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/).
I had the exciting opportunity to attend a Digital Escape Room workshop hosted at ELTE University in Budapest as part of their international Staff Week in April. This immersive session opened new ways of thinking about active learning, creativity, and technology in the classroom.
Last week I participated in BIP (Blended Intensive Programme) short exchange in Amsterdam University of Applied Science (HvA – Hogeschool van Amstedam). The topic was Interactive and Collaborative Learning for Staff in Sustainability.
TAMK’s international week, Eye on TAMK, has already become a tradition. Every other year in March hundreds of colleagues from across the world flock into Tampere to hear about the latest trends in teaching and learning. This year an entirely new track was introduced to the program, namely that of Uninovis. Since January 2025 TAMK has been part of the European Universities Alliance Uninovis, comprising seven higher education institutions. Eye on TAMK provided a great backdrop for the Uninovis partners to spread the word about the alliance and meet each other to discuss future actions.
Artificial intelligence has arrived with a bang and is making its mark in the world of work. Various AI programmes have come to the market, and at times it can be difficult to grasp what these AI programmes are actually capable of doing. How can we leverage artificial intelligence in the international contexts of higher education?
Last week, we had the opportunity to participate in Rheology Power Week 2025, which was organised by Anton Paar Nordic AB in Malmö, Sweden. The event provided a good overview of various aspects of rheology, which is the study of material flow and deformation (Mezger 2014). The event had international participants from both industry and universities.
Five lecturers Taru Nurmala, Kaisa Kokko, Kirsi Karimäki, Tiina Wickman-Viitala and Sanna Tahlo from Tampere University of Applied Sciences participated in a train-the-trainer workshop in Vienna as part of the Personal Green Skills in Higher Education project in December 2024.
"It feels like everyone else has a place They have their own gang, the club Where they can always be on Sundays wearing a suit with other people It feels like everyone else has a direction They have their own group rulebook And they don't have to wonder if they made a mistake again."
Internationalisation and international mobility are important areas at TAMK so my teacher exchange with the University of Staffordshire, in the United Kingdom, was a valuable experience. In January 2025, I visited Stoke-on-Trent, the university’s main campus. The main goal of my exchange was to deepen the relationship with the University of Staffordshire and consider different possibilities for future co-operation in education science and teacher education.
In the last week of November, Marika Kyllönen, Harri Karvinen and Toni Pippola from TAMK had the opportunity to participate in the International Week organised by HdM (Hochschule der Medien) in Stuttgart, Germany. The visit provided an excellent opportunity to network with international colleagues and to get to know the German higher education scene.
