TAMK's environmental engineering students exploring Azerbaijan

In the picture from right to left: WECF's Anna Samwel, EKOT NGO's director Aytan Poladova, TAMK's students Maria Moradi and Johanna Koskenranta, Bistra Mihaylova WECF, Ulla-Maija Koivula from TAMK and a local woman who wanted to join the picture with the project team.

"We have now almost completed our practical training in Azerbaijan. In the beginning of the training period we concentrated on water quality issues in the laboratory and tested for example the amount of coliforms and E-coli in waste water and surface waters. We also measured the amount of ammonium in surface waters. We participated into the process of particle size analysis from an offshore location.

On week 24 we participated at the United Nation's (UN) trainings on Strategical Environmental Assessment for representatives from different Azerbaijani ministries.

Our participation to the water safety plan-trainings started from Shemakha area where we had the first training for teachers from Ismayilli and Shemakha area combined. There WECFs representatives gave presentation about the water safety issues and all the problems in the areas were discussed about. Also the nitrates were measured from the local drinking water in order to see some indication of the waters quality. The second training took place in Sabirabad area in Azerbaijan. At the time they had problems with floods in that area which affected the amount of participators in the training.

Our task was to conduct a baseline study of two of the 6 villages involved with the whole project. Our villages to be studied were Talistan in Ismayilli region and Suqovsan in Sabirabad region. We spent a few days in both of the villages and interviewed people about issues related to water, sanitation and energy. Finally we write a report about the findings and will give the report to WECF.

We will go to Sabirabad again next week together with Anna Sanwell and her expert team from Georgia to build solar panels and fruit driers."

Above text is written by third year environmental engineering students Johanna Koskenranta and Maria Moradi who have spent 3 months in practical training in Azerbaijan in TAMK's and Kestävä tulevaisuus ry's common project for improvement of the sanitation and water problems. Local partner from Azerbaijan side in the project is Ekoloji Tarazlig (EKOT)


picture above: In countryside in Sabirabad where we spent one week to construct a fruit dryer, solar collector and water distillator with WECF.

Chinese alumni remember their years in Finland in the Shanghai EXPO

Approximately 200 Chinese alumni members got together to remember the time they studied in Finland. The event was organised in the Finnish exhibition pavilion Kirnu in the Shanghai EXPO, and its aim was to maintain the important network contacts. The event was organised by the Centre of International Mobility CIMO together with Finnish universities.

During the event, the Finnish delegates gave information about the current challenges and development of Finnish university education (Heljä Misukka), and the importance of networking (Risto E.J. Penttilä). The Chinese guests shared their experiences in studying in Finland; for example the former Chinese ambassador to Finland, Mrs Ma Keqing and the vice-chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC Luo Fuhe shared their memories of studying at the University of Helsinki in the 1970s and 1980s. The competition “This is my Finland” was also launched. It offers the alumni the opportunity to tell about their views of Finland through photographs or videos. Lepistö & Lehti entertained the guests with Finnish music.¨

The alumni present felt their time studying in Finland had been very fruitful and most of the visitors still had working contacts to Finland. “The foreigners, who have studied in Finland, form a very significant network, whether the collaboration is in the field of education and research or business. We at CIMO feel the promotion of this type of networking is extremely important” stated CIMO Director Pasi Sahlberg.

CIMO and the universities continue to promote the educational collaboration between China and Finland in the Shanghai EXPO in the autumn, when they organise the seminar ”Sharing Inspiration in Higher Education.” The seminar, which takes place in October, focuses on the Finnish expo themes: skills, environment and well-being from the viewpoint of university collaboration. The visibility of Finnish university education is also promoted in October by taking part in the student fair events in both Beijing and Shanghai.

For more information, Director of Communications Merja Lankinen / CIMO, tel. 0207 868 572 or 0400-247 757

Photo: Ville Salminen

Hands-On practical training in Ethiopia

We had a chance to do our practical training in a country known for its long history, great coffee and 13 months of sunshine. An NGO called Sustainable Future (Kestävä tulevaisuus ry., KeTu ) in co-operation with TAMK’s R&D gave us opportunity to visit Ethiopia.

Project partners work in co-operation with a local partner NGO, Lem Ethiopia, enabling sustainable energy solutions and improving waste & sanitation as well as self-sufficiency in the city of Bahir Dar.

Bahir Dar is a city by Lake Tana, largest lake in Ethiopia and also the source of the Blue Nile. Ethiopia is located in the African horn and is a home for over 80 million people. About 80 % of the people in Ethiopia live in the rural areas and get their living from agriculture. At the same time only about 18 %of the households have access to proper sanitation facilities and about 31 % have access to safe water.

Our mission was to teach about hygiene and sanitation in local schools in Bahir Dar. We visited five schools and did a few hour training about personal hygiene and motivated students with awakening pictures and examples. It was a great experience and we had an amazing time teaching those eager and respecting students about hygiene. There are a lot of cultural challenges to be won, but one step at a time they can maintain a better health and demand better sanitation facilities.

At the same time we implemented a study about using urine as a fertilizer when growing cabbage. The plan was to implement a demonstration field and show the benefits of using urine in order to get a bigger yield. Unfortunately the land needed was provided by the government, but still faced challenges in order to be able to start up the real work. Therefore we implemented the study in a rather small-scale and in private in our own front yard. Did not quite serve as a demonstration, but we left some evidence to our local partners that urine is worth promoting as a free, safe and natural fertilizer.

The 2-month training taught us a lot. We were happy that we could exchange knowledge with the locals. All in all this was an once-in-a-lifetime possibility which will stay with us for the rests of our lives.

Text & photos: TAMK’s environmental engineering students Suvi Pielismaa and Salla Jokela

More about the project, project manager at TAMK's R&D: aino-maija.kyykoski(AT)tamk.fi
More about Sustainable Future NGO/ Kestävä Tulevaisuus ry: www.ketury.org
More about Lem Ethiopia : www.lem.org.et

World Summit Youth Award launched: Register by June 27

TAMK is WSYA partner since 2008. WSYA 2010 was launched this week, here is the press release:

The World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) invites once again young designers, e-content creators, writers and bloggers from around the world to enter their online-projects in an international multimedia competition: using internet and mobiles to put the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) into Action!

GET ACTION ON MDGs!
The WSYA selects and promotes best practice in e-Content and technological creativity, demonstrates young people’s potential to create outstanding digital contents and serves as a platform for people from all UN member states to work together in the efforts to reduce poverty and hunger, and to tackle illhealth, gender inequality, lack of education, lack of access to clean water and environmental degradation.

An application form is available from April 19 – June 27, 2010 online at www.youthaward.org

Online projects by youth under the age of 30 may be submitted in the following six categories:

1. Fight Poverty, Hunger and Disease !
2. Education for all !
3. Power 2 Women !
4. Create your Culture !
5. Go Green !
6. Pursue Truth !

An international jury of 12 ICT experts will evaluate the projects in two rounds of online judging, where the three winners and two runners-up for each category will be selected.

WSYA GOES BIG APPLE!
Winners will be invited to showcase their platform to heads of state, business leaders and civil society at the 4-days WSYA Winners Events, where the most committed and creative young people from around the world will be brought together with the UN Millennium Review Summit Leader in New York in September 2010. Travel and accommodation costs will be covered.

MORE BENEFITS
Next to the presentation of the winner’s projects all winners of the contest 2010 are invited to
participate in workshops at the WSYA Winners Events. All nominated projects will be presented online at
www.youthaward.org and extensive promoted through the WSYA network, which offers all contest
participants co-operation possibilities with ICT experts, business leaders, multimedia producers and
youth to youth organizations.

CONTEST DATES 2010!
ONLINE REGISTRATION April 19 – June 27, 2010 at www.youthaward.org
ONLINE JURY June 30 – July 7, 2010: elimination round of judging July 19 – July 25, 2010: nomination round of judging and winners selection
WINNERS EVENTS September 18 – September 22, 2010 at the UN MDG Review Summit in New York City, USA

WSYA home 
Previous posts about WSYA (Artmedia blog)
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Tämä toimii - This works!

Tämä toimii! (This works!) technology competition for primary school students is underway. The regional preliminaries of the national competition will be held at TAMK on Friday the 19th of March.

17 000 primary school students all around Finland combine their skills in mathematics, Finnish, art and crafts when creating almost 4300 moving toys, their advertisements and a diary documenting their group's working process. 120 students from Tampere, Nokia, Sastamala, Ylöjärvi, Ikaalinen, Jokioinen, Hämeenkyrö, Pori, Ulvila, Mänttä-Vilppula, Pirkkala and Hämeenlinna take part in the preliminaries in Tampere.

The national technology competition for grades 1-6 has once again made it possible to use innovation process as a learning method. The results are magnificent: awesome and diverse moving toys, their advertisements and diaries of the process - there is no limit to the creativitiness of the students! Innovativeness is a skill you can learn!

For more information (in Finnish:)
www.tamatoimii.fi
www.teknologiateollisuus.fi

Bus laboratory: forerunner in energy efficiency, kilometres without emissions

TAMK has commissioned Tampere Electric Wheel Center to launch a project to produce a bus laboratory, in collaboration with the research, technology and educational partners of the field. In practice, the laboratory will be a bus, which has operated in fixed-route transportation, and will be converted to use electricity. The conversion includes removing the combustion engine, and installing electric motor, batteries and new driving control systems.

Technical innovations

The technical structure will be implemented modularly. This structure enables the testing of various electric motor uses, as well as comparing batteries and hybrid systems. The bus will be used to study mains charging, and the functionality of driving control systems and software. The bus will become a platform where the parties involved with electric transportation can test their systems. The bus will also be used to evaluate the functionality of driving an electric vehicle in traffic.

The driving control system enables versatile energy measurements while driving. Through this, and other computerised systems, various energy efficient driving methods can be studied. The information systems can also be used to examine and implement fully new cabin services.

Aim to create emission free kilometres

The converted bus will operate in normal city traffic. Due to its electricity, the bus will not produce particulate nor exhaust gas emissions. Energy created while driving can be recycled through an electric system. The braking energy can be used to recharge the battery, which in turn reduces the total consumption of energy. The technology will be displayed prominently, so the citizens may also get to know the new technology through the bus.

New cabin innovations

The interior tests a modification structure, where the number of seats can flexible be adjusted to suit the current requirements. The bus may be transformed into a more tram-like vehicle by reducing the number of seats and adding standing room. This makes the bus more suitable for rush-hour traffic or event transportations. Some of the space may be used for entirely other purposes, such as presentation, meeting or laboratory spaces, which makes the bus even more versatile for research projects.

Future

In the future, the bus laboratory will support and enable the electric car business to develop itself and to organise training in Tampere. The bus laboratory will be the first bus converted by the Electric Wheel Centre. The know-how acquired in the project may lead to serial conversion production in the Electric Wheel Centre. A concurrent operations model for the future is launching the production of new cars in collaboration with a suitable chassis and body producer.

Emissions free traffic and giving up oil-based energy sources are the future. Tampere and Tampere University of Applied Sciences want to show the way and be the forerunners of the field, both nationally and internationally.

For more information, please contact

Lauri Hietalahti
Senior lecturer
Electrical power engineering

firstname.lastname@tamk.fi
050-3286131

Ania Ciuba Made the Soundly Sleeping Dragon Web Site

A very international project at our university has turned out fine. Ania Ciuba from Poland, a multimedia student from our partner school SDE College in Odense, Denmark, made a web site for Tan Minh Single Woman's group, Vietnam, during her exchange period in our School of Art and Media.

The Tan Minh women are farmers, but as farming land is getting smaller and smaller, they have to arrange other forms of income. They have founded a cooperation to produce their first product, Soundly Sleeping Dragon silk sleeping bag liners.

CED, Coalition for Environment and Development (Ympäristö ja Kehitys ry. in Finnish) is a voluntary organization, which helps the Tan Minh cooperative in developing their business. The sleeping bag liners have become quite popular in Finland. To extend the sales with a online service a web site was needed.

The School of Art and Media promised to help CED with the web design, and Ania needed a topic for her thesis work. So many needs met and meshed with each other, and now the project is online.

"This project has taught me a lot about design, implementation and also about development work. I am still involved and enjoying it.", says Ania Ciuba about her experience. Ania has now graduated in Odense and moved to Helsinki, where she's working for a software development company.

Soundly Sleeping Dragon

Pictured: Ania Ciuba on the roof garden at TAMK School of Art and Media

Cooperation in Tanzania with University of Dar-Es-Salaam

During this year TAMK and PITKY (Information Processing Association of Tampere Region) have prepared a joint development cooperation project with the University of Dar-Es-Salaam (UDSM) and Institution of Engineers Tanzania (IET). The aim of this project is to provide technical support in demanding ICT projects for the UDSM and IET and to help in building ICT capacities and skills in the country by training, education and consulting.

Key subprojects is this larger project are to support both creation of an eLearning system for rural secondary schools and ICT mediated distant learning on the university level and in teacher training. Project also aims to support development of a software incubator on UDSM campus and mobile software development. This is because mobile applications and computer software are booming in Africa but there's a lot of untapped local potential.

Funding for this project has been applied via the Finnish Foreign Ministry's NGO Development cooperation program with PITKY as the coordinator and main applicant. If the project is accepted, TAMK staff and students will have many chances in the following three years to take part in these projects. However, TAMK and University of Dar-Es-Salaam have already signed a partnership agreement this week making it possible to students and staff to cooperate in non-ICT-related areas via our exchange programs.

University of Dar-Es-Salaam main building

We have also had visitors from UDSM already here at TAMK. Last August we had a delegation of eLearning developers for rural secondary schools project for two weeks of training and workshops on the structure, tools and pedagogy of the eLearning system. Ellen and Suzan from this delegation will be working here in Tampere also next Spring.

Last May I took part in a preparatory trip to Dar-Es-Salaam to meet all the parties with a representative of PITKY so we could write the application for the Foreign Ministry. The friendship and hospitality of the people who we met was really wonderful and Tanzania was an amazing country although I only had a chance to see Dar-Es-Salaam. We stayed at a Finnish development worker compound called Onnela where I of course had a chance to have a sauna in the cooling night. Words can't describe that experience...

Below are some pictures from the preparatory trip and from the delegation who visited TAMK in August.

Our workshop at TAMK in August 2008

Streets of Dar-Es-Salaam

Center of Dar-Es-Salaam from the PPF Tower

Jukka Siltanen