Building Leadership for change through School Immersion
2017, ongoing – Helsinki, Finland
During a six months’ professional development programme, 56 Saudi teachers improve their English language skills, participate in a cutting edge pedagogical training, take part in a three months’ guided observation in carefully selected Finnish schools, and practise 21st century skills in education. The aim of the programme is to coach the participating teachers to become change agents in their home schools in KSA, equipped with customized tools from the Finnish educational system and teacher training. The programme takes place in Helsinki, Finland, and it is funded by the Ministry of Education, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Improving Teachers’ In-service Training in Peru
Development Programme, 2013 – 2015
The goal of this project was to contribute to the quality of in-service teacher training system in higher education by strengthening pedagogical capacities and practices of Peruvian partner universities.
The results of the project were also aimed at promoting the democratic, social, economic, and sustainable development in Peru, but also gradually elsewhere in Latin America.
In practice, the University of Helsinki trained teacher educators of the participating RPU (Red Peruana de Universidades) universities. The trained teacher educators then applied their new knowledge by training local pedagogical mentors (Acompañantes Pedagógicos). Through the pedagogical mentors, local Peruvian school teachers also benefitted from the project. Altogether 60 Peruvian University teachers and almost 200 Peruvian mentor teachers participated the program.
The project was planned and executed according to the Peruvian national political guidelines and strategic goals (Logros de Aprendizaje de los Estudiantes de Educación Básica Regular, PELA 2013-2016, and Metas educativas e Indicatores al 2021).
Preparatory Course on Medical and Post-Graduate Studies in Medical and Molecular Biosciences in the Gulf Area (2013-2014)
Description: The professional capacity building course was targeted to actual or potential postgraduate students, who wanted to start medical studies in medical and molecular biosciences in Scandinavia. The main goal was to provide students with necessary skills and to create an understanding of what postgraduate studies require in Finland and Scandinavia. The course was divided into two separate parts, one of which was arranged in the students’ home country. The second 4-week part was arranged in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden.
Enhancing Professional Competences: Early Childhood Education in Singapore (2013 – 2014)
The University of Helsinki organised training in collaboration with a Singaporean client organization. The main objective of the training was to increase the participants’ professional competences in early childhood education. The training consisted of contact teaching both in Finland and Singapore, as well as online training. The contact training included lectures, group work, learning assignments, and educational visits.
Intensive Course on Environmental Economics for financial institutions for China (2013)
Description: This course was designed to introduce the main principles of environmental economics to decision makers of a financial institution. The goal was to find new ways of incorporating environmental issues in social decision making and project assessment procedures of financial institutions, and to enhance operational competences. The course was arranged as an intensive two-week course in Helsinki, Finland.
Teacher education – How to teach English as a foreign language for South Korea
These intensive 10-day courses were designed to share current Finnish approaches and methods of teaching English as a foreign language with South Korean English teachers. The curriculum was based on international and Finnish research. Emphasis was placed on communicative language use in situations that are meaningful to the speaker. Furthermore, the intensive courses introduced a less grammar-focused approach to language learning.
