Events, thought and goings-on at Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK)
Did you know that Chile is so long that if you placed it over Europe, its northern tip would reach the coast of Norway and its southern end would stretch all the way to the Sahara Desert in North Africa? The scale of Chile is impressive – and the same can be said about the diversity of its education system.
Our recent activities in Nyeri and Nairobi were a powerful reminder that sustainable improvement in TVET happens with educators, not just for them. At Nyeri National Polytechnic, we concluded the Youth Employment and TVET in Kenya project with a hands‑on seminar where Kenyan TVET trainers showcased their development work, exchanged practices, and tested new classroom approaches together.
The European Network of Physiotherapy in Higher Education (ENPHE) continues to serve as a vital platform for physiotherapy educators, students, and institutions across Europe. This year’s annual ENPHE Forum was hosted by Lunex University of Applied Sciences in Luxembourg, bringing together 260 participants from 27 countries. The three-day event offered an inspiring and forward-looking programme under the theme: “The Future of Physiotherapy Education: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities.”
In September 2025, I participated in the AEC’s (European Association of Conservatories) 25th International Relations Coordinators’ meeting in Budapest, titled the Great Mobility Compass (https://aec-music.eu/event/annual-meeting-for-international-relations-coordinators-2025/).
Textile, clothing, leather and footwear – TCLF-branch in production has long and strong history and traditions in every nations cultures and heritage. Now this branch of skillful handicrafts, passionate creativity, traditional industry and innovative technology in designing and producing our everyday intimate skin and bodily connections with the world has very complicated challenges connected to e.g. global business with cheap mass production in developing countries, massive waste problem of used clothes, toxic production processes in the industry, problems of global social justice in working conditions of industry workers, to mention a few.
The world is changing, and a permanent job is not a given for anyone, especially for a young person at the beginning of their career. Entrepreneurship skills can give young people the option to create their own work. Entrepreneurship is also of increasing interest to young people today. It is important that we offer young people support and skills to start their own business. This is what the Succeed in Business project is about.
During May 2025 I took a trip to Germany and to a blended intensive program with five active students from TAMK: Vera Vuorio, Leila Ali, Waltteri Wiheriäkoski, Medi Ibrahimi and Daniel Bäfver, and with my colleague Nina Esko-Salin and her teacher student Marika Säteri, as a part of Personal Green Skills in Higher Education project.
Part of project work is creation of reports, planning and dissemination. Traveling to consortium meetings is often on tight schedule and there isn’t always time to cocreate. Projects, besides the substance related goals aim at scaling cooperation, acquiring knowledge, building new and cementing existing networks. How does it relate to green travel?
Tampere once again becomes the stage for building the future as Imagine 2025 gathers visionaries, experts, and decision-makers to explore what tomorrow might look like—and how we can shape it together.
TAMK’s Safety and Security team supports the university community in conducting research, development, and innovation (RDI) activities in a safe and confidential environment. The team’s work is a key part of TAMK’s strategy, which highlights TAMK’s expertise as a multidisciplinary university of applied sciences.
Further build the existing networks and strengthen them. That was the idea when I applied to Erasmus+ Staff Exchange Mobility. International projects are such that give you not only lessons to learn together but also form strong connections between people. Based on the experiences gained in TeamWe – project (2019–2022) and hosting visits to Basque VET teachers in Finland, I thought that maybe it was a right time to visit Basque country again. Not only to meet the dear colleagues there but to establish something we could work together in the future.
