Karelia.fi - 1/2015

KARELIA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES NEWSLETTER | 1/2015

»8

16th International Week of Karelia UAS COOPERATION BETWEEN KARELIA UAS AND WORKING LIFE

» 10

20 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS EDUCATION IN JOENSUU

» 26

Exploring Karelia UAS Focus Areas

» EDITORIAL

KARELIA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES NEWSLETTER | 1/2015

Editorial-in-chief Liisa Timonen, Head of International Affairs Sub-editors Eija Piiparinen, Communications Officer & Kaisa Varis, Publications Coordinator Layout Salla Anttila, Graphic Designer Photos Karelia UAS/archive, Salla Anttila Cover photo Olga Rykanova Translations Laura Väistö Publisher Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Tikkarinne 9, 80200 Joensuu Contact information international@karelia.fi, info@karelia.fi, www.karelia.fi Circulation 1500 ISSN 2323-8453 (Printed), ISSN 2323-8461 (Online Publication)

Karelia UAS aims at building international campuses providing all community members an access to internationalisation.

However, internationalisation is definitely something we cannot do alone – our partners sharing similar kinds of interests play a key role in the band.

INTERNATIONALISATION BENEFITS US ALL!

K

arelia University of Applied Sciences, like any other university of applied sciences in Finland, operates with limited resources at a time when the result expectations are getting higher and the competition harder. This operational environment forces higher education institutes to consider how they can achieve the results to ensure adequate funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture. This consideration recalls strategic and profound base from the management as well as open discussions with the staff and the students. Karelia UAS promotes working life oriented high quality education and research, development and innovation (RDI) operations in the carefully chosen focus areas. The whole process is supported by on-going quality assurance offering a floor for up-to-date monitoring and developing of the actions.

The aims for internationalisation need to be discussed, too. Systematic internationalisation of education in its turn helps to meet the mobility and degree objectives but it can give much more; it can help all students – mobile and nonmobile – to gain international competence and transversal skills promoting graduate employability. It may also support teachers’ professional development and open new valuable networks. Systematic internationalisation of education means an expanded selection of studies in English in all degrees, development of joint international study programmes and curriculum development embedded teacher mobility. Integrating internationalisation and RDI operations is a crucial part in building joint programmes and mobility frameworks and developing partnerships. Internationalisation should not be something extra involving only few – it should be a natural part of education and RDI bringing them an added value.

Karelia UAS aims at building international campuses providing all community members an access to internationalisation. However, internationalisation is definitely something we cannot do alone – our partners sharing similar

kinds of interests play a key role in the band. Karelia UAS would like to boost profound alliances that could span from curriculum development to joint projects and strategic joint ventures. When internationalisation is carefully considered and strategically embedded into the organisational processes, it enables meaningful development actions together with the partners on regional, national and international level.

This issue presents some examples of the RDI operations of Karelia UAS in the focus areas. In all these cases, good partnerships are a crucial part of the success – together we can accomplish much more than any of us could alone. And we can get even more; we can learn from each other, build friendships and also gain unforgettable experiences. So let’s continue working!

Liisa Timonen, Head of International Affairs

karelia.fi | 3

» P RACTICE SHOTS: KARELIA UAS STUDENTS AT THE IBU WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

28

KARELIA UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES NEWSLETTER | 1/2015

20

16

» L ED-TECHNOLOGY REPLACING TRADITIONAL INCANDESCENT AND HALOGEN LAMPS

3

Editorial: Internationalisation benefits us all

6

Studying in Joensuu, Finland

8

16th International Week of Karelia UAS

10

Cooperation between Karelia University of Applied Sciences and working life

13

Internationalisation hindrance or opportunity for SMEs?

16

Focus on competence in ageing

» F OCUS ON COMPETENCE IN AGEING

18

Russia expertise

20 22

Mobile applications for tourism

24

Wood construction Future solution

26

20 years of International Business education in Joensuu

28

Practise shots: Karelia UAS students at the IBU World Championships

30

LED-technology replacing incandescent and halogen lamps

Karelia Quality Programme

karelia.fi | 5

Studying in

Joensuu, Finland Joensuu is the student capital of eastern Finland, as the city hosts many higher education institutions. Here you can lead an active student life: due to the high number of students, the leisure time services and the lively culture in the city will not leave you cold even during the most freezing winter months.

6 | karelia.fi

I

n order to keep the balance between studying and free time, the city offers creative opportunities for your leisure time. If you are into sports, you have plenty of sport clubs to choose from. The sports facilities vary from indoor swimming pools, skate ramps and climbing walls to football fields, ice skating rinks and ski slopes. Cultural activities include concerts from classical music to rock and jazz, fine art exhibitions, cinemas and dance performances.

The student union POKA at Karelia UAS offers you many sports classes ranging from street basketball to yoga. If you are interested in unspoiled nature, our city and its surrounding area gives you plenty of opportunities to experience peaceful forests and dozens of lakes. Relaxing might include hiking, fishing and bird-watching.

FIELDS OF STUDY Social Sciences, Business and Administration Culture Natural Resources and the Environment Tourism, Catering and Domestic Services Social Services, Health and Sport Technology, Communication and Transport

FACTS AND FIGURES 2014 Total number of students

3,859

International students

138 degree students, 221 exchange students

Number of graduates

662

Staff

304

FACTS AND FIGURES ABOUT FINLAND Population

5.4 million, 15.8 inhabitants per km²

Spoken languages

Finnish, Swedish, Samí (English widely spoken)

Form of government

Republic, parliamentary democracy

International cooperation

Member of the United Nations since 1955 and the European Union since 1995

GDP per capita

35,150 Euros (2011)

Currency unit

Euro

Capital

Helsinki (1.25 million inhabitants in metropolitan area)

Climate

Cold winters and fairly warm summers (2010 extremes: coldest day in Kuhmo -41.3 C/-42.3 F, warmest day in Joensuu 37.2 C/99.0 F)

Source: Statistics Finland

karelia.fi | 7

16th International Week of Karelia UAS

In February Karelia UAS had an honour to host over 40 guests from foreign partner universities. During the week there were interesting lectures, meetings and networking, and of course, outdoor activities in a wintery landscape. Internationalisation and quality partnerships are very valuable for Karelia UAS and an essential part of education today. In this annual event it is possible to strengthen common goals and the quality of cooperation. Let us meet in the next International Week in February 2016!

TEXT Minna Halonen | PHOTOS Olga Rykanova

8 | karelia.fi

karelia.fi | 9

COOPERATION BETWEEN

Karelia University of Applied Sciences and working life TEXT Mervi Leminen | PHOTO shutterstock

WELL MANAGED COOPERATION

Over the years there have been discussions on many forums about the importance of cooperation between the private and public sector. The role of universities of applied sciences in the Finnish education system has been to offer higher education in close cooperation with working life. Karelia University of Applied Sciences has taken this task seriously and made cooperation activities visible and well organised, leading to win-win results.

Karelia UAS has categorised the cooperation (partnerships) and made it as a part of the university’s strategic management. The cooperation effort does not just benefit the university but also ensures achieving the goal of developing the regional business and industrial life to meet international competence requirements.

Strategic partners

Strategic partners ensure the operational preconditions of Karelia UAS and improve its competitive advantage. The partnership is managed based on strategic agreements, and the top management of Karelia UAS is responsible for stra-

10 | karelia.fi

Key partners are very important to Karelia UAS. The key partner activities are diverse and significant to both activity parties and to the whole region.

tegic partnerships. Examples of strategic partners include: the City of Joensuu, Student Union POKA, North Karelia Municipal Education and Training Consortium, Saimaa UAS and the University of Eastern Finland.

Key partners

Key partners are very important to Karelia UAS. The key partner activities are diverse and significant to both activity parties and to the whole region. The collaboration is structured and systematic, long-term and agreed upon by a written partnership agreement. For each key partner there is a key partner contact person who is responsible for the cooperation activities. At this very moment there are about 60 key partner agreements between Karelia UAS and Finnish organisations and businesses. With the key partners there are wide range of cooperation activities: study related collaboration, education (expert lectures, visits, company presentations and teachers’ working life periods), project collaboration (R&D projects, innovation development), common events and continuing education of staff and also curricula development.

Other cooperation

There are hundreds of companies and organisations with whom the cooperation is not so diverse but the fields are very important (e.g. practice training). Those partners are called functional partners. These functional partners compile a wide network and support student’s employability and working life project activities.

One form of cooperation is the alumni network for graduates of Karelia University of Applied Sciences (and preceding institutions, such as North Karelia University of Applied Sciences). Alumni activity is a strong link between university and working life. Karelia UAS alumni activities aim to encourage the graduates to continue their interaction with their former school and thus strengthen the collaboration between the staff, graduates and students of Karelia UAS. Karelia UAS is very thankful for the cooperation with all the partners and open to new partnership initiatives and activities. With the help of well organised working life cooperation Karelia UAS can offer high quality education and R&D activities and also support the regional economy.

karelia.fi | 11

WORK SMART - EXAMPLE OF THE WORKING LIFE COOPERATION World is changing

Throughout the 21st century the structural changes in society have happened at an accelerating speed. Globalisation, technological development, changes in the global economy and changes in the age structure of the population make changes occur more rapidly. Finding a job after graduation is no longer guaranteed. This means that nowadays the unemployment rate among the young people is high even among the highly educated.

Need for collaboration and network building

Karelia UAS has noticed this problem and started a R&D project called ‘Work Smart’ together with the strategic partner North Karelia Municipal Education and Training Consortium. In the Work Smart project a student’s employability after graduation is considered to be better if s/he can build up the professional network and get the visibility to her/his professional knowledge during the study process. It is also easier for the employers to hire persons they already know and rely on and with whom they have positive experiences (e.g. study projects or practice training). It minimises the risk of failed recruitment. The Work Smart Project pays attention to potential jobs which are not already open positions but will be in the future. The Work Smart Project tries to seek and involve potential employers e.g. growing companies and startups. It is much easier to get a job when there is no competition (the position is not open yet) than through hard recruitment competition when standing in the same line as more experienced persons.

Win-Win-Win situation

The project looks at this dilemma from three perspectives: how to activate students in networking with potential employers, how to develop career guidance to meet the needs of students’ employability and how to involve the companies and potential employers in the study process and help them to succeed in their recruitment process. All the active parties have taken this development process seriously and attended the project actions with open minds and hearts.

The Work Smart project aims to deepen the relationship between university/college and companies and students so that the students can build their contact networks during the studies to ease the employment after graduation. The project aims to develop new tools for career guidance and counselling. The project also aims to build recruiting skills in the companies. This is an example of an activity where all parties (schools, companies and students) benefit from the cooperation. The Work Smart Project is funded by the EU/European Social Fund, ELY Centre South Savo, Joensuu Regional Development Company JOSEK, Karelia University of Applied Sciences and North Karelia Municipal Education and Training Consortium.

The Work Smart Project pays attention to potential jobs which are not already open positions but will be in the future.

12 | karelia.fi

INTERNATIONALISATION hindrance or opportunity for SMEs? TEXT Isabel Muñoz Hidalgo & Helena Puhakka-Tarvainen | PHOTO Helena Puhakka-Tarvainen

I

nternationalisation is nowadays a widely used term in every sector of life: schools, working life, business, etc.

Just typing the word into a search engine gives about eleven million results. But do we actually know what internationalisation means? There is some confusion with word globalization, but according to the Global Policy Forum, the word internationalisation refers to: ”the increasing importance of international trade, international relations, treaties, alliances, etc.[...] The basic unit remains the nation, even as relations among nations become increasingly necessary and important”.

Internationalisation is not a new phenomenon. It has been going on for decades and has been researched from several perspectives. When considering universities and businesses, it is taking place in different forms. For example, international students contribute to internationalisation through their practices in Finnish companies. This benefits both companies and students through cultural and language exchange, and creating networks for the future.

the word internationalisation refers to: the increasing importance of international trade, international relations, treaties, alliances, etc. [...] The basic unit remains the nation, even as relations among nations become increasingly necessary and important”.

karelia.fi | 13

INTERNATIONALISATION - hindrance or opportunity for SMEs?

The trade and ties between nations are inevitably growing.

However, for many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) internationalisation seems difficult to achieve. Is it possible also for companies with small resources to participate in the international markets? The answer is not simple, but at least Europe is trying very hard to boost it nowadays. The European Union developed a funding programme for research and innovation, Horizon 2020, which aims at economic growth and job creation in Europe. Under this financial instrument, 80,000 million euro will be invested for research, development and innovation during the programme period 2014-2020. From that total budget, 15% of the funding is allocated to societal challenges, and the enabling of industrial technologies is expected to go to the SMEs.

“I had not just the opportunity to know more about the project and EU funding, but also to get insightful knowledge of project work from different perspectives, e.g. project management, integration to teaching and student involvement”

14 | karelia.fi

To get the most benefits out of internationally funded programmes, it is necessary to build strong, competitive and trustworthy networks among different stakeholders: universities of applied sciences (UASs), universities, research institutes, local SMEs and other stakeholders. The multidisciplinary collaboration will provide different skills that support and complement each other: 1 + 1 will be more than two! This is the aim of e.g. the HorizonHUB Project, in which Karelia University of Applied Sciences is one of the partners during 2014–2015. Through HorizonHUB, SMEs can find ways to grow their business through European Union funding with the help of local universities of applied sciences, through a so-called “HUB-network”.

It is in the eyes of the viewer how to take things. An SME might think that internationalisation will be a hindrance because it consumes time, effort and resources. However, it should be considered more so as a learning process for further developing the skills that the company already has, as well as putting forth efforts to foster networks and increase knowledge on markets and resources. As a result, the company stays up to date, and the benefits can become much greater than the input.

Isabel Muñoz participated in HorizonHUB for a couple of weeks during her training in Karelia UAS as a studentteacher. “I had not just the opportunity to know more about the project and EU funding, but also to get insightful knowledge of project work from different perspectives, e.g. project management, integration to teaching and student involvement”, tells Isabel after her training. “In addition, I got to know better how enterprises and UASs are already working together, and it became clear to me that it is a rapidly growing tendency.” Although enterprises and UASs do not share all same interests, there is one point that brings them closer together: the development and growth of the region. It is precisely based on this that both can start to build together.

This will bring more opportunities to the enterprises and the UASs, and more optimism for the future generations, starting with the students. But before this happens, it is important to continue building better communication between different groups, sharing the knowledge, experience and the motivation, and being open to other partners here and elsewhere.

Local hubs, local university - enterprise co-operation

Completion and strengthening core capabilities

HORIZONHUB PROJECT

»» Funded by the Ministry of Culture and Education, Finland »» A joint effort of four Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (Karelia, Saimia, JAMK and TAMK) and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd »» The purpose of the project is to create local, regional and international hubs between Universities of Applied Sciences and SMEs to improve the capability of applying and managing EU funded innovation projects »» The project consists of four themes divided into Work Packages: (1) Identifying research, development and innovation (RDI) orientations in a network, (2) Facilitating new forms of professional exchanges, (3) Improving the implication in Horizon 2020 and international innovation networks, (4) Drafting and disseminating the HUB-model for Finnish universities of applied sciences

HUB - Promoting international activities of SMEs and UASs

karelia.fi | 15

FOCUS ON

COMPETENCE IN AGEING

TEXT Arja Jämsén, Regional Unit Manager, The East Finland Social and Welfare Centre of Expertise ISO, Tuula Kukkonen | PHOTO morguefile.com

N

orth Karelia is called the laboratory of ageing. The title is based on the demography of the region; the share of older people in the area is growing faster and earlier than in any other part of Finland. Other parts of Finland and Europe will face the same situation not until after 20 years.

The term competence in ageing has been developed within different education and development networks in North Karelia since 2009. According to this concept, an ageing society primarily needs a broad perspective, i.e. knowledge and understanding of the meaning of ageing of the population from the viewpoints of the entire society and its different parts and levels.

Older people’s own activity and involvement, skills and experiences are inherent in this approach. Competence in ageing is competence related to ageing and its societal, communal and individual impacts. It is both professional and experiential knowledge that brings together older people, experts, professionals and developers from different fields.

The core of this competence consists of knowledge and skills on social services and health care. Ageing affects the entire society, and competence in ageing is needed everywhere when dealing with people and their diverse circumstances of life.

16 | karelia.fi

In the future, ageing phenomena should be viewed from more diverse perspectives than before, and on the other hand, more accurately. Ageing is not a one-dimensional phenomenon.

The diversity of the ageing population deserves to be better displayed. One aspect towards the diversity of ageing is structuring the phases of ageing. The phases of life of ageing employees, seniors and old people differ significantly from each other. It seems that we are not yet able to fully read the signs of ageing of the population and see the meanings of ageing in the society. We need changes both in the attitudes and in the ways of thinking at all levels of the society. We need new ways of looking at older people.

In North Karelia, competence in ageing has been selected as one of the key strategic focus areas. It is also one of the strategic focus areas of Karelia University of Applied Sciences.

At Karelia UAS, competence in ageing is developed in the education both at curriculum-level and in form of new cooperation practices between education and working life partners. A learning and service environment, Voimala, is a common development structure for students, older people and working life partners. In addition, students in various fields, such as engineering, business economics and culture, will have a chance to study ageing-related issues as part of their studies.

Nationally, a new step in this area of expertise will be taken by launching a Master’s Degree Programme in Active Ageing in 2015.

At Karelia UAS, competence in ageing is developed in the education both at curriculum-level and in form of new cooperation practices between education and working life partners.

& JämsÊn, A. .

Kukkonen, T t a – S rong North Kareli in Ageing Competence lia-amk/ issuu.com/kare relia-strongdocs/north-ka competence-in

karelia.fi | 17

RUSSIA EXPERTISE Finland and Russia share a border more than 1,300 km long. Naturally, Finland has always been closely tied to its eastern neighbor. Both countries have worked hard on cross-border cooperation and relationship building. The huge Russian market full of opportunities is still nearby, but this period of crisis and uncertainty have brought about new challenges and required searching for different solutions.

TEXT Ekaterina Miettinen, Marika Turkia

18 | karelia.fi

MAKING ACCESSIBILITY VISIBLE

The network comprises seven Finnish universities of applied sciences, which will tackle the development challenges of companies and organizations in the Finnish border areas.

FROM BORDERS TO SHARED SPACE – BOSS Consolidation of RDI network in border areas Karelia UAS is focused on Russian expertise regarding the development and commodification of services and expertise. At Karelia UAS, this is strengthening in the areas of business, tourism, bioenergy, the social sphere and networking competence. In the BOSS Project, this expertise includes students’ participation in project studies with commissions from interest group partners, key partners, operational partners, and alumni. The BOSS Project enables expert exchange to strengthen networks and to increase mobility. The objective is also to implement productive, efficient RDI co-operation models that strengthen career oriented operations. The outcomes expected include new operating models and contacts and concrete steps taken to ensure cooperation between universities and companies over the borders e.g. agile and easily applied cooperation models. The network comprises seven Finnish universities of applied sciences, which will tackle the development challenges of companies and organizations in the Finnish border areas. The universities of applied sciences participating in the project are: Haaga-Helia UAS, Kajaani UAS, Karelia UAS, Lapland UAS, Oulu UAS, Saimaa UAS and Novia UAS. Cooperation will take place over Finnish borders in the Baltic countries, Norway and Sweden, the Arctic border areas in the north, the Karelia Region in Russia and the St. Petersburg metropolitan area in the southeast.

Social wellbeing was one of the leading themes in the crossborder Karelia ENPI Program. The Learning Lab for Accessibility in Built Environment (www.karelia.fi/learninglabforaccessibility) is one of the projects realized in it. The aim of the project was to promote accessibility competence among the participating organizations and make it visible through existing model environments of partner organizations and pilot environments that are planned and realized as part of the project.

The overall project objective was to find out whether there exist market opportunities for North Karelian (Finland) companies. The first task was to investigate local demand, competition, distribution practices and implications for foreign entrants in the given product/service category.

The Russian partners were Karelian Resource Center and Rehabilitation center ISTOKI from Petrozavodsk, the City Administration of Kostomuksha and the Professional Rehabilitation Center of St Petersburg. Associates of the project from Finland include seven companies offering products for accessible built environments. From the Russian side, the associated partners are the City Administration of Petrozavodsk, the Rodnik Rehabilitation Centre, the Shtrih Engineering Center and the Karelstroimekhanization Construction Company from Petrozavodsk.

One example of this during the past two years is the cooperation between the Karelia UAS and the Agency for Social Development of the Republic of Komi, which has resulted in the planning and installation of the first private welfare center for the elderly in the City of Syktyvkar. Four Finnish companies are involved in offering their products to promote accessibility in the center. Accessibility development offers today and especially in the future a wide range of possibilities for education and research activities and also for commercial cooperation in sharing knowledge and good practices between Finland and Russia.

“Accessibility often means small things by which environments, attractions and services will be made accessible. It is merely a question of attitude and knowledge,” says project manager Timo Ekroos.

More on the web http://www.karelia.fi/learninglabforaccessibility The publication ”Small ABC for accessibility” http://issuu.com/karelia-amk/docs/ pieni-esteettomyyden-abc

karelia.fi | 19

LED-

TECHNOLOGY REPLACING TRADITIONAL INCANDESCENT AND HALOGEN LAMPS TEXT AND PHOTO Kari Mรถnkkรถnen

LED lights offer a completely new type of solution which cannot be implemented with traditional illumination.

LEDs are sold for example in LED light strips in which the LEDmodules are spaced at regular intervals.

20 | karelia.fi

T

he use of LED lights in illumination has been increasing due to their energy efficiency. In recent years LEDs have been greatly developed and gradually they are replacing traditional incandescent and halogen light sources.

The good properties of LEDs are their small size, long lifetime and good efficiency. The efficiency is based on the fact that the energy is delivered completely in the visible spectrum. An incandescent lamp, on the contrary, converts most of its electricity (ca.95%) into infrared radiation, i.e. heat. Therefore, the efficiency is only ca. 5%. In addition, the lifetime of an incandescent lamp is relatively short. LEDs do not include incandescent filaments or thin glass which could break easily. Therefore, LED lamps can be utilized efficiently also in places where regular incandescent lamps are not practical.

Thus far the purchasing prices of lamps including LEDs are considerably higher than those of incandescent and halogen lamps, but due to their longer lifetime they will pay for themselves. The luminous efficacy of white light LEDs is ca. 50-100 lm/W and it is becoming continually better as the lamps are further developed.

LED lights offer a completely new type of solution which cannot be implemented with traditional illumination. LEDs are sold for example in LED light strips in which the LEDmodules are spaced at regular intervals. In a building phase these strips can be embedded inside walls and moldings and the lamps can for example show emergency exit routes or create decorative or atmospheric elements.

The data on LEDs’ properties, lifetime and suitability for different product applications is based on information received from the component producers. From the perspective of product development, the information is insufficient.

The aim of LedTrix – Led Technology Databank Project, was to produce new information on using LEDs for illumination-, medicinal- and other industrial needs. In addition, the purpose of the project was to increase the competitiveness, employment possibilities and new business operations for companies in Eastern Finland with the help of basic research. The multidisciplinary project combined the microoptics of the University of Eastern Finland, The Centre for Business and Engineering at Karelia University of Applied Sciences as well as the electronics production competence fields of Elektroniikan 3K-tehdas in Savonlinna.

Typically, the lifetime of an LED is long, as studied by accelerated life-tests. The aging can be accelerated by increasing the temperature in which the products are tested.

An LED is considered to have reached its lifecycle when its relative luminous intensity burns down to 70% of the original. The relative luminous intensity of LEDs is measured at different temperatures every one-thousand hours, and with the help of a mathematical calculation model the received indicators define the lumen depreciation curve.

On the basis of the results received from the luminous lux measurement it can be concluded that there are great differences in LED lifetime performances regarding time as well as ambient temperatures. As for luminous lux, there are types in the commercial LED elements which endure heat and time well. There are also some references supporting the fact that the thermal performance of an LED-element has significant impacts on luminous lux and lifetime.

As a result from the lifetime calculation model it can be concluded that the calculation model which is in accordance with the standard TM-21 is not suitable at least for the chosen LEDs sampled for this test.

However, clear conclusions about the durability of the LEDs in the markets can be drawn from the luminous lux measurement results. In addition, the measurement analyses provide clear and usable information on the performance of the tested LEDS. LED lights are installed in challenging surroundings, so they often must be protected from environmental stress.

One way to decrease the stress during the product lifecycle is to protect coat the component boards after the soldering phase. Coating increases the board’s ability to endure moisture, dust, chemicals, pollution, mechanical stress, and/or temperature variation.

The lifetime of LEDs is significantly affected by the temperature of the LED and its surrounding. Thus, to ensure a long lifetime, the temperature of an LED element should be kept as low as possible.

There are several cooling solutions for conducting the heat produced in an LED. In practice, the heat is conducted from the LED to a larger surface and from there onwards to the air. The most typical cooling solutions include LED heat conducting to circuit board coppering, which either solely or with the help of an aluminum fan enhances thermal dissipation into the air.

karelia.fi | 21

MOBILE APPLICATIONS

FOR TOURISM

TEXT Timo Rui | PHOTO Salla Anttila

Making mobile guides in Karelia UAS has always been learning by doing, at the same time producing new experts to the surrounding society.

22 | karelia.fi

O

ne of the focus areas at Karelia University of Applied Sciences is multimedia services which operate in the interface of several new technologies and are multidisciplinary in nature. Under multimedia services in Karelia UAS there is versatile knowhow, e.g. from visual and audio communication to gaming competence, or utilizing databases in music technology through the eServices in tourism. Various mobile services have been for several years the cutting edge in competence.

The mobile guide made in the summer 2010 for Ilosaarirock festival in Joensuu was the first event guide of the kind.

There have also been mobile services in Karelia UAS which present the war history of North-Karelia.

The activity began in 2009 when the university was assigned the subcontracting in the project “CMC@NP - Connected Mobile Communities in the Northern Periphery�.

This was the start of a mobile guide GPS-Taival, a GPS-based dramatised guide, seen and heard in navigators, to the battles of Hattuvaara in Ilomantsi in the summer of 1944. The guide was implemented by a group of media teachers and students, the latter of which gave also their voice to the dramatised scenes in the guide. The following year, an Android version of the guide was made as a student assignment. The Hattuvaara battle in the summer 1944 was also made as a shorter version in English a couple of years

later when the Android version MobiTrail Hattuvaara saw the daylight. MobiTrail Hattuvaara was a guide made for the project Tourist Guide for Northern Periphery which included information about the war history as well as about the Greek orthodox culture of the region and the services available at Taistelijan Talo (Fighter’s House).

Making mobile guides in Karelia UAS has always been learning by doing, at the same time producing new experts to the surrounding society. As a result of this operation model, GPS-Taival was reborn in the autumn of 2014 when the audio content, still current, was transferred to newer, more suitable formats for smartphones. The context of this implementation was ”Euregio Karelia: museum hypertext” project as part of

the Karelia Enpi CBC program and it was executed by Efilon Oy in Joensuu, whose personnel consists of experts in mobile production who have graduated from Karelia UAS. Karelia UAShas been participating the international EuroVelo13 project which focuses on making a new cycling route from The Barents Sea in Norway all the way to the Black Sea in Turkey. The project has got another project by its side which produces content to EuroVelo and is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. One of the aims of this project is to produce a guide with audiovisual material which makes it easier for the international cyclist to get familiar with the culture of the region. A new mobile application will be made for this project at Karelia UAS in 2015-2016.

karelia.fi | 23

WOOD CONSTRUCTION FUTURE SOLUTION In Finland, wood is a widely utilised material when talking about small-scale buildings.

For instance, 85 per cent of all the singlefamily houses are made out of wood.

24 | karelia.fi

a.fi/ www.kareli uction woodconstr puukuokka.fi

TEXT AND PHOTO Mikko Matveinen

W

ood can be used in many types of buildings, from single-family homes to multi-story apartment buildings. Wood is suitable not only as a finish material but as a structural material, offering a cost-effective way to meet building code requirements for safety and performance. In Finland, wood is a widely utilised material when talking about small-scale buildings. For instance, 85 per cent of all the single-family houses are made out of wood. When it comes to large-scale buildings like apartment buildings and commercial buildings, we are just taking our first steps.

One remarkable bottleneck that has slowed down the development of wood construction in the context of largescale buildings has been the legislation. A few years back the Finnish government made some changes to fire regulations related to wooden buildings. Nowadays it is possible to build wooden apartment buildings up to eight floors, even though there are still many issues in legislation which are not up to date. Luckily barriers have only slowed down the development, and a lot of remarkable steps have also been taken in the development of multi-story buildings. In November 2014 the first wooden eight-floor building was established.

The building is called Puukuokka and it is located in Jyväskylä, near the centre of Finland. The building consists of 58 apartments and a parking garage on the ground floor.

It can be said that there is nowadays a high-level of interest within the construction industry by applying wood to larger scale buildings. The problem is that only a few construction companies have enough know-how to start such projects. Therefore Karelia University of Applied Sciences has chosen wood construction as one of the strategic

focus areas to fulfil the needs of the construction and wood working industry. One objective for the strategic focus area of wood construction is to strengthen educational activities related to wood construction within engineering studies.

Another important objective is to support the local businesses in the field through active research and development activities.

One example of the research and development activities of Karelia UAS’s wood construction focus areas is an ongoing project called Knowledge Transfer for Timber Construction. The project is financed by the EU’s structural fund and it was started in autumn 2014. The project aims to identify and transfer the best know-how related to timber construction. Knowledge transfer relates especially to the use of timber in large-scale buildings, including apartment houses. Knowledge transfer during the project will be carried out within concrete development activities as part of company-based development cases.

One partner in the project is Karjalaisen Kulttuurin Edistämissäätiö, KKES. KKES is a foundation whose one objective is to offer affordable rental apartments for people in the Joensuu Region. At the moment they are planning to build an apartment building near the centre of Joensuu. A wooden option seems to be an interesting solution for their purposes, but the problem has been the lack of knowledge related to the suitable technologies and economic competitiveness of the wooden solution. With the support of the project Knowledge Transfer for Timber Construction, they are expecting to overcome these issues, which has been bottlenecked so far. The future will show whether wood construction is the solution or not.

karelia.fi | 25

20 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS EDUCATION IN JOENSUU TEXT Ari Stenroos | PHOTO Kaspars Kokins

N

orth Karelia University of Applied Sciences was one of the first Finnish higher education institutions to start English-conducted degree education in 1994. The purpose of setting up an international business degree programme was to support the internationalisation of the UAS and regional companies in North Karelia. The education was profiled for the emerging Russian and former Eastern European markets.

Specialisation in the Russian market was intensified in the late 1990s as a four-month study module, Winter School, conducted in St. Petersburg was added in the curriculum. The content and implementation of the Winter School was planned in cooperation with the St. Petersburg University. The Winter School turned out to be both a national and an international success, and it has been attended by students from different UAS degree programmes, the University of Joensuu, other Finnish universities of applied sciences, and students from e.g.

Switzerland, Germany and Chile. By 2011, a total of nearly 200 students experienced the cold winter of St. Petersburg, and as part of these studies, about 100 market studies were carried out in cooperation with Russian students for local companies, but also for national companies such as Valio, Raisio, Luhta and Pentik. As the intake of students for the Degree Programme in International Business was added up to 40 students in autumn 2010, the obligatory Russiafocused specialisation studies were abandoned. In 2007,

26 | karelia.fi

the International Business education started its cooperation with the English-conducted Design education at our UAS. Shared studies and projects in innovation activities, service design and user research brought a fruitful addition to the marketing competence.

The number of international students in Degree Programme in International Business has also enhanced the international spirit of the education. On average, a half of international business students are foreigners, mainly from Russia, Asia and Africa. In addition, the degree programme has approximately 30, mainly European, exchange students each year. This semester, there are students from 22 different countries. Furthermore, the international atmosphere is increased by inviting visiting expert lecturers from Karelia UAS partner institutions.

The graduates from the Degree Programme in International Business have got a strong foothold on the labor market. The degree studies include studies and practical trainings abroad, and projects carried out in cooperation with companies provide our students with the kind of experience that employers appreciate. Besides in regional businesses, our graduates work in the metropolitan area of Finland as well as abroad. After the graduation, approximately a half of foreign students stay in Finland, either working or studying further. About 10 percent of the graduates choose to become entrepreneurs. Two graduates are now working as teachers in the degree programme.

FACTS AND FIGURES ON INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS EDUCATION:

300 graduated students 500 international market

studies for companies

500 exchange students 400 international trainees in regional companies

40 international lecturers

On average, a half of international business students are foreigners, mainly from Russia, Asia and Africa. In addition, the degree programme has approximately 30, mainly European, exchange students each year.

KASPARS KOKINS, LATVIA »» Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) 2013 »» Export manager, Porokka Forest Oy, Finland Currently I am working as an export manager of Finnish company Porokka Forest Oy. The company has more than 30 years of experience in the field of forestry machinery, mostly dealing with timber cranes.

My duty is to improve company’s exporting performance. Such a position demands both creative and technical knowledge, that’s a challenge. Before my current job, I used to work as a business development specialist for a hometown municipality and as a project manager for a car-rental broker. Both these positions as well as my current job I gained through networking.

Studies benefited my carrier in two ways: Firstly, networking, and secondly, information about the concepts and subjects of business world. The best memories from studying at Karelia UAS were lessons with lecturers from different countries that provided students with a variety of opinions about subjects and altered a critical thinking. The most useful courses for my career were Business Legislation, Export, Marketing, Finance and language (Russian).

My plan for the future is to gain more practical experience. A word of advice for students: While you are studying focus on two things: 1) networking, 2) CV. Both will turn out useful in your future. karelia.fi | 27

PRACTICE SHOTS: Karelia UAS students at the IBU Biathlon World Championships TEXT Adam Lerch | PHOTOS Ari Stenroos

I

n March, an expected 100,000 spectators will descend upon Kontiolahti, a small municipality north of Joensuu, and its picturesque biathlon stadium to watch hundreds of athletes from 38 nations compete in the 2015 IBU Biathlon World Championships. Joensuu will also play a major role, serving as the main transportation hub (buses continuously running to and from the stadium), the site of the opening and award ceremonies, information points, accommodation locales, and several other activities surrounding the competitions. Visitors and residents alike will be able to skate in the market place, where they can also watch the events on TV live, and why not have a look at some ice and snow sculptures in the meantime? This massive undertaking should not be considered mundane for North Karelia: the last time this event was held here was 1999.

The World Championships provide numerous excellent opportunities for Karelia UAS’s students to gain valuable practical experience connected to their respective study fields. Students from the Business Economics and International Business Programmes along with Tourism degree students are participating in various ways. Approximately twenty International Business students, from France, Italy, Russia, Vietnam, and Finland, are serving the teams at their hotel, delivering the official World Championship outfits to volunteers, working at info stands at the marketplace and the stadium (also in supervisory roles). According to Lecturer Ari Stenroos, some are conducting customer satisfaction surveys in Russian, Finnish (along with Business Economic students), and English.

Already before the beginning of the ceremonies, the students’ contributions have “helped organizers a lot,” ac-

cording to Sales Manager Jarno Lautamatti. And from the point of view of the students? “I’ve found this project to be actually meaningful, and as it has significant cultural and international impacts on the area I am living in. It means much to me to be involved. Moreover, as it being a real event, it feels that I finally get to put my acquired skills to use and show how theory blends into practice.” This is from second-year IB student Joonas Hiltunen, who continues, “It also prepares me well for overseeing tasks and taking responsibility, both of which are must-have skills for postgraduate projects and working life.”

I’ve found this project to be actually meaningful, and as it has significant cultural and international impacts on the area I am living in.” karelia.fi | 29

KARELIA QUALITY PROGRAMME TEXT Harri Mikkonen

K

arelia University of Applied Sciences has a long tradition in quality management. In the national audit of 2011, the quality management system of Karelia UAS was evaluated as the best and most advanced system among Finnish higher education institutions.

Evaluation of quality is based on the principle of enhancement-led evaluation. The purpose of enhancementled evaluation is to help the clients identify their strengths, good practices and areas in need of development in their own operations. Thus, the aim is to help educational institutions achieve their strategic objectives and steer their future development activities in order to create a framework for the continuous development of the institution.

A clear connection can be observed between educational quality management and good learning outcomes at all levels of education. If educational quality management is inadequate or even non-existent, the outcomes of learning are often random, or even poor. Good educational quality management predicts good results in learning. No quick profit can be made in quality management, but it is a longterm process focusing on a genuine desire of an institution to start developing its quality systems.

Karelia UAS has developed a Karelia Quality Programme for the development of educational quality management.

The Karelia Quality Programme consists of three modules.

30 | karelia.fi

The purpose of enhancement-led evaluation is to help the clients identify their strengths, good practices and areas in need of development in their own operations.

1.

QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM TRAINING (QAST)

The purpose of the training is to increase the understanding of and competence in quality assurance systems in higher education institutions (theoretical part) and to get familiar with the main tools used in quality assurance systems (workshops). The key objective of the training is to build up a preliminary quality assurance improvement plan for the institution.

1.

2.

3.

PRE-TRAINING CONTACTS

a. Webinar on the idea and basics of quality assurance b. Questionnaire on the basic information of the organisation (e.g. number of students and staff) and on its quality management (e.g. strategy, planning of operations, management)

THREE-DAY ON-SITE TRAINING a. A three-day training is comprised of theory lessons, workshops and discussions. On the last day of the training, each participating organisation will hand in their preliminary quality assurance improvement plan to the trainers.

POST-TRAINING FEEDBACK

a. Written feedback of the preliminary quality assurance improvement plan will be delivered to the institution by the trainers within a month after the training. b. Post-training webinar

Contact information: en harri.mikkon @karelia.fi 0402 +358 50 502

2.

QUALITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM AUDIT (QASA)

The auditing of educational quality management is implemented in cooperation with Karelia UAS. The audit is based on the existing documentation of an institution and on guided self-evaluation. Based on these elements, an understanding of the quality management system at the institution will be formed.

The auditing visit complements these observations on the quality management system and creates a basis for compiling a quality assurance improvement plan.

The auditing project of an educational institution will be tailored in cooperation with Karelia UAS, the client, and experts.

During QASA, three essential documents for future development of quality management will be compiled: 1. Preliminary findings 2. Quality Audit Report 3. Quality Improvement Plan

3.

DIALOGIC CONSULTATION FOR QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

In continuous development, Karelia UAS and the institution can use the Audit Report and the Quality Improvement Plan as tools in the long-term development of quality. The quality assessment tools and methods used during the training will also remain to be used by the institution after the training. The purpose is that the institution will be able to use the tools fully autonomously when developing its own quality management system and the trainer will no longer be needed onsite, although their tools continue to add value. Karelia UAS will continue to provide mentor support in ongoing quality management and increase the quality competence of the institution as well as their quality management culture.

karelia.fi | 31

32 | karelia.fi