Pinnet
The Universities of Applied Sciences Network for the Development of Internationalisation
Pinnet, the Universities of Applied Sciences network for the development of internationalisation aims to promote and strengthen the development of internationalisation at Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences. The project strives to develop the following international activities:
- Student and trainee mobility
- Teacher and expert mobility
- International communications and marketing
- International competence of the personnel
- International venture activities
- Recruitment of foreign degree students.
International expertise is also brought into teaching and the internationalisation of research by participation in the development of the following sub areas:
- International components in the studies
- teaching of course units in foreign languages
- International virtual studies
- Internationalisation of R&D and regional development activities.
Examples of implemented PINNET sub projects
1. International partner analysis
The objective is to create a set of criteria for partner analysis to assess foreign co-operation institutes and the level of collaboration. Examples of the criteria are the fluency of mobility, the standard of teaching, possibilities of project collaboration etc.
2. Handbook of international operations
The handbook of international operations has been divided into the strategic and the operative levels. The handbook includes both strategic and process descriptions, analysis of core activities and practices connected with quality and evaluation. The handbook is only available in Finnish.
3. Virtual programmes in preparation of international activities
The so-called Team East (Universities of Applied Sciences in Eastern Finland), a sub group of Pinnet, has during the project developed virtual course units for preparation of international activities. There are altogether three course units, two of which are intended for students and one for teachers. The programmes can be used by all members of the network and can be found at www.goabroad.fi (in English). For login, a user ID and password are required.
The objective of the course unit Moona is to help students become aware of what kind of international skills working life requires of graduating students, and to inform students of internationalisation opportunities offered by their own institute. The goal is that all new students complete the course unit during their first year of studies. Moona has been implemented both in Finnish and in English.
The objective of the course unit Valtteri is to prepare students for an exchange study period in such a way that they can make all needed advance arrangements and analyse their own abilities, their language proficiency and the expected benefits of the exchange period before they go abroad. Another goal is to help the students deepen their knowledge of the destination country and their own field in the destination country, and for them to acquire specific knowledge about Finland. During the course unit, students also write a report on their exchange period and orientate towards returning to their home institute. Valtteri has been implemented in English.
Liisa is intended to support faculty in their planning to embark on a teacher exchange or preparing for a teacher exchange period. Liisa has been implemented both in Finnish and in English.
4. International marketing communications of Universities of Applied Sciences
A preliminary charting on marketing communications has been completed. In 2008, the goal is to draft a marketing strategy and action plan for 2009. The preliminary survey is only available in Finnish.
5. Internationalisation training for student counselling services staff
An educational package for the development of international readiness, foreign language communication and knowledge of different cultures
6. Status survey of foreign degree students
The aim is to chart the factors guiding the recruitment of foreign degree students and what kinds of collaboration forms there are in student recruitment and in teaching. The status survey of foreign degree students includes the following sub areas:
- charting of strategies and goals
- surveying the student selection situation and the recruitment plans
- implementing teaching in foreign language degree programmes and the student services for foreign degree students
- charting the needs of working life and business life, of work placement (practice) and the employment possibilities
7. The Russian network in Health Care and Social Services (http://www.sotevenaja.com)
The Russian network is a sub project in the Pinnet.. Our goal is to act as a facilitator for the agents in the Universities of Applied Sciences Russian network in Health Care and Social Services as a discussion forum, and as a co-ordinator as well as a data collector.
The organisation of Pinnet
The international managers of the Universities of Applied Sciences form the main network of the project. In 2011 the network is coordinated by Laurea University of Applied Sciences.
Information about the English taught degree programmes at Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences