal development and professional growth, coach development, event and organisational management, and RDI competences. The student-centred studies demand a high degree of independent working skills and self-motivation, as the development process is built in line with individual interests and pre-existing competencies. During the studies, students are also involved in developing new solutions for coaching and management at local, national and international level. The teaching is organised in English, which enables students to work in an international environment during their work placement and upon completion of the studies. LEARN MORE: haaga-helia.fi/en
EXPORTING EDUCATION
UNIQUE COLLABORATION FOR A NEW HOSPITALITY SCHOOL IN TALLINN TEXT NORA SAVOLAINEN PHOTO MEERI UTTI
ordic School Hospitality Innovation 18
Seeking to expand its international presence, Haaga-Helia has become the first Finnish higher education institution to apply for an operating licence in Estonia. Haaga-Helia joins forces with four internationally renowned hospitality institutes to establish a new approach to higher education in the hospitality and service industry.
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he plan for the new higher education school, the Nordic School of Hospitality & Innovation, is in line with strategy. H A A G A - HHaaga-Helia’s E L I A TA L LAccording I N N to its vision statement on educational exports, by 2020 Haaga-Helia will be an international higher education institution with two or three units outside Finland. The new Tallinn-based school will offer an English-language degree program titled “International Hospitality and Service Excellence”. The 3.5-year bachelor’s program will prepare professionals to lead change in the hospitality industry. The focus areas include new operating models and concepts, innovations and creative product development. LEADER IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
Project Director Ari Björkqvist has a distinguished career in hospitality. During his 23 years in the industry, he worked his way from a receptionist to managing hotels in Finland, the Baltic countries and Russia. Björkqvist was engaged with HaagaHelia on its Haaga Hospitality campus for 16 years as program director, dean and head of campus. “Our aim is to hardwire Hospitality & Service Management students for change management, which is an essential skill in this continually evolving sector. We bring together expertise from five renowned institutions, which makes this a unique higher education offering,” Björkqvist says. 2019
Haaga-Helia and its four partners – Purdue University (USA), the Estonian Business School, Breda University UAS (the Netherlands), which specialises in change management, and the IUBH University of Applied Sciences (Germany) – are all involved in the planning and delivery of the new program. The multi-institutional collaboration also means that the model is very cost-efficient. ‘BOUTIQUE SCHOOL’ SLATED TO START IN 2020
Facilities for the school, which will be under the jurisdiction of Estonia, have been found in the Rotermann Quarter in central Tallinn. The campus will be on the seventh floor of the Metropol Hotel, with student accommodation offered on the sixth floor. The licence application was submitted in November 2018, and a decision is expected this spring. If all goes to plan, the first international students will arrive in January 2020. “The Tallinn unit will be a ‘test lab’ for experimenting with new ways of doing things. It will be flexible and small – in hotel language, you could say it’s a ‘boutique school’.” The experimental nature of the school will also provide Haaga-Helia with further opportunities to innovate its education offering. DEVELOPING FUTURE EXPERIENCE INNOVATORS
As the name suggests, instead of being a strictly Finnish or Estonian institution, the Nordic School of Hospitality & Innovation will be based on a Nordic educational ideology. “The Nordic character will be communicated through the school’s values, which include honesty, integrity and survival. The tough Nordic climate has nurtured tenacity and determination, qualities which we want to develop in our students. The focus is strongly on future visions: we create future experience innovators,” Björkqvist states.
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HAAGA-HELIA TO OPEN A R&D CENTRE IN CHINA TEXT NINA FINELL PHOTO HAAGA-HELIA
HAAGA-HELIA WILL OPEN a new R&D centre in Suzhou, China, to serve as a hub for Haaga-Helia’s research and development activities in China. The centre will host education export services, co-working facilities for start-up businesses, and research projects. “We had the idea for the centre when we were looking for ways to promote collaboration opportunities for Chinese and Finnish businesses and generate new business opportunities for Finnish enterprises,” says RDI manager Tuija Toivola from Haaga-Helia. The facilities for the centre will be provided by BBK Electronics, which owns Oppo and Vivo, the two largest smartphone brands in China. Haaga-Helia has secured a space of 500 m2 at the company’s brandnew RDI centre for a period of three years. The centre is located 85 kilometres west of Shanghai in Suzhou, a city of 10 million people and several universities. The facilities will be ready in spring 2019, and Haaga-Helia is set to open there in May. A formal opening ceremony is scheduled for November 2019. MORE INFORMATION: haaga-helia.fi/en
AROUND THE GLOBE
QUESTION: WHAT MAKES A GREAT LEADER? EDITED NINA FINELL PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK
There are many leaders but only a selected few are great. But what are the qualities that define great leadership?
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MEXICO
UNITED STATES
Professor, University of Toledo
A leader is someone with a vision of the greater good, a bigger cause. She puts this cause before her own glory and serves with humility. I almost think it is trite to say a leader is a servant, but I honestly believe it. Leaders serve the greater cause through communication and empathy with team members. They are willing to sacrifice self and make hard decisions when needed. Leaders lead by seeking buy-in and modeling desired behaviors. They don’t seek power or to be in charge, but to gain consensus and motivate others to accomplish the shared vision. The only real test of a leader is in his followers. I believe Martin Luther King, Jr. is a good example of a leader. He believed in a greater good, that a brighter future was possible. He was an awesome orator and shared this vision through strong communication skills. He put the interest of others before his own and was inspired by his personal faith. According to MLK, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” He lived this vision out and is impacting people today.
Adrian Calcaneo Director of International Business Program, Mondragon University
In my opinion, my boss Arturo Alvarado (Principal of Mondragon University in Queretaro, Mexico) embodies the qualities I consider important to be a good leader. The first thing to come to mind is that he is always encouraging us (staff members) to innovate what we do at the university. Connected to this is his openness to new ideas that we can freely suggest without fear of immediate rejection. The basis of our working environment is trust. A leader that instills trust in his staff can achieve more, and we feel his confidence in our abilities. Lastly, and very importantly, Arturo takes into consideration each person’s personal situation. There are times in life when we have other pressing issues, but he can see beyond them and that our dedication to the common cause will help get us back on track. In doing so, we can be more productive overall.
2019
Ellen Bolman Pullins
GERMANY
Suntje Ehmann EU Research Manager, Hochschule Harz University of Applied Sciences
It is difficult to describe or even name a perfect leader in simple terms. I think a good manager has to be a role model, be professionally involved and well organised. He or she should also have empathy and support their staff. Leadership means to coach and guide someone, to get the most out of him. In my view, a manager must not think that the result can only be achieved with his support and without it nothing would work. In addition, a good leader should not be afraid to encourage their employees so much that they may qualify for other positions. Time management, assertiveness and ambition are other qualities that I value highly in executives.
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THE NETHERLANDS
Drs. Rob Maat Head of International Office, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences
Personally I see both Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King as great examples of leaders that were able to realise their vision by inspiring millions. Whereas in many cases visions strive for higher, better or larger goals, the strength of their vision (or dream) was not necessarily based on such a goal. Their vision was rather based on an idea that would realise more equality. In my opinion a good leader is able to create a vision that is motivational and positive to others in such a way that they identify with this vision to a certain degree and are willing to take action. Based on such a mutual vision a good leader creates an environment through passion, mutual commitment and ingenuity in which cooperation is key to success in realising the vision. I do think that the characteristics do matter from a cultural perspective and it could be that some characteristics work in one case, but don’t have the same effect in other cases. For me personally a good leader should always be enthusiastic about his/her own vision. Moreover he/she should be able to think constructively, empower others, set a positive example and be self-aware of him/herself and his/her interaction with his environment.
INTERNATIONAL BENCHMARKING
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PATHWAY HIGHLIGHTS FINNISH EDUCATION EXPORT TEXT NORA SAVOLAINEN ILLUSTRATION SHUTTERSTOCK
Education is one of the service export focus areas outlined by the Finnish Government. The simplification of processes to facilitate students’ entry into Finland is emphasised as a way of promoting internationalisation in Finnish higher education institutions and research.
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he Finnish Consulting Group (FCG) carried out a preliminary assessment looking at the higher education market in rapidly growing economies, such as Vietnam. Following the assessment, the FCG established a consortium with the University of Helsinki, EduCluster Finland Oy, the University of Jyväskylä, Global Education Services Oy, and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. The consortium carried out a market analysis with funding from the TEKES BEAM programme. The findings supported the continuation of the project in Vietnam. Bachelor-level programmes such as those offered by Finnish universities of applied sciences are in high demand. As Vietnam currently has a clear problem with its educational capacity, access to overseas education is thus needed. 2019
PILOT CO-OPERATION BETWEEN FINNISH UAS’S
A pilot project was launched last August in Ho Chi Minh City by the FCG in co-operation with four Finnish UAS institutions: Haaga-Helia, Metropolia, Jyväskylä and Kajaani. The pilot programme is aimed at Vietnamese students looking to study in Finland. Haaga-Helia has played an active role in the development of the concept. Harri Hälvä from Haaga-Helia’s commercial services unit has been involved in the project and the planning of the programme contents. A coaching centre has been established in Vietnam in co-operation with Van Lang University. Providing local insight and content expertise, the university has also organised facilities and licences for the new programme.
“The studies consist of general modules on topics such as Finnish pedagogy, Finnish and English language studies, communication studies and academic writing. There are four specialisation options: cleantech, software development, game development and logistics. A Finnish online learning platform developed by Viope Ltd. is used in the programme’s delivery,” says Hälvä. Since 2016, higher education institutions have been able to charge tuition fees from students coming from outside the European Union and the EEA. “The project helps to support Finland’s ability to continue to attract overseas students. Previously the major draw was free education, but today other factors are at play. Future research can determine how the Pathway students manage in Finland. For example, does coaching given in Vietnam before departure support academic success and timely progress to degree completion?” LEARNING ABOUT CULTURES IS A TWO-WAY STREET
Teachers from the participating UAS institutions are responsible for the programme’s delivery in Vietnam. In addition, teachers from Van Lang University attend as observers and have access to an intensive teacher-training programme. Head of International Relations Sirpa Holmström and International Coordinator Katri Salmi from Haaga-Helia have taught in Vietnam. Salmi taught the Developing Intercultural Competence course in October 2018. “Teaching in Vietnam was a wonderful and interesting experience. Vietnamese students are respectful towards teachers, and one can sense their trust and genuine interest in the taught subjects and Finnish culture. You could say that teachers are authorities, mentors or even mother figures to them,” says Salmi.
THE PROJECT HELPS TO SUPPORT FINLAND’S ABILITY TO CONTINUE TO ATTRACT OVERSEAS STUDENTS. Harri Hälvä Project Manager
Sirpa Holmström took over the course from Salmi. “I was in Vietnam in December teaching the Developing Intercultural Competence course. The new students were very motivated and hard-working,” says Holmström. ADMISSION PROCESS EASED BY THE PROGRAMME
Previously, Vietnamese students had to fly to Finland and take an entrance examination without much preparation. The application process was laborious. Thanks to the new programme, the admission process is now organised in Vietnam and students can complete their first-year studies in a familiar setting in their home country. “Learning about Finland before relocation is valuable to the students. They asked me lots of questions about our country, customs, culture, weather – everything,” Holmström recalls. Haaga-Helia alumna Quyen Vu works as a co-ordinator for the Pathway programme in Ho Chi Minh City. “Quyen’s advice and guidance is a great help to the students. She has experience living in Finland and is able to relate to the situation of students who are about to relocate. International alumni are a real asset and calling card in educational exports,” Holmström says.
FINNISH EXPERTISE TO SUPPORT VOCATIONAL TRAINING REFORM IN URUGUAY TEXT ARI NEVALAINEN
EDUEXCELLENCE LTD, a global education service provider to Haaga-Helia, Laurea and Metropolia Universities of Applied Sciences, together with the National Institute of Employment and Vocational Training of Uruguay (INEFOP), have signed a strategic commercial contract for developing education offerings and pedagogical training for technicians in the process industry. The educational development programme offers teacher training for vocational and higher education institutions. It also provides a degree suitable for current and future needs of the industry in Uruguay. Development of technical edu-
cation throughout the country, with an emphasis on rural populated areas, is a key objective. The scalability of this development programme is achieved through a blended learning scheme, supported by a digital platform. “The world is changing fast and we need to therefore develop education to fit future needs. It is our mission to create a sustainable development impact in our clients’ societies. We are honoured, along with our three shareholder universities, to be selected as strategic partners for a very ambitious national education development project,” says Tuija Pulkkinen, CEO of EduExcellence Ltd.
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FIGURE OUT
FINLAND LEADS THE WAY Finns’ trust in other people is the highest in Europe. European Commission, Fairness, inequality and intergenerational mobility: Social Capital: Trust in people
Finland is the happiest country in the world. Sustainable Development Solutions Network, World Happiness Report 2018
Finland is the most literate country in the world. J. W. Miller and M. C. McKenna, World’s Most Literate Nations: Rank Breakdown
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Finland has the most heavy metal bands per inhabitant in the world. Big Think, A World Map of Heavy Metal Density
Corporate ethics in Finland is the second best in the world. World Economic Forum, The Global Competitiveness Report 2017–2018: Corporate Ethics
Finland is the third most gender equal country in the world. Finland is the second best country to be a girl in the world.
World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Index 2017
Save the Children, Every last girl: Girl’s opportunity index
Finland is the third best country for business in Europe. European Chamber, Best European countries for business 2018
2019
FLASHBACK
KNOWING HOW TO COMMUNICATE IS KNOWING HOW TO LEAD TEXT ANNA SORAINEN PHOTO MEERI UTTI The column was written by lecturer Anna Sorainen, CEO and founder of Ground Communications
WE ALL KNOW THEM. Leaders who escape when the organisation is hit by a crisis. Bosses who find it painfully uncomfortable to discuss personal matters. Experts who fear social media discussions. Decision-makers who rarely admit they are wrong. POOR COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS often equal to poor leadership. The modern public sphere does not let any leader off the hook. The society is going through a transformation where the ability to communicate can give you the competitive edge – and the lack of it may destroy everything you’ve built. COMMUNICATIONS HAS TO BE acknowledged as one of the most important skills for any leader. It has to be planned just as strategically as the key operations. EASIER SAID THAN DONE, but possible. You just have to know and interpret the phenomena of the public life and find your way through the wilderness. It takes courage and may even hurt. But it also pays off. Here is how you do it. 1. Don’t try to sing your own praises or those of your organisation. On the contrary, recognise the imperfections and show them. 2. Trust your expertise, reason and influence. Take a bold stand on important themes in your industry and the society in general. 3. Don’t underestimate the significance of emotions. Recognise them in yourself and others. Respond to the power of emotions by analysing where they come from and what they cause. 4. Communicate with facts and season with emotions. Not the other way around. 5. Challenge yourself in the face of new technologies and channels. If you say no to something new, say an even bigger yes to trying it. You might surprise yourself. 6. Continuously develop your relationship with the social media. Don’t abandon it even though you’re not active. If you’re passive, choose to do so, don’t drift toward inaction. 7. Enhance interaction – both internal and external. Question, discuss, give feedback and receive it. Praise and inspire. 8. Fall in love with justifiable critique. It loves you back and forces change. Answer it. 9. Look for and come up with solutions to personal, organisational and societal challenges and tell about them. Tell about them again. And again. 10. Take responsibility and cherish it. That impresses and attracts.
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SHORT AND SWEET COMPILED BY NINA FINELL AND ARI NEVALAINEN
HAAGA-HELIA LAUNCHES VISITING SCHOLAR PROGRAMME Haaga-Helia is launching a new Visiting Scholar Programme, which enables scholars from abroad to teach and join research, development and innovation activities at Haaga-Helia. The scholarship period can be 1 to 12 months. Helia Foundation has awarded a funding of 150,000 euro to kick off the programme. The programme strengthens Haaga-Helia´s profile as an international player. Haaga-Helia looks forward to welcoming scholars with expertise and interest in the universities’ core competence areas, which are Entrepreneurship, Experiential service innovations, Value through sales, Digital & creative solutions, Transformative pedagogy and Business development.
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FURTHER INFORMATION: Sirpa Holmström, Head of International Relations sirpa.holmstrom@haaga-helia.fi
HAAGA-HELIA AT THE DUBAI EXPO 2020 APPLY TO HAAGA-HELIA SUMMER SCHOOL 2019! Study towards your degree during the summer, and get up to 6 ECTS, while getting to know Helsinki, participating in various trips and events, and enjoying the multicultural atmosphere of Haaga-Helia Pasila campus! Haaga-Helia Summer School 2019 will be organised in Helsinki 22 July – 16 August. This year’s Summer School will be focused on Service, Sales and Entrepreneurship. READ MORE AND APPLY NOW! haaga-helia.fi/en/summerschool
2019
Haaga-Helia will take part in the 2020 Expo in the United Arab Emirates, the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East. The six-month long exhibition, which will open in October 2020, is expected to attract 25 million visitors, 70 percent of them from overseas. Located on a site between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the expo carries the theme “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”. Finland will be among the 180 exhibiting countries. Already 28 businesses have signed up to exhibit in the Finnish pavilion, including Kone, Konecranes and Outotec. Participation in the World Expo offers Finnish businesses international visibility and new opportunities. Haaga-Helia is participating in the Expo to promote education exports and international opportunities in the Middle East. The region’s education market is growing rapidly, and countries such as the UAE are investing heavily in education and skills. Titled “Snow”, the Finnish pavilion is designed around the themes of nature, innovation and sustainability.
EU ELECTION CLAIMS TO BE EXAMINED DURING SPRING During spring 2019, a group of journalism students from 15 different countries and 20 journalist degree programmes will examine the truthfulness of political claims made in public. From Finland, the journalism degree programme at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences is involved in the EUfactcheck.eu project. The aim of the project is to prevent the spread of incorrect information during EU election campaigning, promote public discussion based on facts, and support the media literacy and interest in common issues of Europeans of all ages. “A basis on facts in itself is an inseparable part of journalism and its set of values. However, all skills must always be learned and can also be developed. Digitalisation has brought not only new challenges but also new tools for checking facts, among other things,” says Anne Leppäjärvi, from Haaga-Helia’s journalism degree programme.
GATEWAY TO EDUCATION EXCELLENCE FROM FINLAND EduExcellence Ltd is a global integrator of Finnish Education between schools, companies, public sector, universities and customers. EduExcellence is owned by three major Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences: Haaga-Helia, Laurea and Metropolia. “We are the gateway to integrating Finnish pedagogy with modern education, health and wellbeing, hospitality, future technologies, and business and entrepreneurship, among others. Our solutions are always localised to suit the customer’s needs,” says Tuija Pulkkinen CEO of EduExcellence Ltd. EduExcellence Ltd has global references all around the world: teacher training in South-Africa, integrated skills program in Uruguay, and teacher and leader capacity building process in Saudi Arabia. FURTHER INFORMATION: eduexcellence.fi
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DID YOU KNOW... Anna-Maria Soininvaara, the Director of Helsinki’s Central Library Oodi (see pages 2–3), leads by letting the employees make as many decisions as possible. The Oodi staff of more than 50 work in five self-organising teams, which enjoy a great degree of autonomy. The objective of self-organising teams is to increase agility and encourage experimentation.
SIGNALS HAAGA-HELIA’S STAKEHOLDER MAGAZINE 2019