1
Marja Räikkönen
HAMK University of Applied Sciences, Hameenlinna, Finland
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE AT HAMK UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background for international activities at higher education institutions in Finland and at HAMK University of Applied Sciences
Increasing internationality has long been one of the main focus areas placed on higher education institutions by the Finnish Ministry of Education. At higher education institutions, internationality is considered to be one of the ways in which education and research systems can meet the challenges resulting from globalisation. The objective of the Bologna Declaration, which Finland signed in 1999, was to create a European area of higher education by 2010. It was considered important to strengthen the competitiveness of European higher education on the global education market which is becoming more and more commercial. The methods of achieving this included making qualifications and certificates easier to compare and understand, developing a two-cycle qualification framework, implementing the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), promoting the European dimension of quality assurance and removing obstacles to mobility. Monitoring meetings have additionally focused on lifelong learning and the competitiveness of European education and training, among other things. Joint projects in the field of higher education have been aimed at increasing mobility, improving the quality of education and strengthening the European dimension of education, in particular.
Internationalisation has been one of HAMK’s strategic development targets throughout its history. Our international activities are based both on our own policies for strategic development and on the International Strategy of Higher Education by the Ministry of Education, The Development Plan for Education and Research and Policies for Education and Research. The current European Policy Statement (EPS) covers the years 2007–2013 and HAMK’s new University Charter (UC) was granted in 2007. HAMK’s strategic policies for international activities are the responsibility of the Vice Rector and development of operational guidelines is part of the remit of the Head of International Affairs reporting to the Vice Rector. At an operational level, international activities are the responsibility of process managers, Heads of Education and Research Centres and International Coordinators working for them.
International aspects are an important part of HAMK’s vision. Our vision states that the success of the Municipal Federation is based on versatile and high-quality skills that produce new innovations for the needs of regional, national and international development. Due to our versatile and high-quality education, our related research and development activities and rapid internationalisation, HAMK is the region’s leading skills developer and promoter of the business strategy.
There are still significant differences between individuals and units in their commitment to develop it in a real sense. On several degree programmes, excellent personal international relationships created through mobility at the early stages of internationalisation have promoted internationalisation. Now a particular challenge is how to get new teachers involved in exchange activities. Staff recruitment has so far focused on the domestic market. In addition to recruitment, untapped potential also lies in utilising teacher and expert exchanges to their fullest. International co-operation in research and development is the new focus area for international activities at universities of applied sciences. Universities of applied sciences are seen as being developers of regions and, as such, organisations that can promote internationalisation.
International networks were actively created at the beginning of operations and we now have over 100 partners around the world. With some partners, co-operation is extensive and very active. Generally, co-operation has involved mobility initially and research and development projects, for example, have subsequently been launched. Information on evaluating the quality of the partnership is sometimes the responsibility of a single person based at the centres. The next challenge is to analyse partnerships and utilise the information internally within HAMK. HAMK’s reputation as an extensive and development-oriented university of applied sciences gives us a great opportunity to improve the quality of the network.
2 VISION FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES, 2012
At HAMK, the international perspective is a natural part of all our activities and our operating environment is highly international with a tolerant atmosphere. Internationality increases the quality of education and research and development activities, develops students’ and staff’s readiness to work in an international environment and increases the region’s international atmosphere. HAMK’s administration, personnel and students are committed to developing internationality both as individuals and as members of the community. By 2012, HAMK will have reinforced its extensive international partner network in co-operation with education and research institutions, businesses and other key operators in the fields in which HAMK provides education. Our personnel will be part of excellent international networks which facilitate international development of their own fields.
3 STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES, DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND KEY INDICATORS
3.1 Education process at HAMK
3.1.1 Making the curriculum more international
According to HAMK’s strategy HAMK participates in creating the European Area of Higher Education in line with the Bologna process. Comparing qualifications in international settings and the competitiveness of qualifications is ensured as a continuous process starting at the curriculum level. Making sure that students are able to develop their international competence is the key objective of international operations. This will also promote internationalisation of the entire region. Students and staff will have sufficient understanding of the importance of international competence to the development of their field and career. Education will provide all students who have completed a qualification with the required skills to work on international labour markets.
Development activities
Competence requirements attached to the increasing internationality of working life in general and in specific fields are analysed as part of core subject analysis of curricula and taken into consideration when developing education both in terms of content and methods. Internationalisation also runs through each of the degree programmes as part of professional growth. Annual discussions on the curriculum provide curriculum content areas for international competence for each degree programme. The ECTS process guides development of education on all degree programmes.
Students can include international studies as part of their Personal Study Plan which allows them to gain more in-depth international competence. Students can complete foreign-language studies, study or participate in work placements abroad, do their Bachelor’s thesis abroad or in an international working group and include studies in less commonly used languages and cultures as part of their degree.
Key indicators
§ curricula and implementation plans include objectives, content and implementation methods for international competence
§ description of the process of professional growth
§ participation in international curricula development
§ measuring the internationality of the operating environment annually
3.1.2 Foreign-language education provision
According to the objectives of the Ministry of Education, higher education institutions should increase the number of their international degree students. For this purpose, they will organise foreign-language courses that suit their own profile. The aim is to have 12,000 international degree students in Finland by 2008. According to HAMK’s strategy students can complete foreign-language courses as part of all degree programmes. Studies are available for both the degree programme’s own students and for international exchange students. By 2008, HAMK has five degree programmes available in English. Developing these programmes focus on the fields that are important to HAMK’s profile. Foreign students will be seamlessly integrated into the HAMK community and they promote internationalisation both for the school and for the region. All degree programmes explore the possibility of organising international joint degrees and it will be possible to complete a degree of this kind in all fields.
Development activities
Curriculum planning for foreign-language programmes is intensified so that it is possible to benefit from synergy between programmes and so that students studying on Finnish-language programmes can include these studies as part of their optional studies and minor subject studies. Guidelines for the activities are set by a steering group for foreign-language degree awarding education. Work placements for foreign degree students in Finland will be supported. Students and counselling taking place at businesses will be supported by degree programmes according to a separate programme. HAMK’s international marketing plan is updated based on continuous evaluation. The main responsibility for the plan and implementation of it lies with the International Marketing Working Group. Support services are being developed even further to satisfy the needs of foreign students as well. The study counselling system is being developed together with the study counsellors’ group to meet the needs of multicultural counselling. The group for students’ well-being will investigate the situation in foreign students’ healthcare and its development needs by 2009.
E-learning will be used extensively in co-operation with our international partners in terms of individual courses which will increase students’ international competence. Foreign-language courses via the Finnish Virtual Polytechnic are also used. Education provision will be increased with joint degrees both at the level of Bachelor’s degrees and Master’s degrees in co-operation with established foreign partners. Joint degrees follow the criteria determined by the Ministry of Education.
Key indicators
§ number of applicants and graduates on foreign-language programmes
§ foreign students’ experiences within their study community
§ number of foreign-language courses per Finnish-language degree programme
§ number of international virtual courses
§ number of students who complete joint degrees
Systematically collected student feedback of foreign degree students is collected every term (Appendix 1.). The feedback has been very positive.
3.1.3 Student mobility
The objective of the Ministry of Education is that at least a third of each annual admission group ought to complete a part of their degree abroad and for the same amount of international exchange students to study in Finland for at least three months. At HAMK the aim is to gain that objective in 2012. All degree programmes have International Coordinators who are responsible for developing student exchanges.
Outgoing students students and trainees by host country 2007
The number of international exchange students varies greatly between degree programmes. Students have integrated into the studying community fairly well. Social activities for visiting exchange students have been organised throughout the year in co-operation with HAMK’s Student Union and student tutors. Developing these activities will be especially challenging for those degree programmes that have not yet launched their exchange activities.
Incoming students students and trainees by host country 2007
Development activities
Students on all degree programmes are encouraged and supported to participate in student exchanges or work placements through study counselling, language and cultural studies and grants. Studies and work placement completed abroad is accredited as part of the degree based on an up-to-date Learning Agreement. The roles of study counsellors and International Coordinators at Education and Research Centres are clearly defined and they work well together with exchange participants. International work placements are supported by developing counselling and grant systems. Register of international work placement locations is updated annually.
Study counselling systems, courses available in the Finnish language and culture, and tutoring are developed so that they support the studies of all foreign students and their integration into Finnish society on all degree programmes. International tutoring is developed in co-operation with HAMKO, HAMK’s Student Union, the study counsellors’ group and International Coordinators. Foreign students are encouraged to participate in the activities of Education and Research Centres as active members of the community so that they can help to make the operating culture more international.
Key indicators
§ number of long exchange periods (departing/arriving)
§ number of international work placement locations (register)
§ student satisfaction
§ level of accredited studies
Systematically collected student feedback of foreign exchange students is collected every term (Appendix 2.). The feedback has been very positive. All our own students give an evaluation report after their exchange studies. Reports are available in HAMK’s student portal.
3.2 Research and development activities
In its region, HAMK is an important promoter of internationality. In addition to foreign partners, co-operation agreements regarding regional development include cities, municipalities, businesses and research institutions, for example. HAMK will seek to participate in international research and development projects according to its profile and objectives. Good international contacts are being used for regional development work and to make R&D activities more international. In addition, HAMK will promote international level research and development in connection with personnel and students’ Bachelor’s theses. The support system required by international projects is being developed.
Development activities
Staff are encouraged to participate in international R&D activities both within HAMK and in international working communities. HAMK develops its international project training based on feedback received and will increase support services for international projects. Internal and external benchmarking will become systematic and involve all R&D centres. The need to increase the number of foreign R&D participants and to remove possible obstacles are being assessed throughout HAMK.
Key indicators
§ number of international projects
§ percentage of regional participants in international projects
§ number and input of foreign experts in R&D projects
§ customer satisfaction
3.3 Personnel
3.3.1 Personnel’s international competence
A survey on the needs of personnel for international skills development was conducted in 2004. The results revealed a particular need for language training. We have drawn up a training plan based on the results of the survey and implementation has already begun. However, implementation requires additional funding in order to promote internationalisation effectively. Strategic aim is that staff at HAMK have the necessary competence to make educational and R&D processes more international.
Development activities
Staff has an opportunity to develop their international competences and language skills mainly through training and exchange activities. A separate implementation plan for this type of training was drafted in 2005 and it is updated annually. Special programme has been planned for those degre programmes which start education in English. Below an example from Forssa Unit.
Training programme for Forssa Unit 1.9.2007-30.5.2008