Professionals winter2014

Professionals is a commercial supplement produced by Editor Helsinki /// December 2014

Education

is strong component of Finland`s country brand page 8–15

Listen to the sound of silence and relax page 6

Honorary Member of The Norwegian Coffee Association:

Gerard-Clement Smit

page 4

How do you sleep your nights? page 15

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Contents 60-years of bringing joy....................... 3 Aiming at the best coffee in the world ............................. 4 Arctic luxury......................................... 6 Enjoyable warmth................................ 7 Education is strong component of Finland`s country brand.......... 8–15 Finnish education creates jobs.............. 8

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TAMK – Globalizing Education Know-how from Tampere.................... 9 HAMK offers higher education in many fields in Finland and abroad ....... 10 Finland University funnels Finnish education know-how abroad............... 11 JAMK – an international partner for developing schools and training teachers.................................. 12

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University of Lapland – in the heart of the Arctic ........................................ 13 See far................................................. 14 Adult education must address the challenges of working life.............. 15 Beddit tells you how you sleep at nights............................... 15

Professionals – the brand edition & Editor Helsinki Finnish Professionals is a publication produced by Editor Helsinki Oy. Editor Helsinki is an independent expert in business communications. We work in close cooperation with the leading media houses and reach the business decision makers in Finland.

For additional information, please contact Valtteri Rantalainen, +358 9 42412223.

Production team: Managing producer: Valtteri Rantalainen. Producer: Joonas Kesälahti, Niklas Koski. Art Director: Pirja Suotamo. Editors: Maija-Liisa Saksa (MLS), Eila Aalto (EA), Mia Heiskanen (MH). Cover photo by © Aarikka.

English translation: Käännöstoimisto Helsincom Oy. Printed by Hansaprint.

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60-years of bringing joy Colorful Aarikka jewelry and gifts designed in Finland bring a lasting joy into both everyday life and special celebrations.

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arikka’s history began from a search for buttons. In the 1950s a student of textile arts Kaija Aarikka was looking for buttons that would fit a woolen outfit she designed. Suitable ones were nowhere to be found, so she decided to carve them of wood by her own hands. Thus, began the evolution of one of Finland’s most well-known brands.

The buttons changed into jewels and gifts complemented by stylish textiles. The raw material for these is certified birch or pine tree. Combining the wood with metals, plastic, leather or ceramics, creates an endless selection of joy-bringing combinations in blazing colors and timelessly stylish stunning ensembles.

“We use wood both in its natural color and tanned by the method developed by Kaija Aarikka, which leaves the surface a natural touch and feeling of wood,” says Kaija’s daughter, the company’s art director Pauliina Aarikka.

Beautiful and durable Wood is a durable and warm material. The Aarikka products are designed to be left as a legacy passed down for generations. Despite new products emerging constantly, the all-time favorites keep on fascinating from a decade to another.

“Our classic, the Suomi necklace, originated in the 60s, together with the Keisarinna candleholder, and our wooden Christmas elves were first seen in the 80s, says Pauliina Aarikka.

Items bringing joy to everyday moments and celebrations alike can be purchased in Aarikka store in Pohjois-Esplanadi 27, in the very heart of Helsinki, as well as in major department stores and the outlet in Helsinki. Local distributors sell the products in various European countries and in Japan. All products are also available in the web store in www.aarikka.fi. MLS

1. In November, Aarikka introduced a new 60-year’s anniversary set in the Ateljee line, including plenty of prestigious wooden jewelry. These include also the silver jewels that are the last items designed by the late Kaija Aarikka.

2. In the spring, Aarikka brought to the market a set of bird figurines named Kvaak, Tviit and Kukkuu together with flower pot stands and candle holders of the same theme.

3. Christmas products designed in Santa’s country are popular around the world every year. A few years ago, the red Christmas elves line was expanded by the Pakkanen elves that complement really well a Scandinavian-style interior.

4. Wooden rams are probably the most well-known Aarikka products. Now they have been joined by the owl.

5. Aarikka necklaces, bracelets and earrings create a stylish ensemble.

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HONORARY MEMBER of The Norwegian Coffee Association Gerard-Clement Smit is the uncompromising Nestor who never leaves the path for coffee quality and the high standards of the European Coffee Brewing Centre. Since developing the worlds first approved brewer in 1976 he has continuously aimed for coffee excellence.

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The latest result of product development from the inventor of Moccamaster, Gerard-Clement Smit, is Cup-One, which was launched this year and produces high-quality coffee one portion at a time directly into the cup.

Aiming at the best coffee in the world

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passion for making the best possible filtered coffee has allowed the Dutch coffeemaker Moccamaster, manufactured in the middle of the current espresso culture, to become a market leader in the Nordic Countries where filtered coffee is very popular.

Half a century ago, in 1964, the ambitious Dutch industrial designer Gerard-Clement Smit decided that he wanted to personally manufacture the products he had designed.

He created a company called Technivorm B.V. In the beginning, the company produced thousands of self-designed and patented ladders with only six employees.

Aiming for the world’s greatest Soon the product range saw the inclusion of a stylish, patented coffee grinder, the revo-

lutionary innovation of which was a built-in fan which prevented the coffee from heating up. Great sales of the coffee grinder and a desire to produce the world’s greatest filtered coffee spurred the designer ever onwards. Aiming for the world’s greatest coffee maker, the company started development in 1968, focusing on the different stages of the brewing process, as well as the functionality and usability of the machine.

In the following year, the company launched the result of its product development: the first Moccamaster coffee maker, patented for home use. In the first year, the company made a retail deal for selling 150,000 Moccamasters over the following six years. Sales surpassed all expectations, and the original number was already sold just one year later, in 1970.

Conquering the Nordic countries Moccamaster is a drip brewer that produces filtered coffee, and the drinkers of filtered coffee in Europe have traditionally been found in the Nordic countries. Moccamaster started exporting its products to the north in 1971, and currently the Nordic countries are the biggest market area for the company, the next biggest being the United States.

The company also exports to e.g. Australia and the Far East.

In the 1980s, the household coffee makers were supplemented with effective coffee makers intended for industrial use, with two brewer and heater units.

Durable handmade quality The reasons for Moccamaster’s popularity, in addition to the extremely even, highquality coffee, are durable high-quality

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components. The machines are long-lasting and come with up to ten years’ warranty. At the end of the machine’s life cycle, nearly all of the components are recyclable.

“All brewers are aluminum-framed and constructed from high quality and long lasting materials. The water is heated to just the right temperature, 92 to 96 Celsius, and lead to the filter through an outlet pipe,” explains Tiina Airola, Moccamaster Nordic’s country manager for Finland.

All brewers are hand-asembled at the Technivorm factory in Amerongen, Netherlands just like 45 years ago.

“It is important for Technivorm that the brewers are hand-made. The company currently employs a permanent staff of 150. To ensure the high quality, each brewer is separately tested before packing and sending to the client,” Airola stresses.

2. Moccamaster brewers are energy-efficient, because the copper resistor shuts off right after the water has been filtered and only the heat resistor uses energy after brewing.

3. All Moccamaster brewers are assembled by hand, and their functionality is tested before sending them out to the client.

4. The shape of the Moccamaster brewers has stayed familiar over the decades. Only the colors are new, and there are eight of them.

Developing the coffee industry Technivorm is an active member in many international coffee industry organizations, for instance the Norwegian Coffee Association who runs the European Coffee Brewing Centre (ECBC). The ECBC is an independent coffee laboratory which tests coffee brewers’ features, for instance the stability of water temperature, filtering time and coffee temperature. All Moccamaster brewers are ECBC approved and carry a golden seal of approval. The Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) has awarded its Gold Cup Seal for each Moccamaster model. Both of these approvals guarantees to the buyer that the model in question fulfils all the requirements for a high-quality coffee maker. MLS

www.moccamaster.com

“The machines are longlasting and come with up to ten years’ warranty.

At the end of the machine’s life cycle, nearly all of the components are recyclable.”

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Arctic luxury

The colorful blaze of the northern lights, the white silence of arctic Lapland and the gloom of the sunless winter, a gourmet dinner with your own chefs and waiters, a warm Jacuzzi. All this and much more awaits you at LeviSpirit.

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t LeviSpirit, you can experience luxury and the serenity of nature at the same time. All you need to do is arrive with your luggage.

“We take care of everything else. We pick you up at the airport – with a helicopter if you like. We provide the services of a luxury hotel at a ten-person villa of your choice. We serve breakfast for you and your party. We prepare and serve gourmet dinners of your choice. If you want to cook, we provide you with the ingredients of your choosing,” ensures Resort Manager Heini Kanerva.

“We want to offer our clients an unforgettable experience. You don’t even need to pack your winter gear since we can provide you with clothing designed for arctic circumstances, in which you can easily go skiing, reindeer sleighing or sledding. The Levi area provides versatile activities, including horseback riding, kart racing, parasailing, hot air balloon flights, and trips to see the northern lights and nature. Even visits to the Santa Claus Village by helicopter and other client-specific program packages including your own driver are a significant part of our services,” lists Kanerva.

We can also arrange private skiing lessons or

guides to accompany you on skiing and sledding trips. After spending the day outdoors, you can enjoy the pampering provided by a massage therapist, beautician or a hairdresser.

A luxury villa at your disposal You can choose from nine luxurious villas that offer over 450 square meters of space, are fully equipped for ten people and are situated along the Ounasjoki River. Skiing and sledding trails start from your front door and the nearest ski slope is less than a mile away.

The villas’ modern architecture and big windows make you feel at one with the surrounding wilderness, even in the Jacuzzi. MLS www.levispirit.fi

1. From the windows and terrace of the villa, you can see and experience the blazing northern lights, the soft gloom of the darkness period or the midnight sun in midsummer.

2. We want to provide our clients with unique luxury and the exotic Lapland at the same time, says Heini Kanerva.

3. In your own spa and sauna, you can enjoy the Jacuzzi while watching movies.

4. In “kammi”, our specialty, you can enjoy the warmth of the open fire and listen to the silence of Lapland.

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Enjoyable warmth Let warming, relaxing heat caress you after a long flight or a strenuous day. In an elegant Harvia sauna you can indulge in a moment of luxurious pleasure that also pleases the eye.

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he story of the Finnish company Harvia Oy started 60 years ago when Tapani Harvia made himself his first wood-burning sauna stove.

His neighbors and friends were immediately delighted by the steam produced by the stove. Today, people in 65 countries around the world are enjoying the soft warmth of Harvia’s stylish saunas, sauna heaters and steam rooms.

The traditional wood burning stove is just one part of the perfect sauna experience. For those craving warmth and relaxation, Harvia also offers elegantly designed sauna interiors. The heating system of the sauna can be based on electricity, infrared technology or steam. The form of your dwelling or the amount of space are no longer a concern, since you can also enjoy Harvia’s warmth in a bathroom sauna that has been installed in your existing bathroom without any structural changes.

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Modern luxury In addition to sauna traditions, Harvia has concentrated on extensive product development and the modern design of its sauna sauna interiors and heaters. The wide range provides a suitable solution for every taste, whether you appreciate traditions or want something new. The collection of elegantly designed benches and wall panels has been complemented by the new Harvia Ventura collection, where the benches, backrests and bench-fittings are made of form-pressed veneer glued in layers. An enjoyable, soft steam can be produced by a uniquely elegant, spherical Harvia Globe heater, or if you are drawn towards straight lines, you might like the pillar-like Kivi heater.

Spa Modules – an innovation Now you can build a spa – even in your own home – using Harvia’s Spa Modules solution. The solution’s steam rooms and shower recesses are easily and quickly built using extruded XPS polystyrene, which is light but strong. The delivery includes all the structures as ready-to-install modules that the client can finish with tiles of their choice. www.harviasauna.com MLS

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1. The elegant look of the Harvia Ventura is based on light form-pressed Fuma veneer glued in layers. Thanks to its rounded front edge, it is very pleasant to sit on.

2. The electric Globe heater provides your sauna with a whole new look. The globular heater can be positioned on a stand or on the wall, or even hanged from the ceiling.

3. The Harvia Kivi heater gives a modern twist to the traditional soft sauna experience. The digital control panel makes the heater easy to use.

4. With the Spa Modules solution, you can easily and quickly implement beautiful and fabulous spa solutions as well as smaller, private home spas.

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Future Learning Finland program includes dozens of Finnish universities, universities of applied sciences, vocational institutions, and companies developing the newest teaching technologies.

Finnish education creates jobs High-quality education goes hand in hand with high living standards. This is also true in Finland, whose educational system has been praised all over the world. Now this top-level educational know-how is on offer globally, making it possible to raise learning results to a whole new level.

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uture Learning Finland is a toplevel­project for exporting Finnish education, operated by Finpro. The program includes dozens of Finnish universities, universities of applied sciences, vocational institutions, and companies developing the newest teaching technologies. The participating institutions offer new teaching technologies, teacher education services and vocational further education services as well as consultation for the needs of renewing teaching and educational systems.

“In addition to vocational training, education should provide key skills for lifelong learning. In many countries, education is narrowly focused on existing work. However, it would be wiser to design the methods and goals of training so that a readiness for new professions is also created. In Finland, vocational training is linked with entrepreneurship – we provide the skills for creating jobs. This is the kind of special know-how that we want to share with others,” stresses Mervi Jansson, Omnia’s Director, Education Partnerships.

Future Learning Finland provides solutions that can extensively develop the training of various trades, starting e.g. with teacher training. The solutions are based on the target country’s needs and current situation.

Digital learning solutions are another­ strong field in Finland. We have a lot of strong digital know-how that is used when developing new learning methods. Information technology also enables various analyses with which we can evaluate the most effective ways of learning for each individual student. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities to teach and to learn.

“Digital learning solutions clearly improve learning results. Finns are also especially good at fitting the new solutions to existing circumstances. On the developing markets, even small digital solutions can make a big change in children’s lives,” says Jyri Ahti, director of Sanoma Learning. Sanoma Oyj is one of the leading producers of digital learning solutions in Europe. Sanoma is a member of Finnish learning consortium that has opened in Qatar a whole Finnish school, using Sanoma’s learning solutions. MLS www.futurelearningfinland.fi

The Future Learning Finland educational export project includes the following participants: www.businesscollege.fi http://dramaforum.fi www.educlusterfinland.fi www.finlanduniversity.fi http://finpeda.fi www.fuas.fi www.haaga-helia.fi www.hamk.fi www.innoschool.fi

www.isku.com www.isvet.fi www.jamk.fi http://learningscoop.fi www.leiamedia.com www.lut.fi www.muuvit.com www.oamk.fi www.omnia.fi

www.opinsys.fi www.otava.fi www.sanakirja.fi www.sanako.com www.sanoma.com www.skillpixels.com www.skilltize.com www.songhi.com www.tamk.fi

www.takk.fi www.tuas.fi www.tribalearning.com www.ulapland.fi www.uva.fi www.viope.com www.woodi.fi

Photo by Joel Forsman

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Photos by Essi Kannelkoski

Vice President Mikko Naukkarinen.

International education is gaining importance as a strategic choice for Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK). In the developing countries, the need for education is growing even faster than the population. The export revenues from e.g. natural resources are more often being used on education.

The development can continue if know-how is secured, even if the current income sources wane.

Taking the business co-operation model from Finland to Brazil

A business consultant and entrepreneur Anita Kangaspeska.

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TAMK – Globalizing Education Know-how from Tampere

TAMK exports top-level Finnish education know-how globally. This includes Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as well as further education for those with a degree. By developing systems, curricula, methods and the teachers’ pedagogic skills together with the clients, we help them improve the results of their education on a scale bigger than us,” says Vice President Mikko Naukkarinen.

Professor Marcelo Costa Pinto e Santos.

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TAMK has joined the Brazilian-Finnish Teachers for the Future program together with the HAMK and Haaga-Helia Universities. The duration is ten months, and the Brazilian teachers spend five months in Finland, getting to know the educational system and companies, the newest pedagogical theories and practices, and project learning.

Prof. Marcelo Costa Pinto e Santos has been at TAMK since August learning about Finnish research and teaching. He teaches information technology at Federal Institute of Southeast of Minas Gerais. He has noted that teaching in Finland is more liberal than in Brazil.

“In Brazil, the legislature prevents entrepreneurial studies, unlike at the Pro Academy at TAMK. We do not apply theory to the companies’ needs as well as here, instead emphasizing scientific publications. The rules in Brazil should be loos-

TAMK has joined the Brazilian-Finnish Teachers for the Future program together with the HAMK and Haaga-Helia Universities.

ened so that the teachers could better co-operate with companies,” he says.

He is especially impressed by the cooperation between TAMK and the New Factory’s open innovation environment Demola, where students develop digital products and services based on concepts provided by companies.

A fresh breeze and inspirational discussions Anita Kangaspeska, a business consultant and entrepreneur from Tampere, is studying in TAMK’s Executive MBA program. The English-language program is intended for experts in the private and public sectors, executives, and those working in international sales and administration.

Kangaspeska chose the MBA because TAMK is close by and she can study while working. An expert in project portfolio management, she is preparing a thesis on the benefits of a project portfolio. Thus, project management has been one of the most meaningful study modules for her.

“It is interesting to learn more theoretical background of familiar things and to compare experiences with other students.”

The biggest benefits have come from discussions with other seasoned professionals from various fields.

“The best teachers have long careers and bring a fresh breeze from abroad. It is great that TAMK utilizes our feedback and changes the course contents when necessary,” she praises. www.tamk.fi/en EA

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Photo: Petri Kuittinen 2012

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“We have trained professionals in various fields in many locations, including Vietnam, Nepal, Brazil, Kazakhstan and several European countries”, says Vice President Janne Salminen.

HAMK offers higher education in many fields in Finland and abroad

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AMK University of Applied Sciences is a higher education institution operating in a variety of fields, offering higher education with a student-centered approach embracing enthusiasm and research useful for businesses. HAMK offers continuing education tailored to fit the needs of its clients in addition to the bachelor and master degree studies for Finnish students and international groups.

According to Vice President Janne Salminen, the know-how in HAMK is based on over 150 years of tradition combined with research together with businesses.

Students’ needs are the starting point in creating all HAMK’s degree and continuing education programs, which calls for

professional pedagogical skills and expertise.

“It’s exactly that kind of expertise our clients all over the world appreciate,” Salminen says.

HAMK’s client-centered way of operating has attracted much attention abroad and the tailored study programs have received excellent feedback from the participants.

“We implemented long continuing education programs for Kazakhstani and Brazilian teachers here in Finland, and Chinese teachers have been in HAMK’s shorter tailored study programs. We have trained professionals in various fields in many locations, including Vietnam, Nepal, Brazil, Kazakhstan and several European countries,” Salminen continues. www.hamk.fi EA

HAMK’s higher education degree programs in English: Bachelor level: • Construction Engineering • Electrical and Automation Engineering • Mechanical Engineering and Production Technology • International Business Master level: • Business Management and Entrepreneurship • Social and Health • Care Development and Management Professional teacher education: • International Professional Teacher Education Program Possibility for a student exchange period in over 120 partner schools and a chance to gain a double degree or work experience abroad.

Introducing Finnish pedagogy in Finland for Brazil Biology teacher Carolina Corado, from the sunny Brazilian city of Natal, has become familiar with Finnish pedagogy and evaluation system, project based learning, e-learning and entrepreneurship education together with 13 other Brazilian teachers in the VET Teachers for the Future -program since early August. The VET Teachers for the Future –program is organized together with TAMK and HAAGA-HELIA Universities of Applied Sciences.

Through the project, she has become

interested in importing the Finnish model of practical business partnership into her own country. The program includes a project, in which she plans to improve the science skills of the teachers in municipal schools in her region.

Carolina values Finnish society, studentcentered approach and the attitude of leaving no one behind. “That makes your society stronger. It’s great that the students’ needs are of the highest priority in the educational institutes here,” she appraises. EA

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Photo: Sami Perttilä

www.finlanduniversity.fi

“We are able to organize the training or consultation in Finland, in the target country or even in a virtual space,” says Finland University CEO Pasi Kaskinen.

Finland University funnels Finnish education know-how abroad Finland University is a joint educational effort established by three Finnish universities, providing leading-edge education solutions globally. The core idea is to jointly promote the target country’s efficient development and functional societal structures.

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ccording to the CEO Pasi Kaskinen, Finland University operates as a collective marketing and sales channel for the universities of Eastern Finland, Tampere and Turku. “We want to provide governments, organizations, NGOs, universities and companies from various countries with educational solutions that are always based on worldclass scientific research. Our operations are not location-specific, so, depending on the client’s needs, we are able to organize the training or consultation in Finland, in the target country or even in a virtual space. This basically means that a group can come to Finland for teacher training, or we can send a group of experts into the target country to provide country-level educational consultation,” Kaskinen says.

Finland is a valued study country Many people might wonder why Finland is a good choice. “The standards of the Finnish educational system and tuition are known to be extremely high. This is proven, for instance, by a recent study on European students, which ranked Finland as number one, e.g. the European students appreciate Finland the most as a study country. The Finnish university world is highly valued because the standard of teaching and research is high and the auxiliary services function well. Finland is also a very safe country by all indicators. I think that this provides a very good backbone for Finland University’s operations.”

At the heart of sustainable development

Our core function is to help build sustainable and functional societies through education.

Promoting development in a sustainable way is therefore at the heart of all our operations and services, whether they “The Finnish university be to do with education world is highly valued.” or the development of the forest industry or

healthcare know-how. We are able to help answer such questions as: How do we build a functional teacher training system?

What does sustainable use of the forests’ natural resources mean? We have plenty of expertise, as we can utilize the capacity of three high-level universities.

Aiming for partnership and influence The main market areas of Finland University are currently China and Southeastern Asia, but for instance the KiVa School® developed at the University of Turku is an anti‑bullying program operating globally. “KiVa School® is the only anti-bullying program in the world based on long-term scientific research. It is also a great example of Finland University’s services that are always based on extensive practical experience and research.

We do not offer magic tricks but instead aim for long-term partnership and influence.

On the other hand, this also requires that our local partners are committed to the projects so that we together can achieve sustainable results that support the societal development of the target country. MH

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“JAMK is specialized in promoting entrepreneurship. This work is based on experience gathered by Team Academy, JAMK’s entrepreneurship center of excellence, which has functioned already for almost 20 years internationally in Europe, China and South America,” says Timo Juntunen JAMK’s Director of Global Education Services.

JAMK — an international partner for developing schools and training teachers JAMK University of Applied Sciences in Jyväskylä exports education to over 20 countries.

Awarded last year as the most international institute of higher education in EU, JAMK is an experienced partner in training the teaching personnel and developing schools.

Development programs improve the teachers’ pedagogical and professional skills and create new learning environments in the web and the work places. They also improve the cooperation of education and businesses as well as develop the schools,” says JAMK’s Vice President Heikki Malinen.

International and well-networked JAMK is an experienced partner in improving international higher education institutes and vocational schools. The strengths of the Finnish­education and innovation system create the foundation for JAMK’s operations and their success.

Long-lasting partnerships with schools and businesses JAMK offers its international clients a selection of education and consulting services and pedagogical solutions.

“Finland has much to give, especially in teachers’ competence building and developing business cooperation,” says Timo Juntunen, JAMK’s Director of Global Education Services. “Our strong suit is the training of vocational teachers, all the way to the level

“Finland has much to give, especially in teachers’ competence building and developing business cooperation.”

of higher education and the teaching in the field of health care, especially the nursing studies.”

JAMK offers, together with its cooperation network, a partnership to the higher education institutes and authorities abroad, based in the strengths of the Finnish system, in particular, in the fields of health care and wellness, engineering, business management and vocational teaching studies.

“We have many references for developing health care and wellness schools and education systems in China and Kazakhstan,” says Vice President Malinen.

A good example of these is the redevelop­ment of the nursing studies in Kazakhstan together with the local Ministry for Education. JAMK was a partner in developing the local nursing studies into a higher education degree.

“There’s a wish to bring education as close as possible to the European framework. We were there to develop the study program, supporting its introduction and offering additional studies in the field of health care,” Juntunen describes.

One strength of the Finnish vocational schools and universities of applied sciences is the evaluation culture which embraces development. JAMK has developed an evaluation system together with Egypt’s Ministry of Education, and finds projects for developing educational systems equally appealing.

“We want to take part in developing study programs and be partners in authorities’ strategic development projects together with our cooperation network. Furthermore, we are interested in establishing ourselves abroad,” Juntunen continues.

JAMK is specialized in promoting entrepreneurship. This work is based on experience gathered by Team Academy, JAMK’s entrepreneurship center of excellence, which has functioned already for almost 20 years internationally in Europe, China and South America. EA

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Photo: Jussi Leinonen

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University of Lapland — in the heart of the Arctic The University of Lapland has a significant central role in research, both nationally and internationally. Its Arctic Centre and international network of universities build bridges between science communities in the East and the West.

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he University of Lapland is an international center of science and arts situated in Rovaniemi, close to the Arctic Circle. The University’s main goal is to contribute to the sustainable development, well-being and equality by its research and other operation. “We are the EU’s northernmost university, and we have a special national task, the Finnish arctic research,” University’s Rector Mauri Ylä-Kotola adds.

Arctic research attracts interest The Arctic research is conducted by the Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland. Research topics cover many areas of life in the North: indigenous peoples, global changes’ effects on the arctic and northern communities, environmental issues, and the human rights. “Arctic research done in the University of Lapland is interesting. Rovaniemi is situated in the 66th latitude between the North Pole and the Arctic Circle, where an estimated one quarter of the world’s unused natural

“We are the EU’s northernmost university, and we have a special national task, the Finnish arctic research.”

– Mauri Ylä-Kotola, University’s Rector

resources, such as gas and oil, lie. So, it’s no wonder that Rovaniemi and the Arctic Centre was, in addition to Helsinki, the only place India’s President Pranab Mukherjee saw on his visit in Finland in October.

University of the Arctic — Bridge between East and West The University of Lapland has an important role in the University of the Arctic (UArctic), which is a network of university cooperation founded in Rovaniemi in 2001. “University of Lapland is responsible for the management and coordination of the University of the Arctic. At the moment, the network comprises 160 universities and research institutes,

among others in the US, Nordic Countries and Russia. In addition, there are members from outside the Arctic states, including from Japan and China,” Ylä-Kotola says.

Furthermore, Ylä-Kotola describes UArctic as one of few non-political cooperation channels between Russia and the US at the moment. “The current political situation is so polarized that even cultural cooperation is challenging. Thus, the science cooperation gains importance. The University of the Arctic is a significant non-political network, through which Russian scientist can still discuss with their colleagues in America and the Nordic Countries.”

Leading the way in research on indigenous peoples The University of Lapland has the national task of research in Environmental and Minority Law regarding the Sami people in Finland. “The indigenous peoples’ rights are a main focus point in the university’s research.

One goal of the University of the Arctic is to invigorate the peoples living in the North including the indigenous peoples,” Ylä-Kotola stresses. www.ulapland.fi MH

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1.The versatile educational services of Turku University of Applied Sciences help you see far. For instance, the Innopeda® method can help improve both the pedagogic skills of teachers and the innovation competence of students.

2. Our training is very much based on the realities of working life, and we are able to react quickly to changing needs, stresses Kirsti Virtanen. kirsti.virtanen@turkuamk.fi 3. We tailor our services according to the companies’ needs. We want to collaborate with businesses and create long-term partnerships, says Marianne Renvall. marianne.renvall@turkuamk.fi

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See far Turku University of Applied Sciences helps you see far.

It provides companies and public administration organizations with high-quality and versatile services for further education, consultation and development both in Finland and abroad.

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urku University of Applied Sciences boasts long-term experience on tailored education and development projects for Finnish companies and other organizations. The university’s domestic projects add up to between 2,000 and 3,000 annually.

Additionally, the institution has arranged extensive partnerships with large companies, often including versatile research and development work.

In the past years, this top-level educational know-how has also been offered abroad.

Turku University of Applied Sciences has extensive international networks and over 300 co-operation agreements with universities and other organizations in various countries.

The unique Innopeda® “Our top product is Innovation Pedagogy developed by us, which is useful e.g. for improving the innovation competence of experts. Improved competence allows the experts to produce additional value for

work communities. The Innopeda® training has been a real success both in Finland and abroad, for instance in Indonesia and Brazil,” says Kirsti Virtanen, Manager of Global Education Services.

Innovation Pedagogy is also the basis of WasED.fi, an extensive waste management education package that provides training for waste management trainers in various countries and has aroused interest globally.

Innovation Pedagogy emphasizes research and development, entrepreneurship, services, and internationality, and the same values are utilized in the University’s strong further education program in the fields of Business, Culture, and Technology, e.g. in the subcategories of Health Informatics and Game Development.

“We also have strong skills in virtual pedagogy and a good command of the technologies required by it. One of our most important educational fields is Language and Cultural Communication – we teach our customers to operate in different cultural

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environments and multicultural work communities. For instance, we carried out an online language and cultural education package for the Belarusian game developer Wargaming,” explains Key Account Manager Marianne Renvall.

Turku University of Applied Sciences is the only educational institution in Finland where language teachers are able to acquire the standardized international Eurolta-Eurovolt Diploma.

Extensive health know-how Turku University of Applied Sciences also specializes in developing the fields of health and well-being. The training can help develop organizations across the field of social services and health care as well as for individual universities that would like to update their course contents and utilize the opportunities provided by modern pedagogics. MLS www.tuas.fi

Content produced by Editor Helsinki

Professionals – the brand edition

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Adult education must address the challenges of working life Tampere Adult Education Centre is an agile partner for all kinds of companies and organisations, with focus on what’s current and on companies’ radars.

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ampere Adult Education Centre, TAKK, is one of the biggest vocational adult education centres in Finland, with some 16,000 students each year. “Our role is to be a ‘work glove’ for companies and organisations because adult education must be able to meet the challenges of working life.

We have to be current and know what’s on the radars of companies, given that future visions cannot be leaps ahead of what is needed in working life – otherwise supply and demand wouldn’t match,” says Teppo Tapani, Principal of TAKK.

Answers to a transforming working life Making careers longer has been a crucial topic for several years now, and also in this regard TAKK has a clear role. “Working life

are very much about extending careers.

Expertise updates at workplaces are primarily done via training, but we partner with employers also in a consultative role.”

Agile partner

Teppo Tapani, Principal of TAKK.

is in transition. This can mean that job contents or needs change radically within an industry meaning that expertise needs to be brought up-to-date. A person’s job performance might deteriorate over the years calling for a change of tasks or job, again requiring retraining or education. Our services

Key to TAKK’s operations are customer focus and agility. “We tailor VET programmes to customer needs all the way from short courses lasting a couple of days through to degrees taking years to complete. We cooperate closely with the corporate world and our active planning teams listen carefully to the needs of companies, schools and organisations. At its best, being a ‘work glove’ means that we generate the kind of knowledge capital our customers need to ensure their individual success stories continue.” MH www.takk.fi

Beddit tells you how you sleep at nights

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eddit tells you easily and accurately how you sleep at nights and how you can improve your quality of life.

“Humans sleep a third of their lives, therefore, quality of sleep is important. The foundation of well-being is nutrition, physical exercise and rest. People pay attention to nutrition and exercise, but not that much to rest, even though we know for a fact that food does not absorb well and we gain weight if we sleep badly. Furthermore, the benefits of exercising are only realized when we rest,” Lasse Leppäkorpi, CEO of the company that developed Beddit, explains.

Every third person has trouble with sleeping Almost a third of the population in the Western countries suffers from sleeping problems.

According to Leppäkorpi, only few of us come to think, that all we do during the day affects our quality of sleep, and how we sleep affects how we manage and how our brain func-

“Everything affects the sleep and the sleep affects everything.” tions the following day. “We live in a spiral, in which everything affects the sleep and the sleep affects everything”, he points out.

Beddit shows the way to change

How do you wish to wake up?

The quality of sleep is worth paying attention to, and now this is made easy. Beddit is an unnoticeable sensor placed under your sheets. During the night, it measures the heart rate, breathing, snoring and movement, transmitting the data wirelessly into a smart phone. In the morning the phone shows what happened in the night and rates the quality of sleep. In addition, the user gets practical tips, how to improve the sleep and quality of life.

Recently launched Beddit is being dynamically developed further. The latest example of continuing development is the smart wake up function, which wakes you up in a light phase of the sleep making you more energetique in the morning. “The waking up options are various sound landscapes, such as a week day morning, nature or Sunday morning. In the future these could be combined with light,” Leppäkorpi says. MH www.beddit.com