Laurea International Week was celebrated at Tikkurila campus

Laurea International Week has been celebrated at different Laurea campuses for about 20 years. These international weeks have brought together teachers and other academic staff as well as students from different fields of studies for innovative meetings, lectures and workshops as well as RDI activities. This year Laurea International Week was celebrated at Tikkurila campus (25.3.-29.3.2019) with the theme Everyday Innovations.

The week brought together about 50 teachers and other University professionals from 34 different Universities, representing, for example, Social and Health Care, ICT, Business Management and Intercultural Communication. Also, the week was attended by visiting students from the UK, Coventry as well as many exchange students from Laurea’s partner universities.

After the opening ceremonies with Laurea’s President Jouni Koski and Directors Kati Komulainen and Arja Majakulma, the week kicked off with an Innovation Walk. Here Laurea staff together with the students introduced some of the latest Laurea innovations and projects, OIL and Nursing related posters and innovative open learning environments, such as the silent space and the Multisensory Space.

The Multisensory Space is one of Laurea’s foremost innovations, an open learning environment that promotes different creative pedagogical possibilities, and during the Innovation Walk, Varia immigrant students presented their digital life stories, as part of Laurea’s DISC project, in the Multisensory Space. DISC is one of Laurea’s latest Erasmus+ projects, coordinated by Laurea Tikkurila unit. DISC started in December 2018 and continues till the end of 2021. DISC partners include University College Leuven Limburg from Belgium, INCOMA from Spain, CESIE from Italy, and University of Maribor from Slovenia. The key target of DISC is to promote and support educational institutions and local communities in advancing digital skills and integration through educational practices for people with immigrant background and for inclusive and fair education. DISC is open for Laurea’s Social Services and IT students, and students can do their practice and develop their thesis projects for DISC, thus getting valuable international project experience.

In addition to DISC, during Laurea International Week and Innovation Walk visitors learned about Technology Library with different technological innovations that support especially the elderly in their independent life, and also innovative library services with latest Laurea LbD publications, promoting Laurea’s pedagogical Learning by Developing approach, were introduced. Different digital games, such as Seppo and wordynerdy.net, and the Digital University as learning opportunities were also part of Innovation Walk experience. Additionally, the visitors got to know an innovative natural cosmetics project and different creative projects, also engaging themselves in creative art activities.

During the week, there were different workshops, get-togethers and lectures from, for example, social economy and creativity studies to the effects of digital disruptions, from moral distress to latest language and intercultural communication studies and from online learning, leadership and service design to a LEGO workshop.

The week was also filled with more informal networking opportunities as well as moments of shared relaxation – Laurea organized a welcome campus dinner, a visit to Fazer chocolate factory, a reception by City of Vantaa and a visit to Oodi Library as well as a nature event for those wishing to experience the Finnish sauna. Students provided African dances and Uganda exchange experience. All the visitors were also invited to attend Finnish Language and Culture workshop, and there was also a pop-up event at Laurea Cosmetics Laboratory. And for those wishing to taste some British delicacies, there was a British Living Room available. Throughout the week, Laurea students also catered the everyday needs of international visitors at International Week Lounge with refreshments and some relaxing Finnish landscapes with Finnish music.

All in all, Laurea International Week was a great opportunity for all attendees: visitors got new international contacts and latest Laurea RDI information, different ongoing Erasmus+ projects included, and different forms of international co-operation with Laurea partners were planned. Workshops and other pedagogical events also offered opportunities for students and teachers to co-operate and get to know each other for shared and innovative learning.