Personnel review 2025: Active year in aligning personnel competences

We actively developed our personnel's competences throughout the year in line with various work requirements, with pedagogical expertise and artificial intelligence as key themes. We designed a pathway to a doctoral degree and a researcher career path to support the implementation of TAMK's strategy.

The teaching staff focused on the current themes of the ‘TAMK Pedagogical Expert’ competence badge through four sub-themes: learning-centred approach in higher education, community spirit and inclusiveness in higher education, working life development expertise in higher education and sustainable future in higher education. The themes include practical insights for developing your own ways of working as well as for the teamwork and collaboration we emphasise at TAMK. Participation in RDI activities has revitalised work for many, helping them utilise and develop their expertise. Many in the teaching staff have duties related to project and programme activities, alongside their teaching duties.

In competence development, 2025 was also characterised by the rapid introduction of artificial intelligence in both student activities and our personnel's work. AI knowledge and skills were bolstered across our entire personnel, and teams explored the application of AI in both individual and team work. Later in the year, an internal TAMK project was launched for the teaching staff, with the aim of developing the pedagogical use of artificial intelligence between 2026 and 2028.

Good team spirit and a can-do approach

Our work community enjoys a healthy team spirit, a strong sense of community and a collaborative approach, which boosts motivation. Our colleagues are helpful and approachable. Our teams boast a strong sense of collaboration, and people help each other without hesitation. I believe that psychological safety, openness and a solution-focused environment are our strengths!

In the personnel survey conducted towards the end of the year, the work of TAMK's immediate supervisors and TAMK's operational management received positive feedback. The personnel feels that TAMK is heading in the right direction. The organisational culture is strong and emphasises openness, personnel engagement and collaboration.

We have been running our internal coaching programme for five years now, and in 2025 it also helped dozens of teams and individuals navigate various team or role changes. Other coaching programmes ranging from developing subject proficiency to interaction skills have also received good feedback. Due to a rapidly changing world and the diverse situations students may face, we have administered the ‘Mielen ensiaputaidot’ (First Aid Skills for the Mind) coaching for our personnel. Our own students participated in running the emergency first-aid training, and the feedback received was highly positive.

As a whole, the training was excellent! We had just the right amount of things to go through, relative to the time we had. It wasn’t at all difficult to stay focused. The students were really competent trainers. The group was just the right size, and the mood was relaxed yet focused.

Competence development on a researcher’s career path

We want to support our personnel in their post-graduate studies, thereby strengthening the most important skills needed in our project activities. We reinforced our cooperation with Tampere University by building a pathway to a doctoral degree. The personnel can use their working hours for advancing their doctoral degree studies, provided that the theme of their research is connected to RDI or pedagogics topics TAMK considers strategic. 21 people working on their dissertation were approved for the inaugural group, some of whom are working for Tampere University and some for other Finnish universities. We enhanced our competence and its visibility also with Tampere University by way of a joint post for a Professor of Practice, becoming one of the very first to do so in the UAS sector!

In 2025, one significant area of development was to guide the researcher career path towards supporting the implementation of our RDI growth targets. The first research groups were established towards the end of the year, leading to the recruitment of researchers, senior researchers and principal researchers. This provides expert and career opportunities for both TAMK’s current personnel and external talent.

For the personnel, 2025 was a year of focusing on current tasks and preparing for the future. We can definitely state that a can-do approach and an active organisational culture were quite tangible and visible!