Lost in my backyard - How I decided to take a quick run in my neighborhood

Ducks in the lake Tohloppi

I had a lack of inspiration before writing this anecdote, so I decided to go out and find it. Thus I came across with this paths in the forests. I am sort of lucky for living pretty near to three lakes and to have plenty of forests where to enjoy nature. That is something I really love about Finland since you can discover new paths all the time, as that time when I got lost…

Pathways and falling leaves

I was determined to run 5 kilometers in less than half an hour and I had to choose where to go, so I considered about surrounding Tohloppi Lake. I thought that if I started from Epilänkatu, after encircling the lake I would come back where I began, supposedly…

And I started full of excitement, breathing the fresh air provided by the trees and coming upon with many species of mushrooms along the way. Afterwards I found a small harbor where I stayed just looking to the ducks in the lake and the people who were hanging around.

There are pathways all around the lake

Then I continued with my jogging, following the path but after 10 minutes I realized I had encountered a road (and not the place where I started). I decided go to the left, but after 5 minutes I found a cross street and a feeling of confusion appeared. I asked some people who were waiting for the bus and luckily they spoke English. I was 3 kilometers away from my goal, and it was in the other direction. Never had I ran as fast as that time, since I wanted to arrive home as soon as possible.

Finally, not only did I reach my 5 kilometer goal, but I succeeded in breaking it and reaching 8. And well, Finland has more challenges for me and I am planning to find more paths while the weather allows to do it.

Pier by the beach, people come here all the time during summer

Paola,  Exchange student from Mexico, studying Environmental Engineering at TAMK.

Text: Paola Israde Burrola 

Pictures: Paola Israde Burrola  

Nice Network Meeting 2014 in Riga – a wonderful experience

House of Blackheads in Riga

In summer 2014 Pirkko Varis from Tampere University of Applied Sciences participated in the annual NICE network meeting, organized at the Faculty of Engineering Economics and Management, Riga Technical University. The organizational team consisted of Inga Lapina, Jolanta Jurēvica, Natalja Lāce and some other persons from RTU.  

Riga 2

 

Riga 3

The programme included plenary and workshop sessions on strategic partnerships within ERASMUS+, institutional accreditation and evaluation systems, student and staff mobility, blended learning, placements, internationalization of curricula and grade transfers. In addition, we did a lot of networking.

Pirkko, Thomas and Frantisek with other participants trying to recognize own bread

Some visits were made to old Riga,  Jūrmala,  the biggest seaside resort in the Baltic States and to a national park.  We also visited a bakery where we made our own bread. In the end of the visit we got our bread with us and after returning home the bread reminded us of the really nice stay in Riga.

Trip to Jūrmala

 

Trip to a national park

Thank you for organizing the fantastic meeting for all of us!  

Text : Pirkko Varis, TAMK

Photos:  Regina Parzer, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Austria

             

What is NICE network?

The New Initiatives and Challenges in Europe, NICE network is a network for representatives of more than 35 business schools, faculties and departments of business and economics.  They work together in order to develop curricula, joint projects, intensive courses, exchanges, internships and other cooperation. Pirkko Varis from Tampere University of Applied Sciences has taken part for many years in the NICE network and in the projects initiated by the members of the network. For example the IICEE European module was developed by some partners and now it is part of the curriculum in several universities throughout Europe. An intensive programme was developed based upon the module, too. In annual meetings of the network study programmes and methods are compared, new initiatives are discussed and proposals are made for cooperation and development of the network.  The Quality Charter of the NICE network and other information is available on the website of the network www.nicenetwork.eu

Anadolu University - Mega-Partner!

This week we have had a visit from Turkey - Anadolu University has been in collaboration with TAMK since 2007 and now it's time to see what new and exciting challenges we could come up with in the new Erasmus+ era.

Anadolu University is one of the biggest mega-universities in the world, with a staggering amount of 1.3 million (yes, million) virtual open and distance learners. TAMK's keen interest in developing new learning environments and perspectives gave birth to a flurry of excited discussions with colleagues during the visit.

Nil and her mother Nider

Ms Nil Canbek from Anadolu University also met with colleagues in the TAMK International Services to benchmark some good practices in student and staff mobility, to negotiate future collaboration under the Erasmus+ umbrella and to see if there would be ways to broaden our scope of collaboration from traditional mobility.

Nil arrived in Finland for the very first time and decided to bring along her mother. "I have a young child and a busy job, so this gives us some mother-daughter quality time as well." smiled Nil, when we asked about her personal motivations for the trip to Tampere. With a brief stop in Helsinki before heading back home, the guests seemed to enjoy the unseasonably warm and sunny September weather.

Two-three hours by plane between Finland and Turkey is not far - but in the virtual world the distance is non-existent!

Text: Piri Hiltunen
Photo: Krista Merikoski

MOU between TAMK and CETYS is now renewed!

On Friday 22nd of August 2014 Dr. Fernando Leon Garcia, the President of CETYS University, Mexico visited TAMK. The reason for his visit was to learn more about TAMK’s education, international activities and premises and also renew the Memorandum of Understanding between the two universities.

During the visit Dr. Garcia brought out his aspiration to expand the co-operation between TAMK and CETYS. In practice this would mean for example joint summer and/or winter courses, active staff mobility and double degrees especially in the field of International Business, Industrial Engineering, Game Design/Graphic Design and Energy/Environment.

 

Presidents Markku Lahtinen and Fernando Leon Garcia in the signing ceremony.

Text and photo: Kirsi Tolvanen, Head of International Services