Issuu

Innovative Solutions in International Education

MultiPro - 10 Years of Experiences from International Multiprofessional Studies at Savonia University of Applied Sciences in Iisalmi Edited by Pirjo Suhonen, Sanna Savela and Marjatta Kumpulainen 1

Savonia University of Applied Sciences PL 6 (Microkatu 1 D) 70201 KUOPIO Tel. +358 (0)44 785 5023 julkaisut@savonia.fi www.savonia.fi

1st edition Subject to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no re-production of any part may take place without the written permission of the copyright owners.

Photos Martina Gauber (32), Angela Hauer (25, 26, 29, 38, 39/2), Susanne Hämäläinen (20), Marjatta Kumpulainen (8, 19, 35/2) Andre Machava`s archive (34, 35) , Sonja Martikainen´s archive (27, 28), Jari Puustinen (5), Taimi Rytkönen`s archive (39), Pirjo Suhonen, (13, 14), Savonia UAS´s archive (10,11, 12, 16, 18, 22,23, 31, 33, 37, 41, 42, 43)

ISBN 978-952-203-228-7 (printed) ISSN 1795-0848 ISBN 978-952-203-229-4 (PDF) ISSN 2242-7015 Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Series D4/6/2016 Publisher Savonia University of Applied Sciences Graphic Design | Page layout manager Tapio Aalto Cover photo Agela Hauer Printing Kuopion Liikekirjapaino Oy 2016

Contents Editorial

04 05 Writers

1 Pedagogical Options in Multicultural Studies........... 07 Marjatta Kumpulainen and Hannele Tams International Learning through MultiPro Sanna Savela and Pirjo Suhonen Communication Skills in Practice Anne-Leena Juntunen and Auli Pohjolainen E-learning Opportunities in the Degree Programme in Social Services

08 12 14

17 20 22

Petri Kainulainen and Heli Wahlroos MultiPro Research about Animal Welfare and Food Safety Susanne Hämäläinen and Anna-Liisa Janatuinen Exchange Nursing Students – Clinical Placement in Iisalmi Beate Kralicek All the Light We See

2 Experiences Abroad and Home Internationalization..... 24 Angela Hauer, Anja Kralik, Tobias Lang, Petra Völkl Three Nations and a Stunning Time in Finland 2016 Sonja Martikainen International Tutoring Gives More Than It Takes Tobias Lang Missing Small Talk Culture

25 27 29

30 32 34

Anna Silén How to Become a Better, More Complete and Open Person? Martina Gabauer My Experiences as a Participant in MultiPro Study Module Andre Machava Experience from Finland and Its Post-benefits

3 Friend Mama, Papa and Family.......................... 36 Eeva Ryhänen Our Daily Routine Activities Seem to Be Excotic

Taimi Rytkönen Just a Big Heart with an Open-minded Attitude - Host Family Experiences

4 International Cooperation and Future Perspectives..... 40 Kati Partanen and Ardita Hoxha-Jahja Lessons Learned from Education Export Case TAGAK Training of Agricultural Advisors in Kosovo

3 3

Editorial

This publication is an overview of 10 years of experiences from international multiprofessional studies at Savonia University of Applied Sciences in Iisalmi. This 3-month study programme is called MultiPro. During these years there have been about 150 exchange students from 16 countries in Iisalmi: Kenya, Namibia, Mozambique, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Poland, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Russian, Kyrgyzstan and Thailand. The content of this publication has three aspects. First there are teachers’ descriptions of pedagogical solutions in international studies. When we deal with pedagogics of university of applied sciences there are a lot of practical options supplementing pedagogical theory. All our fields of study on Iisalmi campus, namely Rural Industries and Social and Health Care are represented in this publication. In the beginning of MultiPro studies we also had Business Administration. Almost every year we have had students from Austria. Beate Kralicek, Erasmus Coordinator of University College for Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy, Wien, encapsulates pedagogical signification well: Intentional mentoring and guidance are key components of deep personal and academic development.

The second viewpoint is students’. Internationalization is almost compulsory for all students in a university of applied sciences. Most students do not have a possibility to go abroad. Also those students can then internationalize by studying with foreign students, being a tutor for them and becoming a friend of them. International exchange – in one way or another can make us all better, more complete and open persons, as Anna Silén writes. At the end there are lovely stories of meetings with host families, with friend mamas and papas. Familiarizing with everyday life, local manners and culture and offering home feeling to the young during the time they are far from home are all very important for them. It takes a lot to take part in international work as a teacher, student or partner but it gives many times more. I would like to say we all are winners. Great thanks to all of those participating in internationalizing and writing about these experiences for this publication. We wish that this cooperation will continue and young students attend MultiPro Study Program in increasing numbers and new innovative educational solutions will be developed in future, for instance in the form of education export. Pirjo Suhonen

Writers

Marjatta Kumpulainen, Academic Coordinator of MultiPro Modul (front, left), Hannele Tams, International Coordinator, Sanna Savela, Pirjo Suhonen, Anne-Leena Juntunen, Petri Kainulainen, Ardita Hoxha-Jahja, Auli Pohjolainen and Heli Wahlroos.

Hoxha-Jahja Ardita, DVM, Dr. sc. agr., RDI Planner, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Rural Industries, Iisalmi H채m채l채inenSusanne, M. Sc., RN, Senior Lecturer in Nursing, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Social Services and Health Care, Iisalmi Janatuinen Anna-Liisa, M. Sc., RN, Student Counseling Coordinator, Yl채-Savon SOTE Joint Municipal Authority Juntunen Anne-Leena, Ph. D, (Education), Senior Lecturer in Social Services, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Social Services and Health Care, Iisalmi Kainulainen Petri, M. Sc., Manager (Rural Industries) Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Rural Industries, Iisalmi Kumpulainen Marjatta, M. Sc. (Econ), Academic Coordinator of MultiPro Module, Senior Lecturer in Languages and Communication, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Rural Industries, Iisalmi Partanen Kati, M. Sc. (Agric.), Senior Lecturer in Agricultural Policy, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Rural Industries, Iisalmi

Pohjolainen Auli, M. Ed., Senior Lecturer in Social Services, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Social Services and Health Care, Iisalmi Savela Sanna, M. Sc., Senior Lecturer in Languages and Communication, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Social Services and Health Care, Iisalmi Suhonen Pirjo, M. Sc., Senior Lecturer in Information and Communication, Chief Shop Steward, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Rural Industries, Iisalmi Tams Hannele, M. Ed., Senior Lecturer in Social Services, International Coordinator, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Iisalmi Wahlroos Heli, Ph. D, (Animal Science), M.Sc. (Agric.), Principal Lecturer in Animal Husbandry, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, School of Rural Industries, Iisalmi Kralicek Beate, Erasmus Coordinator, University College for Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy, Wien, Austria Students Gabauer Martina, MultiPro student 2013, University College for Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy, Wien, Austria Hauer Angela, MultiPro student 2016, University College for Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy, Wien, Austria Kralik Anja, MultiPro student 2016, University College for Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy, Wien, Austria Lang Tobias, MultiPro student 2016, University College for Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy, Wien, Austria Machava André Rafael, MultiPro student 2011, Mozambique Martikainen Sonja, Student Natural Resources 2016, International tutor at Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Iisalmi Silén Anna, Bachelor of Natural Resources 2015, International tutor at Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Iisalmi Völkl Petra, MultiPro student 2016, University College for Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy, Wien, Austria Friend Families Eeva Ryhänen and Taimi Rytkönen, Iisalmi

1 Pedagogical Options in Multicultural Studies

Marjatta Kumpulainen and Hannele Tams

International Learning through MultiPro

What is MultiPro? It is an international multidisciplinary three-month-long higher education study module offered by Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Iisalmi Finland. The concept of the module is very innovative and cost-effective. The module suits for students in rural industries, social services and health care. In this module the student can accomplish from 15 â€“ 20 ECTS credits in international study groups in three months. This model was developed to improve the quality of student exchanges and to promote the learning of internationalization skills.

Image 1. Multiprofessional Study Module.

As shown in the image the student can study in three different study groups: 1. Groups of her/his own study field, 2. MultiPro groups and 3. Multidisciplinary groups. In the groups of oneâ€™s own study field there are Finnish students and international students studying together. In MultiPro groups there are studies designed especially for international students, such as Survival Finnish. In multidisciplinary groups there are students from all study sectors studying together, like on the course of Research Methodology. This way of organizing an international study module is very cost-effective. Intercultural Communication and Learning The reason for integrating the international students into Finnish study groups is not only economical but pedagogical. These arrange-

ments enable intercultural communication and learning. It is important for undergraduates to study in real international environments in their home institution, because it is not possible for everyone to participate in student exchange. This module also structures the incoming teacher exchanges and makes it more organized. Incoming v isitors get the curricula and know what is expected. Not only incoming students but also Finnish students benefit from the module in many ways when it comes to international capabilities. For incoming students Friend Family system offers a great opportunity to get to know typical Finnish family life in addition to student life. While working as international tutors local students will have a chance to familiarize themselves with students from different cultures. The students, local and incoming, will be able with a little effort to create a global network useful for their future working life contacts.

International week and workshops During the module, students also learn by organizing two events as part of their studies: Global Market and International Party. In Global Marketplace incoming students introduce their countries, culture and offer small delicacies, and local students present different themes of cross-cultural communication. All of them have some interactive tasks for participants. For International Party incoming students together with local students plan and

accomplish the programme and decoration. All the students, staff, international guests and friend families are invited to both happenings. The happenings are a good way to promote community spirit and social cohesion. For the students it is a chance to learn general skills about organizing an event regardless of their field of studies, for instance budgeting, teamworking and presentation skills.

International Party 2008 flag cavalcade.

Internationalization Means Global Thinking Joint study groups enable students to share opinions and different ways to act. In the best case, their professional thinking reaches the next level and they learn to look for innovative solutions in working life situations. They have more courage to use foreign language and more tolerance towards diversity. Working life today operates in a global context. Employers look for the best staff they can

get and entrepreneurs must be aware about global changes and demands to survive. The labour market is becoming more and more international because of the free mobility. Modern operational environment is global. Digitalization is proceeding fast and global economic situations forces working life to find efficiency and savings. All these things set demands to higher education to develop contents of the studies, pedagogical solutions and global

Teachers Louis Plane, Marjatta Kumpulainen, Dimi and Hannele Tams.

networking. All the students, whether they are going to study abroad or not, should have options to study in international environments and e-learning platforms. Internationalization

skills are not only intercultural skills but also skills in global thinking, courage to fail, being flexible and being open-minded. â–

MultiPro 2012 group visiting the newspaper Iisalmen Sanomat, host chief editor Jarkko Abrusin (3rd right) lecturer Pirjo Suhonen (5th right).

Sanna Savela and Pirjo Suhonen

Communication Skills in Practice Good communication skills are an asset in todayâ€™s working life. A significant part is also media skills. Students need practice in publishing in media as professionals. Over these ten years of MultiPro the goal of the course Communication Skills has remained basically the same, namely to improve oral and written communication skills in English in multicultural environment. The contents include writing public documents, giving presentations and during the past few years publishing videos. Instead of lecturing, our co-teaching method is short introductions to topics followed by several workshops. 12

Cooperation with Local Newspaper In the beginning of the course there is a visit to the local newspaper Iisalmen Sanomat, which includes discussions with the chief editor and journalists on publishing in media. Students then write articles on various topics to Iisalmen Sanomat, which has published many articles in the paper as well as videos made by students in their blog site (http://www. iisalmensanomat.fi/category/yhteiso/blogit/ international_savonia/). The real contact and co-operation with local media representatives is much appreciated by international students.

Chief editor Kari Angeria from Iisalmen Sanomat comments our co-operation: We have been working together with MultiPro for 10 years. It is always a pleasure to host students’ visit to Iisalmen Sanomat. We have also published many articles and videos made by the students. It’s amazing to see how well students can use modern communication technologies. Iisalmi is a small town in Eastern Finland. We always appreciate new contacts with international students. Welcome!

“

Iisalmen Sanomat has published many of the students’ articles and editors have written news of international students and their life in Iisalmi.

Public Writing

Professional Presentations

Besides learning to edit articles students prepare their own publication which we call leaflet. The leaflet is an annual publication full of colorful stories of experiencing Finnish culture and introducing some aspect of their own country or culture. Leaflet serves as a nice memory for international students to take home but also as valuable marketing material for Savonia. The latest leaflet is available at Theseus.fi (http://www.theseus.fi/) and the latest articles can be found in this publication.

At the end of their exchange at Savonia the students organize a final seminar. Presentation topics cover for instance learning outcomes of projects carried out during their exchange period. Other students on Iisalmi campus and co-operation partners attend this seminar planned and carried out by MultiPro and Finnish tutor students. Before the final seminar a visiting lecturer Beate Kralicek from Austria has quite often prepared the students for giving presentations by applying e.g. neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) methods. ■

It is always a pleasure to host students’ visit to Iisalmen Sanomat. 13

Joy of learning - Uaraisa Kandiimuine and Florida Nyasha Mlambo (2015).

Anne-Leena Juntunen and Auli Pohjolainen

E-learning Opportunities in the Degree Programme in Social Services Educational Work in the Society (5 credits)

Theme Work

In social work it is important for the student to understand the impacts of growth environment and living circumstances on the growth of an individual.

In theme work students first interview, then they search information from various research articles and finally they discuss online the topics of their childhood memories.

In the MultiPro studies students of social services learn about the relationship between education, society and socialization process. The studies consist of various assignments done by searching information, using research methods and participating in peer discussions online.

The students discuss their own socialization as an interaction process between three generations by the learning assignment Childhood Memories through the following questions:

The students consider their societal, historical and cultural conditions in three generations by interviewing their parents, grandparents and siblings. The focus is on changing childhood, family, parenthood and upbringing.

• What kinds of important changes and events were in the society during your childhood? • How did your parents and grandparents bring you up? • What kinds of values, aims and methods of upbringing did your family have? • If you have your own children, what kinds of values, aims and methods do you have in upbringing? Do you notice any similarities or differences compared to your childhood family?

Preparing the learning assignment student applies theory into practice for getting a new viewpoint for her/his own socialization process. The students use electrical learning tools for the interview, for information search and preparing the learning assignment into the Moodle learning platform. Students also comment one another’s work on the platform. A student’s example of her own story (Anni Voutilainen 2015): I was talking to my parents about their upbringing and it didn’t sound that much different from our upbringing. Only the circumstances have changed, since my parents didn’t have TV or computers when they were children. They had to walk to school and the kids actively took part in the household chores and especially in the farm work. In my childhood we were more like ‘’children’’ and we mainly cleaned after ourselves. We learned to do household chores little by little when we grew up. The older we got the more responsibilities we got from our parents. I remember that our little brother was always on my and my big brother’s responsibility when we were outside or alone at home. In my family and the same with my mother’s family, it’s been very important to take care of your loved ones. I remember my mother always saying that no matter what the other people do you always look at them as human beings, as we all are equal to each other. You don’t need to be anyone’s best friend or like what they do if you don’t want to, but you need to try your best to cope with everyone. In social work knowledge of foreign cultures as well as family and child policies is appreciated. For that reason students also explore and compare the situations of family and child policies in different countries, this time between Finland, Kenya and Namibia. A short example of comparison between child and family policy in Finland, Namibia and Kenya written by Florida Nyasha Mlambo, Uaraisa Kandiimuine and Fredercik Darlton Nyakiti Ajwang 2015:

Finnish parents have a greater opportunity to spend more time with their children than away from them in comparison to Namibia and Kenya. There are many factors to consider when determining how much time children spent with their parents like the level of ambition parents have for their professions as more ambitious parents are more likely to want to be at work sooner and more often than those who are not as ambitious to further their career. Other factors include financial status and expenses encountered by parents and parents’ basic salary. However, based on the research done in this report, looking at the maternity leave period allocation, the different grants and benefits available to parents to assist them and the age requirement for pre-school, it is concluded in this report that Finnish parents spend more time with their children. In Namibia or Kenya however it is mandatory for children to attend at least 3 years in preschool before primary which means less time at home and with their parents as they have to be sent away to school sooner. Welcome to look at more information about Finnish families and services before problems arise. Family with children in Finland http://www.lastensuojelu.info/en/. Empowering Children (5 credits) Since 2012, the international exchange students at Savonia University of Applied Sciences have had an opportunity to study Finnish child welfare and child protection in the international MultiPro study module. It offers the study course Empowering Children (5 credits). It consists of two parts: Basics of Child Welfare (2 credits) and Child Welfare Practices (3 credits). The student can either choose one of the courses, or both. So far all the exchange students in Social Services have chosen a fivecredit course.

The Content of the course The combined five-credit course focuses on the rights of a child and the status of a child in a global world. The international students learn about the child protection services in Finland and can compare the practices to their home country. This comparison helps the students to understand local and global contexts of social security in child protection. The course also focuses on potential risks in childrenâ€™s lives and the protective factors preventing these risks from taking place. The students also learn about the planning of social welfare by learning to understand the research needed in societies for building child welfare laws and customs, procedures for child and family work, and the specific methods for carrying out this work.

This online course is conducted by various learning tasks, e.g. peer discussions and reflective essays. The course includes both independent tasks, and opportunities to discuss the content with other students and thereby to gain insight into your own learning. The student may complete the course on his/her own schedule, depending on the date of the exchange. Students also have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the practical work of child welfare in Finland by arranged excursions to the Finnish child welfare units. This course has been planned in co-operation with various universities of applied sciences in Finland. â– For further information about the Finnish child welfare please visit at https://www.lskl.fi/english/child-welfare/

Collaborative learning was tested with MultiPro 2014 by living in a hostel in Iisalmi.

Petri Kainulainen and Heli Wahlroos

MultiPro Research about Animal Welfare and Food Safety

At rural industries department MultiPro students have been integrated into the research methodology course. Their presence has added value to learning by bringing international aspects to that. When the MultiPro students were present, teaching was in English and of course they gave presentations about interesting research which encouraged other students to lively discussions. Research Methodology In research methodology the pedagogical method is learning by doing. Students design, complete and report a real research project usually in co-operation with working life partners. The most common type of research is related to customer satisfaction or behavior. In the beginning of the course students are taught the basics of research and Webropol online survey tool. Main part of the course teaching is done in workshops, where students can discuss topic relevant at the moment. Evaluation of the process is made by the reports on research topic, research plan and final report. Students are also completing a task about statistical methods, which they apply to their research. This year (2016) we had three Austrian students on the course with various interests, i.e. horticulture, human nutrition and animal husbandry. Agricultural products in human nutrition was common interest to them. They

compared how concerned people are about animal welfare and food safety in Finland and in Austria. Questionnaire included questions about evaluation of food safety risks in different products, utilization of product labels, shopping behavior and restaurant behavior. Since previous knowledge of agriculture affects the results, we decided to send the questionnaire to students and staff in their home university, Pedagogical University College of Agriculture and Environment in Vienna, and Savonia UAS Department of Rural Industries. They got totally 154 answers, 73 from Austria and 81 from Finland. Most of the answers (123) were from students. Females (108) were more interested in responding to this questionnaire than males (46). Finnish Opinions Compared with Austrian Most valuable information in product labels was the origin of products for both Finns (88%) and Austrians (80%). The Finns had on the second and third place best-before date and ingredients, while Austrians had ingredients and certificates. Least votes got nutritional value in both countries. During presentations we had a lot of discussion about the differences in imports and certifications. Austria has a tradition of local labelled products, which have several type of certificates. The Finnish students had difficulties to mention Finnish certificates. 17

Around 87 % of Austrians were concerned about food safety and 67 % of the Finns. In general staff members were more concerned about food safety than students, 93 % of staff compared to 74% of students. The students also draw a conclusion that despite the country older people who often have children become more worried about food safety. Young people prefer to taste everything and mainly are bolder. In discussion students explained these attitudes with the general food safety situation in countries. Finland is rather safe in terms of food safety, while in Austria more problems have occurred. The Finns trust especially in beef and milk products compared with Austrians (Table 1). When asked about food safety concerns in fruits, the opinions between Finland and Austria became closer to each other. Questions about the place where risk to food safety is produced considered toxic contami-

nation, antibiotics and hygiene. Both nationalities believed that toxic contaminations causing food safety risks are mainly caused in processing industry (around 70 %). The Finns saw other sources for toxic contaminations at restaurants (17 %) and homes (10 %). Austrians thought that also farms (15 %) or restaurants (9 %) might be the source for contaminations. While asked about antibiotics, Finns answered that the main source for antibiotics in food is at farms (90 %). Among Austrians also processing industry (27 %) was thought to be the source of antibiotics in food together with farms (73 %). Lack of hygiene as a cause for food safety risk was thought to happen at shop or restaurant, home or processing industry. Interestingly Austrians (24%) did not point home as a place for bad hygiene as much as the Finns (41 %). Austrian students explained that it is a national characteristic, itâ€™s better to blame other people. This raised a vivid discussion between Austrians and Finns.

Table 1. How high do you consider the food risk of the following products in your country? Finland (n=73)

Beef Pork Poultry Eggs Milk Milk products Vegetables Fruits

No risk (%)

Very high (%)

No risk (%)

Very high (%)

70 63 47 63 74 77 56 43

4 3 3 7 5 5 3 1

44 24 18 30 44 38 38 35

13 10 8 11 11 11 4 4

Shopping behavior was researched by asking which products are favored: national, local or bio. A great surprise to Austrians was that Finns do not buy bio-beef or bio-pork, while Austrians favor especially bio-beef. This was easily explained by Finnish students. It is not available or the price is too high. For Finns it seems to be much more important to buy products from Finland, than local or bio. Finns even prefer to buy conventional vegetables from Finland to bio vegetables from abroad. Austrians tend to favor bio over the other options in all products, except pork.

Austria (n=80)

Animal welfare did not affect much to the choice of restaurant. Only 11 % claimed that it always has an effect on the choice and around 20 % claimed that it never has an effect. There was no difference between nationalities. Our sample consisted of agriculture students and staff, and this might explain why attitude to animal welfare was not seen as a major problem. Food safety had a greater impact on the choice of restaurants among Finns, 27 % will consider food safety when choosing a restaurant. Austrians did not bother so much, just 9 % thought about food safety and 17 %

MultiPro exchange students 2011 studying together with Finnish students on Iisalmi campus.

never. Half of the Finns said they ask about the origin of the livestock products in restaurants, while only 30 % of Austrians do that. Austrian students were first against this question, because they thought that nobody would ever ask such embarrassing things in restaurants. This result was eye-opening to them as well. Of course the discussion about national characteristics went on again.

All Problems with English Language Were Forgotten During the research methodology course we all learned a lot about each other, national differences in terms of food production, marketing and human behavior. The Finnish students were so interested in the results of MultiPro students that all problems with English language were forgotten. After this experience I as a teacher believe stronger in mixing students with different backgrounds and nationalities in courses like research methodology. When the topic is of common interest, a lot of learning and generation of new ideas will take place. â–

First placement day at hospital. Nina, Julian and Joan from Universitat Internacional de Catalunya 2016.

Susanne Hämäläinen and Anna Liisa Janatuinen

Exchange Nursing Students – Clinical Placement in Iisalmi Cultural factors have become more important within the healthcare sector because of growing globalization. In nursing we need multicultural competence as part of our professional expertise. Student exchange is one way to promote professional growth and expertise in one’s future occupation. Goals for exchange students are to develop their multicultural professional skills as well as to gain new experiences, make friends, improve language skills and boost selfconfidence. Student exchange usually lasts 3 months. It is possible to receive a grant for student exchange, and the amount depends on the exchange program. If possible, nursing students participate in theoretical studies such as Finnish language and Finnish culture. The main content of the exchange is clinical placement. Students, who come to Iisalmi, have already studied for 2-4 years in their own universities. Most of our exchange nursing students come from Spain, but we have also had exchange student from Slovakia, Thailand, China, Denmark and Great Britain.

Different Placements Co-operation with private sector makes it possible that every year on exchange student does his/her placement in private gerontological service house or mental health rehabilitation home. Most exchange students do their placements for Ylä-Savon SOTE Joint Municipal Authority, which is the public sector service provider in social and health care in the area. It offers placements for example in emergency room, medical ward, surgical ward, operating room, mental health services, child welfare clinic and home care. Usually one placement period in one unit lasts from 4 to 6 weeks, but students can do shorter ones as well. They are not allowed to do more than 40 hours a week. Students do morning, evening and night shifts. In every unit there is an appointed mentor nurse for them. Mentor nurse “takes care” of student and helps also with language, because most patients speak only Finnish. And it is just Finnish that can make placement a bit challenging, because it may affect the work significantly. Sometimes it may frustrate.

Every student is different and every student has different challenges during placement. For one it may be to cope with English language, for another it may be culture or communication. It may surprise students that in Finland nurses do holistic nursing, including basic care. Finnish nurses have a very independent job description in the health service system. Nurses work in multi-professional settings in family and community care as well as in health promotion. This may be something new for them, depending on the job description students have learned in their own countries. Also patient´s role may be different. Patents in Finland are encouraged to more actively participate in their nursing than in many other countries. Developing Linguistic Skills We have found well linguistically skilled mentor nurses for exchange nursing students at Ylä-Savo SOTE Joint Municipal Authority. Instructing is experienced to be more complex and time-consuming compared to Finnish students. Besides language skills mentor nurses are required to understand cultural differences. On the other hand, guiding exchange students has been a rewarding learning process for many. Out of these experiences long-term friendships have been made. We are willing to further process exchange students’ placements. Ylä-Savon SOTE Joint Municipal Authority uses CLES (Clinical Learning Environment Scale, Saarikoski 2002, 2008) to collect feedback from students. CLES feedback provided by exchange students in spring 2016 (n = 8) and Finnish students (n = 103) differ. Average feedback by exchange students was 8.01/10 and by Finnish students 8.57/10. Exchange students gave the best score to Care Premises section (9.53) and within it the individual care received the best mark (9.88). Students seem to appreciate the wider nursing job description and holistic nursing, which differs e.g. from Spanish nursing work. Finnish students rated the care premises as the second best aspect (8.81).

Exchange students gave the lowest rating to Premises of Learning section (7.23). The basic familiarization, the staff’s interest in student supervision and addressing by name was evaluated to be good (8 - 8.75). Patient care utilization, sufficient meaningful learning situations, and its adequacy was estimated between 6 to 6.75, which is due to the lack of Finnish language skills and unrealistic wishes about the functional placement. Because of lack of Finnish skills it would be good to include more physical treatment and activity in the placement. Mentor nurse’s active role in instructing and throughout the placement is inevitable. Finnish students evaluated the premises of learning as third (8.74). Lack of language skills arose especially in the section of Unit Atmosphere (mean 7.59). Exchange students had good experiences from positive atmosphere in the placements (9), but participation in discussions had been poor (3.5). Supervisory Relationship section scored the second best remarks (8.2). Best remarks were given to positive attitude of the guiding nurses (8.88), individual supervision (8.75) and mutual respect and approval in the supervision relationship (8.63), whereas receiving feedback was less successful (7.5). Finnish students rated unit atmosphere 8.61 and supervisory relationship scored the highest grade 8.89. Future Co-operation and Challenges In future we need to pay attention to placing exchange student in units where it is possible for them to really practice nursing procedures and students need to be guided to find more learning situations. We need to find solutions for language problems and feedback. Constant development is one of the key principals for us. We also wish to improve co-operation between Finnish and exchange nursing students, including joint studies in placement. “I liked this ward very much, it was very nice time to be there. Good people, trying to speak English with me, and they were also trying to let me do the things typical for nursing jobs. I recommend this ward for every student. Thank you for this experience.” An exchange student 2016. ■

Mathias Weber, Hermann Rader (pioneers before 2006), Stefan Jernej, Christina Schiefermeyr, Andrea Plakolm, Katrin Wimmleitner, Manfred Dorfmair, Elisa Ritzinger, Katrin Glechner, Margot Prem, Edeltraud Grabmer, Michaela Umgeher, Theresa Spörr, Marlies Glatz, Josef Pichler, Simon Kehrer, Josua Alisch, Annemarie Scheiber, Manuela Fratzl, Bernadette Gruber, Ferdinand Prinz, Bernhard Hintermaier, Gertrude Ringhofer, Theresa Richter, Anja Stockinger, Julia Schröttner, Ruth Piroutz, Martina Gabauer, Anna Jäger, Astrid Wagner, Martina Plank, Laura Lechner, Maria Theresa Filzer, Tobias Lang, Petra Völkl, Angela Hauer, Anja Kralik The Austrian Erasmus students mentioned above have all been to Finland to study in the MultiPro modules. It is important to emphasize that not even one year has been left out in this record. The maximum number of students who made this endeavour was seven students in 2011 followed by six students in 2008. The minimum number was two in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Freezing Darkness Finland is a freezing and dark place from January to April, when the students study in Iisalmi. The lack of light is hardly mentioned when they make reports after their return home. However, what we can see is a transformation of their self confidence and often mind-set. They see many people, problems and challenges in a new light that would not have happened without going and studying abroad. Their radiant eyes when they present their experiences to fellow students after their return are equally important to mention.

Beate Kralicek

All the Light We See

Josua Alisch was 2011 in MultiPro exchange in Iisalmi with his family (Marina, Elias and Simeon).

Specialised Agriculture All the Austrian students have chosen the Specialised Studies – Agriculture and Rural Industries. Within this field of study they also do field trips or excursions into the forest. The great MultiPro invention of the so called “Family Friends“ gives them further opportunities to spend time on a Finnish farm or experience intercultural encounters in this region.

My thanks go to Marjatta Kumpulainen, Pirjo Suhonen, Sanna Savela and Hannele Tams, who have succeeded in involving most of our students in serious studies. These young people have regarded their stay in Finland as a semester on as opposed to a semester “off“!

It is very important to point out the value of internationalisation and deep learning. in MultiPro and the engagement of the leaders, lecturers and mentors at Savonia in Iisalmi. The fact that this Erasmus format has survived for so long despite obstacles such as the Bologna introduction in tertiary education or the economic global crisis shows its true essence and quality.

A part of MultiPro co-operation is also teachers´ exchange. Erasmus Coordinator Beate Kralicek (left) and Lecturer Sanna Savela (right) in Austria with Finnish students 2012.

Research on student learning abroad indicates “that students learn and develop considerably more when educators prepare them to become more self-reflective, culturally self-aware and aware of ‘how they know what they know’“ (Vande Berg/Paige/Lou:21). Intentional mentoring and guidance are key components of deep personal and academic development. Considering these recommendations and the fruitful past of MultiPro I am very much looking forward to the 10th Anniversary Seminar in November 2016 and to the work with all the wonderful Finnish colleagues towards a brilliant and successful future. ■

Reference: Vande Berg, Michael; Paige, R. Michael; Lou, Hemming Kris (2012) Setting the Scene, in: Vande Berg, Michael; Paige, R. Michael; Lou, Hemming Kris (eds.): Student Learning Abroad, Stylus Publishing Sterling.

2 Experiences Abroad and Home Internationalization

The cold never bothers us in any way! This picture was taken in the second week when the temperature was about -32 degrees. You can see in the back row: Viviana (Spain), Angela (Austria), Tobias (Austria), Julian (Spain); middle row: Petra (Austria), Nina (Spain), Helena (Spain), Andrea (Slovakia), Anja (Austria); front row: Joan (Spain), 2016.

Tobias Lang, Angela Hauer, Anja Kralik, Petra VĂślkl (Austria)

Three Nations and a Stunning Time in Finland 2016 We are the MultiPro students 2016 and we come from three different nations. Five of us are from Spain, four are Austrians and one student is from Slovakia. We arrived in the middle of January when the climate was freezing cold with 32 degrees below zero. This is our story about our incredible and unforgettable time in Finland and how we survived the cold. Savonia University of Applied Sciences gave us the chance to come to Finland to get some new experiences in our lives. The group of MultiPro students 2016 includes four agriculture students who take lessons at the campus in Iisalmi as well as six students who are studying nursing and came to Iisalmi to do their practical training at health centers and hospitals. We all students stay together in the same hostel and have the opportunity to share our daily experiences, but we do not share only our stories, we also share moments when we take trips together. The agriculture students study together with Finnish students. Subjects are such as Agroforestry with a visiting lecturer from Mozambique, Farming and Global Environment and Business Possibilities in Rural Areas. As part of those courses there are some excursions to different local farms and successful companies,

for example a local but globally operating forestry machine company and a fur farm. Not only the agriculture students have gained new knowledge in Iisalmi. All nursing students say that they like the way how Finnish nurses do their work, because they could see that every nurse tries his or her best. They also think the most important thing in health care is that the focus is on the patientâ€™s need for hundred per cent. Andrea Grunova, a nursing student from Slovakia is very impressed by multiprofessionalism of the working teams in hospital. She also says that it is not the same in her country, because there are not so many different occupational groups in one ward. In her opinion this is a big advantage because every patient gets fast and adequate treatment.

Northern lights fascinated exchange students in Lappland 2016.

Excursions to local farms was important and interesting part of studies.

The nurses from Spain also enjoy their stay here in Iisalmi, although they expected their practical training to be more interesting. In their practical training they like that nurses are allowed to make decisions on their own, but as trainees from abroad it is not possible to practice things they are allowed to do at home. This is the reason why they are feeling a little bit bored in their practical training. However, they do not regret coming to Iisalmi for their exchange semester, because they have met a lot of new people and gained a lot of new experiences. Only if they were able to do an exchange semester again they would like do it in a bigger place than Iisalmi. In our winter break we went together to Lapland and it was organized by our Finnish mates from the university. There we stayed one week in a cabin and learned from our Finnish friends the way of Finnish cabin life in winter holidays. So we went together crosscountry skiing, downhill skiing, snowshoeing, had barbecues with sausages and went ice swimming after sauna. Our very best moment

was when we could see the Northern lights. We hugged each other with tears in our eyes, since we were so impressed by the breathtaking scenery. That moment was for sure one of the best during our stay in Finland. We have not only been to Lapland together. We also went on trips to see Stockholm, Tallinn and St. Petersburg. You can imagine that we are getting closer and closer during this time and made friends. On excursions we have had the possibility to see how theory is applied in practical life. We think we have gained a lot of new knowledge at the university and the best thing about it is that the knowledge is not only about our field of studies. The possibility to have this exchange semester widens our horizons and we get a lot of new impressions of another culture as well as their traditions and behaviors. We have gained many skills during our stay that are very useful for working life in the future. â–

MultiPro 2016 students Anja Kralik, Petra VĂślkl, Angela Hauer and Tobias Lang.

Sonja Martikainen

International Tutoring Gives More Than It Takes When I started as a tutor on Iisalmi campus I had no idea I would become an international tutor one day. And when I was chosen for this task I didn’t know that it would be one of my greatest experiences during my studies in Iisalmi. At first I was excited and also a bit nervous. How can I survive? Is my English good enough for this? Am I able to give them all the information they need? I sent emails to exchange students telling I am here for them if they have any questions. I ran into the first culture shock: I received an email “Dear Miss Martikainen..”.. Oh no! I just wrote “Hello”, so am I rude? In the beginning of January the exchange students arrived in Iisalmi. My job was to take them to their hostel and help them to get started with their stay in Finland. Really soon I

started to notice many cultural differences between different nationalities. I remember the look on the faces of Austrian students when I showed our milk selection! Different Kinds of Cultural Aspects A week after the exchange students had arrived, I received an invitation to international dinner. They had prepared food typical for their countries. It was really interesting to get to know about different kinds of food cultures. It was nice to see how spontaneous and active students were. During their stay the students also organized other get together evenings and trips to Lapland, Estonia, Sweden and Russia.

MultiPro 2016 students and tutors in St. Peterburg

Sonja Martikainen in Austria.

Besides all these important things I got from international tutoring, I made friends. Those three months I spend with the exchange students didnâ€™t feel like work. I really enjoyed spending time with them. With some of them so much that I travelled to Austria last summer to visit. I am sure some of them will be friends for life. Memories and Friendships In conclusion, international tutoring gives more than it takes. The work I did as a tutor felt like nothing compared to the experiences, memories and friendships I made during tutoring. And if someone asks me what the most difficult thing in tutoring was, I would say sending them home. I hope that more students would take this wonderful opportunity to participate in international activity in their home university. Warm greetings to Angela, Tobias, Petra, Anja, Andrea, Viviana, Helena, Julian, Joan and Nina! â–

Angela Hauer and Sonja Martikainen in Paris Disneyland.

Exchange students enjoyed Finnish winter and got in contact with silent Finns.

Tobias Lang

Missing Small Talk Culture People in Finland are very shy and do not talk to anybody. This prejudice is very common and widespread in the world. But is it true? I do not think so. But I only can report from my experiences since I am in Finland now. I am Tobias Lang and in Finland since January this year as an exchange student at Savonia University of Applied Sciences in Iisalmi. Wrongly Understood Finns In my opinion Finnish people are understood in the wrong way. I really think the Finnish culture does not have small talk culture and so Finns only speak necessary things. This is mostly misleadingly interpreted that Finns are shy. I like the way how Finnish people communicate, they always let the other one speak and do not interrupt during speaking. During my stay I learned to enjoy this because in my home country Austria you cannot finish speaking without somebody interrupting you in the middle of the sentence and starting to speak. Another example. When I arrived in Helsinki I did not have any idea about my way to the hotel so I had to ask people on the street. Everyone I asked stopped and took time to explain me the way to the hotel.

Silence Is Communication When communicating with Finns I always wonder what is going on because there is silence after finishing what they wanted to say. For me it was really new and this made me feel uncomfortable when we do not talk anything for several seconds anymore. I guess it is due to missing small talk culture. A change takes place when Finnish people go to sauna. For me it was new to undress in front of strangers and sit next to them in a very hot sauna room. And when I was in sauna for the first time I did not feel relaxed to make small talk naked to Finnish people who started first talking with me. To summarise I enjoy being here in Finland because people are very polite in talking to each other, even though it seems sometimes strange for foreigners. But this is what I learned: When Finnish people say something to you, you can trust that they mean what they say. You can get more acquainted with the differences between Finnish an Austrian cultures by Austrian exchange studentsâ€™ video: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT8-P3gRCWM â–

Anna Silén

How to Become a Better, More Complete and Open Person?

I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t, in some way, tied to another country. My parents, both teachers in a local high school with English and Swedish as their chosen subjects, made sure my brother and I knew there was a world out there where people were very different from us – and that it was okay. We traveled to that world, to those countries, on holidays every year, and we got to see bits and pieces of the culture these “others” lived in. At first, it was a bit scary, but I learned to like it, eventually enough to go out on my own for an exchange year in Germany, a decision that has gained me a lot of advantages in later life. In short, seeing other cultures and mingling with them in their own setting is a normal, fun thing for me to do. I think it was my prior experience with foreign cultures (and my English…) that landed me the job of Head Tutor of International Exchange (or something, it was all very confusing, and I suck at titles). I was ready to help coordinate the newcomers. It would be the first time I meet people from Austria, from Kenya, from Spain… but I was ready. Or so I thought. You see, going into another culture and having someone come to yours are two very, very different things. When you visit another culture, you see how they do things differently. My style of dealing with that is sitting back first and watching, and then mimicking what others do to fit in. That is a very passive way of

dealing with new things. A lot of the exchangers that came to us were from countries with cultures that encourage a much more dynamic approach. So… they didn’t sit much. Is It Polite to Leave People Alone? Instead of the almost languid pace I’d thought of adopting so as to not overwhelm the newcomers, I had to scramble to keep up with them to make sure they knew at least the important stuff. The obvious novelties of Finland, such as the snow, the cold, the dark, as well as shopping, were the first causes of stress. But in my experience, the cold, which we Finns generally think is the worst part of winter, along with the giant heaps of snow, are not the things that wear the new people out. No, it’s the lack of light, as well as vastly different social norms. Think about it: you live in a country where there’s plenty of light, all year round, and people touch each other pretty freely, giving hugs and patting backs and the like. Then you go to Finland, where it’s polite to leave people alone and the sun makes an appearance for two hours a day. That has got to hit you hard. And yet, I didn’t realize this until one of the exchangers told me directly. It never even occurred to me, but now it seems so obvious. So here’s a lesson: don’t assume you know what another person will perceive as difficult.

Fun But Not Easy International exchange is fun, but it isn’t easy in the traditional sense of the word. It does challenge you, whether you are the one to go abroad or are the one receiving and taking care of someone from another culture. Though the initial feeling of doing either can feel like jumping ahead blind, I would recommend international exchange to anyone who wants to improve themselves, get a second way of looking at things, or just plain wants to go out and see the world and have fun. It would be especially beneficial to someone who is insecure about themselves or their linguistic skills, which seems to be the more common of the two. You will notice that English is, in fact, not the native language of many of the people who come across, so if you don’t speak perfect English, big deal, they probably don’t, either. Also, the most horrible butchering of grammar, when it comes to the English language, tends to come from those who actually do speak it as their native tongue… People Are Different So after taking that plunge, what’s the payoff? Insight. You start seeing your culture more clearly, seeing alternatives to the old, set ways you’ve adopted from your parents. You see the

pros and cons of doing things the way you are far better. Social awareness. You understand that people are different and can see things from different perspectives, understanding the needs and wants of those around you which leads to better social interaction. Confidence. Doing something scary and surviving is always a confidence booster, as is doing something new and succeeding. Experience. In today’s job market, international prowess of any kind is almost always a positive thing, and certainly never a hindrance. New social connections, friends. On a more personal level, you can gain new, life-long friends from international exchange. And on top of all of these, you’ll always have the memories. I can’t say I’m completely free of prejudice, but my international experiences have taught me to give people a second chance, even if my initial reaction to them is negative. International exchange, wherever it happens, teaches and has taught me tolerance, patience, and the ability to look at things from a point of view that can be wildly different from my own. I consider the lessons I’ve learned some of the most important I’ve ever had the pleasure of coming across, and they’ve made me a better, more complete and open person. ■

Anna Silén was in her own work placement at Point of View Farm in New York 2012.

Beautiful Lakeside University in Iisalmi 2013.

Martina Gabauer

My Experiences as a Participant in MultiPro Study Module Now, more than three years already passed, it feels like it was yesterday when I was in Finland. Great, awesome moments still come into my mind. New experiences, getting to know different cultures, studying the culture of Finland, learning a complete different language, making new friends, having a wonderful time with gorgeous peopleâ€Ś. MultiPro exchange program makes all of this possible. This great adventure started with the day when our teacher gave us all information on MultiPro exchange program and Savonia University of Applied Sciences. She did not need to say a lot about going to Finland to study because it sounded very enticing to me right at the beginning. The pictures, which were shown to us from the university itself and Finland, looked great. First I was quite unsure if I should leave my home country, but after a

while I took my heart and decided to join MultiPro exchange program and participate in this module. I was also very happy that Ruth was coming with me to join this Finnish adventure. The first day at Savonia was great. We got the feeling that everybody was welcoming us, even though the Finnish people were a little bit shy. The first information from Hannele and Marjatta gave us a good overview about the infrastructure of the university and gave more details of the exchange program itself and some other issues. The timetable we got was organized very well and the lessons were very informative. The professors have a good knowledge in their area of expertise, which they shared with us. The lessons were planned very well. There was enough time to work (in groups or alone) on

International Global Market 2013.

different items, discuss current topics, think about several issues, and present new ideas of group work in the course. The teacher endeavoured to help us where they could. Not only studying drives the exchange program to great success. Another important part of the module is the engagement of the tutors. They supported us in finding our places in a foreign country. They picked us up from the train station in the middle of the night and brought us to our hostel. They showed us where we could buy groceries and a lot of other things. They took us to town to show us important places. They organized events and little parties where we had a lot of fun. We made friends with the tutors and many students, because we shared great moments together. We were laughing a lot and we experienced many awesome moments during different outdoor and indoor activities parties, excursions and on holiday trips.

All in all, MultiPro exchange program is very well organized from the beginning on. We knew which documents had to be filled in and sent to the university before the module started. The information beforehand was very informative and interesting. The program is very well structured and if there were questions, there was always somebody we could ask for help. I would never like to lose all these experiences I had in Finland during these three months. I recommend MultiPro exchange program to everybody who has a chance for it. â–

Europe vs Africa â€“ Martina and Hilya Shifugula 2013.

In my opinion, tutors are the back bone in MultiPro exchange program because with their support they can make you feel like home in a foreign country.

Andre Machava

Experience from Finland and Its Post-benefits

Going to Finland to take part in Multipro program is one of the best decisions I have ever made for my professional career and social networking. The main motivation to participate was to learn about agriculture, sustainable use of natural resources and business opportunities in rural areas. These skills are useful in Mozambican context as the country is predominantly rural (about 70%) and agriculture has a heavy weight on total GDP. In addition, improving English skills was one of the interests as in the late years this is the kind of skill some employers value. Moreover, it would be unfair however not to mention the excitement to get to know new places and make relationships with people abroad. Remarkable Experiences My time in Finland was amazing and brings me a smile every time I remember it. The challenge to quickly adapt to such cold weather is one of the remarkable experiences and at some point I felt shocked, however, the tutor students’ help was crucial for settling in. On the other hand, making new friendships was quite easy thanks to the fact of gathering at the same accommodation with all the exchange students. We hang out together and even travelled as a group to Kuopio at first

and later to Stockholm in Sweden. The friendship made last to this day and who knows, maybe we eventually meet someday. The school trip to Rovaniemi in Lapland was wonderful and I enjoyed it very much. I appreciate as well the friend family component of Multipro program which enabled me to meet a nice and friendly Ryhänen family and teacher Louis Plane. With Ryhänen’s family we used to spend most of the weekends together, chatting and getting to know a little bit more of Finnish lifestyle. They took me to visit many places, taste Finnish cuisine and for the first time experience sauna, ice skating and skiing. Louis Plane took me to drive the car on a frozen lake and watch an ice hockey match in Kuopio. I cannot stress enough how all these adventures were awesome! Consequential Post-benefits From the career perspective, the program was very educative, interactive, reflective and enjoyable and most importantly improved my English skills and confidence. After returning from Finland and finishing my Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Engineering I was admitted to work for a rural development project funded by the Finnish Government where I

worked from March 2012 to December 2014. It was an exciting job and I was able to apply some of the skills learnt at Savonia. Then in January 2015 I was hired by the National Irrigation Institute, Ministry of Agriculture where I worked until early March this year before I left my position to come to Australia to continue my Master studies in Environmental Science with focus on Water Management. It is important though to emphasize that in all these endeavors, English skills were always part of the requirements, which makes me believe that my participation in Multipro program was a starting point for the pathway I continue to forge in my life. My time is Australia is also being wonderful and I am looking forward to enjoy very well my staying and my studies. I like making friendships, and this is the right spot to be at the moment since Australia has people from almost every part of the planet. I would like to finalize this short story by thanking for the opportunity given to participate in the program and encourage the sponsors to provide such unique experience for more students because the benefits are long lasting and can impact someoneâ€™s life immensely. â–

Andre Machava from Mozambique, a reindeer and Bernhard Hintermeier from Austria, in Lapland 2011.

3 Friend Mama Papa and Family

Eeva RyhĂ¤nen

Our Daily Routine Activities Seem to Be Exotic Years ago we noticed an ad in the local newspaper.Savonia University of Applied Scieces sought friend families to international students. Our own children had just moved away from home so we decided to be a friend family to foreign students. Afterwords it seems to have been a great idea. Every year after 2010 we have got new family members from around the world. Usually the students come in January, during the coldest month in Finland. It means we need to teach them to get used to cold and snow right in the beginning. This often happens through winter activities, such as skiing, skating, sledge driving or swimming in the snow after sauna. The students live in the local hostel. We meet them during our spare time or when the timetable suits both of us. But usually during weekends they stay overnight at our home. Because of cultural differences our daily routine activities seem to be excotic enough. We do not need to arrage anything special. Heating sauna, cutting firewood or doing snow ploughing or shovelling in the evenings are normal routines for us but something new for them.

First Time Abroad Quite often the students are first time abroad. Many of them feel homesick. The medicine against it is cooking. Mozambican fish, Kenya chicken, ugali, Spanish omlette and many other dishes have been cooked in our kitchen. I always wonder the skills of the young students. Also Finnish cooking and baking are popular among them. Eating Karelian pastries and blueberry pie is so Finnish. The nature is something we can offer to foreign people in Finland. Nearby Iisalmi there are many beautiful places worth visiting. Walking up the hills, grilling sausages, enjoying fresh air and if we are lucky seeing Northern Lights are something unique. We hope to offer home feeling to the young during this time they are far away from home. But we also gain new expriences, knowledge of different cultures and make friends. And our home is again full of life. It is always hard to say goodbye. We have got new children and again they are leaving. But we always have the same feeling; these young will manage in future. â–

Friend mama Eeva RyhĂ¤nen and her friends from Namibia (2015) Uaraisa Kandiimuine and Florida Mlambo. Florida Mlambo skiing at Paloisvuori in Iisalmi.

White winter in Iisalmi , Anja, Taimi, Petra and Tobias 2016.

Taimi RytkĂśnen

Just a Big Heart with an Open-minded Attitude Host Family Experiences

I am very pleased that I was asked to write about my experiences acting as a host family with the foreign students studying at MultiPro module at Savonia University of Applied Sciences in Iisalmi, Finland. I was working at Savonia at the time when this study module started its very fruitful co-operation between schools representing several countries in Europe and Africa. It is great to see that this module continues its operations. It has provided excellent opportunities for Finnish and foreign students to experience different cultures in many respects and hopefully will continue doing so for many years to come. I have mostly been as a host family to the Austrian students. I do speak German and I have been to Austria on several occasions, visited the school in question in Vienna and some of our studentsâ€™ home farms. A Type of Voluntary Work Why have I involved myself in this type of voluntary work? I left Finland in 1970â€™s as a

young student and I know how it makes you feel when you received friendliness in a new country. A little bit of kindness can make a huge difference especially for someone staying for a long period in a new country for the first time. These young students have been like a fresh breeze with multiple joys, ideas and have opened my eyes to see things in our area we often miss or take for granted. Clean beautiful nature, safety and high quality of education just to mention a few. It was so lovely to see e.g. in year 2009 how our exchange student from Kenya Stephen and Richard from Hungary became so close friends. They shared the same great sense of humor and we had so much fun with different activities including horse riding, hiking, berry picking and just relaxing by talking. I admire these young students for their courage to come to Finland at the coldest period of the year. This year in January there was more than -30 C below zero. Our Austrian students, instead of complaining about the

weather, made some experiment with water in freezing temperature and had a picture taken outside wearing only a bikini! I do ice (winter) swimming almost daily in winter and I have taken all my students for a try and they all found it an amazing experience.

Some of the students got a bit hooked at it!! Cooking, baking together, going out, handicraft sessions, visits to English and German language lessons at the local adult college,... the list is endless what you can do with these lovely and enthusiastic students.

Murre Marjatta Kumpulainen´s horse, Taimi, Richard Stephen and Sara (Italy) 2009.

Austrian students Angela, Anja, Tobias and Petra ice swimming with Taimi 2016.

I want to use this opportunity to thank Marketta and Ilmari Hujanen, a couple who lives by the river Matkusjoki in Ilomäki, a 20 minute drive away from Iisalmi. They have opened their home for all my students showing them limitless hospitality along delicious Finnish meals, smoke sauna, snowmobile rides and sincere interest in everybody as an individual.

their lives. Some of my Austrian students have already visited Iisalmi after their exchange period and I was happy to be able to offer my home to stay during their visits. I knew a bit of Austria before, but my students have widened my knowledge about their beautiful country. Special thanks to Angelina, Anna, Astrid, Martina and Susanne who have received me with great hospitality during my visits to Austria.

World Wide Friendship

I sincerely recommend for everybody to get involved in international host family activities. You don’t need excellent language skills or a thick wallet, just a big heart with an openminded attitude and you are on a way to a great adventure! ■

Being a host family has provided me a friendship circle with young people. Thanks to modern technology we can keep in touch regularly and I find it very rewarding to follow

Richard and Stephen in Ilomäki taking snow into sauna for water, 2009.

Snowmobile ride with Marketta and Ilmari spring 2009.

Luova Puu Sauna 2012, Anja, Marina and Laura from Austria.

4 International Cooperation and Future Perspectives

Group picture on the graduation day. Advisors, case farm owners and teachers, first row from left to right: Ardita Hoxha-Jahja, Kati Partanen, Jussi Juhola (ProAgria), Arben Mehmeti.

Kati Partanen and Ardita Hoxha-Jahja

Lessons Learned from Education Export

Case TAGAK Training of Agricultural Advisors in Kosovo Introduction

TAGAK Project Description

Education export has a lot of opportunities for Finland. The reputation of Finnish education system is very high. However, the Finnish model of education cannot be exported without applying it to the local culture and conditions. In this article some lessons learned from education export are described.

The aim of the project was to develop the capacity of agricultural advisory services in Kosovo to increase development possibilities of local agriculture. This project aimed to capitalize on the results achieved from the earlier projects as well as lay down the groundwork for development of efficient agricultural advisory services. The approach and objectives were well in line with the ones of Kosovan Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development. Another aim was that the tested curriculum building and education model could be used as a pilot model for developing academic or even vocational curricula based on competences and needs.

Savonia University of Applied Sciences together with ProAgria Advisory Organisation from Finland and University of Prishtina from Kosovo realized a project to develop the capacity of agricultural advisory services in Kosovo. The project was financed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. The main activity was to develop curriculum and pedagogics for agricultural advisory training within local higher education in University of Prishtina, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. Also the first advisors were trained.

The project can be considered to be a good example of strengths and possibilities of Finnish knowledge transfer, and as such it provides valuable lessons for education exports. The project was realized during the period 1.10.2011 â€“ 31.12.2013. 41

Working Methods First phase of the project was to develop a curriculum for agricultural advisors. As there was no training for agricultural advisors in Kosovo before, competences for the advisors needed to be defined. Based on Finnish experience of working life connection three workshops were organized to define the competences. The first workshop was organized with agricultural advisors from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development, and from municipalities and input suppliers. The second workshop was organized wit farmers and other food chain actors in Kosovo. The third workshop was organized with national banks and insurance companies in Kosovo. Based on the workshops results the team of teachers from Savonia UAS and University of Prishtina and advisory experts from ProAgria defined the main competences and the curriculum was built. During the whole training Finnish teachers and advisory experts mentored the Kosovan teachers. The courses were planned together with the team of teachers from Savonia UAS

and University of Prishtina and advisory experts from ProAgria. The Finnish partners also gave lectures both in Kosovo and through electuring. The Kosovan teachers could ask help and advice from their Finnish colleagues during the whole process. Also evaluation of the students was realized together with Kosovan and Finnish teachers and experts. Savonia UAS has been using team working method in studies in the training of adult students successfully. Also ProAgria uses team work as an important method in advisory services. Team working method was not commonly used in Kosovan working life and this project seemed to be perfect for testing the team working methodâ€™s suitability for Kosovan education and working life. The students were divided into teams based on their previous expertise to create teams with diverse knowledge. The aim was to demonstrate for the developing agricultural advisory system in the country the advantages of team work in advisory services as the customer can be served with wider knowledge when the whole teamâ€™s expertise is in use.

TAGAK group in Kosovo 2013. Training day in the classroom â€“ University of Prishtina, Agriculture and Veterinary Faculty in Prishtina. Advisors team and teachers Skender Muji and Kati Partanen, in middle Donika Habipaj, project administrator and interpreter.

Twinning between the staff of University of Prishtina and Savonia was a very good opportunity to share experiences and to learn new approaches during the teaching and practicing work with students. The case farms developed during the training with the help of the student teams. Lessons Learned TAGAK students, second row from left to right: Alltane Kryezi, Fatgzim Latifi and Skender Muji.

Also blended learning was not familiar for the Kosovan education system nor for the Kosovan students. However, the students were supposed to have already agricultural or other relevant expertise before the training and some of them were already working, so the blended learning was the only possibility to get students with suitable background. Blended learning also helped to bring Finnish experts’ know-ledge into the training as e-lectures were organized. The students had on average four contact days per month in University of Prishtina or in the field, they had independent studying and also studying and working in their student team. Each team had a real farm development case to practice working as an advisor. The students worked with the farm enterprise during the whole training period, eight months. The students got important experience of developing the enterprise and the farm enterprises got help in their development. Kosovan teacher team was working as mentors for the student teams. Results The advisory capacity within Republic of Koso-vo was strengthened by training of 27 agricultural specialists. The capacity of UP staff has been developed through mentorship of the colleagues from Savonia and ProAgria.

In education export it is important to have a reliable partner in the target country. In this project there were no Finnish partners’ representatives stationed in Kosovo so main activities in the training were carried out by the local teacher team. Finding a good partner organization and committed personnel is crucial. The local personnel and teacher team has to be ready to learn new methods and have a mind-set for learning together with students. Another important lesson learned in the TAGAK project was to the importance of having good relationship with the local authorities and working life especially when the project is run in developing economy. This project was in close connection with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development and even with the minister himself. This helped in creating connections during the project. Also achieving the trust of local agricultural actors was important. The local partner was already well-known locally and had a good reputation. Also workshops helped in informing about the project and building good relationship as locals could meet Finnish project partners and discuss with them. Realizing an education export project by involving the target country’s education organization and teachers in the project as closely as possible is a sustainable way to develop education. The methods applied can then be used later and in other trainings as well. Teachers involved in the TAGAK project are nowadays using cases and team working as part of their teaching in the university. The most difficult part of the project is to ensure continuity of the education in the target country. ■

MultiPro - 10 Years of Experiences from International Multiprofessional Studies at Savonia University of Applied Sciences in Iisalmi

MultiPro is an international multidiscipli-nary three-month-long higher education study module offered by Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Iisalmi Finland. The concept of the module is ver innovative and cost-effective. The module suits for students in rural industries, social services and health care. In this module the student can accomplish from 15 – 20 ECTS credits in international study groups in three months. This model was developed to improve the quality of student exchanges and to promote the learning of internationalization skills. This publication is an overview of 10 years of experiences from MultiPro, international multiprofessional studies. The content of this publication has three aspects. First there are teachers’ descriptions of pedagogical solutions in international studies. The second viewpoint is students’. At the end there are lovely stories of meetings with host families, with friend mamas and papas. This cooperation will continue and new innovative educational solutions will be developed in future, for instance in the form of education export.

ISBN 978-952-203-228-7 (printed) | ISSN 1795-0848 ISBN 978-952-203-229-4 (PDF) | ISSN 2242-7015 Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Series D4/6/2016

*9789522032287*