- Tampere University hosts 30 EdUHK master’s students for a two-week program on higher education policy, governance, and innovation.
- The course combined lectures, workshops, and research-informed insights, with examples from Finland, guided by Tampere University faculty and doctoral researchers.
- Cultural immersion complemented learning, including city tours, museum visits, traditional Finnish sauna, and baking joulutorttu, promoting cross-cultural understanding and international collaboration.
Tampere University opened its doors to 30 master’s degree students from the Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK), who participated in a two-week academic session on higher education policy, governance, and innovation. The foreign students, who were pursuing master’s degree studies in the Master of Arts in Global Higher Education and the Master of Education programmes at EdUHK, took an academic course entitled Analysis of Higher Education and Innovation Policies, which comprised lectures, discussions, and workshops. The course relied on a combination of concepts from around the world, including examples from Finland, to introduce the participants to policies, governance, and innovations in higher education.
It was conducted by Tampere University academic staff, who include Professor Jussi Kivisto, Professor Mari-Pauliina Vainikainen, Doctor Nina Arnhold, and University Instructor Kateryna Suprun. Doctoral researchers also contributed to support the work of the students. This formed a unique approach where the students got direct access to research-informed insights regarding contemporary issues facing higher education.
Besides, apart from the curriculum, there were other cultural events that aimed to promote cross-cultural interaction. For example, students got to discover Tampere, a city in Finland, through a guided tour, learn about museums, enjoy a traditional Finnish sauna, and also learn to bake joulutorttu. These activities were an important supplement to classroom learning, which emphasized Finnish culture and practices.
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EdUHK staff also accompanied a student group, getting involved in their discussions, as they explored possible avenues that might make a success of a tie-up between these two institutions. Tampere University indicated that their visit is one way through which it is pursuing a greater international collaboration at a tertiary education sector.
Through the combination of academic learning and immersion into culture, the program offered the students a well-rounded education with respect to higher education systems in Finland while offering a platform for discussions pertaining to policy issues across the globe. This program is an embodiment of Tampere University’s commitment to international collaboration in the higher education world.
