TAMK’s first international Uninovis staff BIP-week was a celebration of collaboration, curiosity and shared purpose

The Uninovis Staff BIP-week featured a dynamic agenda including workshops on team coaching and sustainability design, introduction to TAMK’s learning models and environments as well as networking events both on and off campus. After the first two days of joint sessions, participants then attended pre-chosen programme tracks based on their professional interests. Since Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) constitute both virtual and physical parts, the participants had already met each other online before arriving at TAMK, which smoothed the way for the week’s collaboration.  

In the BIP/COIL-track, the focus was on virtual and blended mobilities, which are becoming more popular and allow us to internationalize at home. At TAMK, the number of BIPs has steadily increased over the past few years and in the academic year 2025-2026 we are expected to have 7 BIPs with over 170 mobile learners. TAMK’s own BIP-experts Kaisa Kokko, Toni Pippola, Anna Tuusa and Eeva Heikkilä steered the discussion and shared their own valuable experiences on the topic.  

“I see BIP as a wonderful opportunity to learn in an international environment, both for students and academics, in a relatively short period of time. For many, BIP serves as a gateway to expand their internationality, either in the context of a longer exchange or a career path,” says Kaisa Kokko, a Senior Lecturer and WP2 coordinator at TAMK.   

Professor Jos Beelen from THUAS on his part challenged the participants to re-think the whole internationalization at home -concept and think of ways how to integrate intercultural perspectives into existing curricula, especially in the new Uninovis context.  

“Internationalization at home covers many aspects, and while I feel we need a common understanding of its meaning, it does not necessarily mean common ways of doing. [In Uninovis] we have different institutions with various structures and disciplines, and we all understand that internationalization at home means different things in teachers’ education than it does in engineering,” Beelen reiterated.   

New openings for research collaboration  

Meanwhile, the other program track focused on Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) activities. As TAMK’s Vice Rector Ari Sivula pointed out in his welcoming speech, it is in the field of RDI that TAMK has lot to offer to other Uninovis partners: 

“We connect students, teachers and industry partners to solve real life problems, often in ways that are uniquely practical and collaborative. Through Uninovis, I see an opportunity to expand this approach across Europe, sharing insights, resources and experiences to strengthen research, development and innovation ecosystems.”  

During the week, local Uninovis team members Dr. Arja Halkoaho and Senior Lecturer Nina Smolander facilitated sessions on such topics as Horizon project application process, GDPR and research ethics and Erasmus+ financial instruments. Dr. Maria Åkerman shared her own experiences on participating and managing Horizon projects, while TAMK's Project Office’s Katriina Lammi and Leena Ikonen showcased the RDI pre-award structure and support system. Senior Lecturer Eveliina Asikainen, on her part, dived into the Teachers’ Academy project.  

TAMK’s own specialists were joined by Juha Tenhunen, a CPO and Product and Service Manager at WellPro Impact Solutions Oy, a Finnish health-tech company and one of TAMK’s associated partners in Uninovis. Tenhunen presented Wellpro’s BitHabit platform, a digital solution for managing scientific research recruitment, lifecycle, communication and data management.  

International Uninovis guests participating in the RDI-track were particularly pleased with the hands-on approach and guidance on how to prepare successful project proposals. Meeting research colleagues face-to-face was also seen important, as it tends to lower the threshold for communication in the future. As International Project Engineer Arthur Lievre from USPN put it:  

"I’ve gained valuable insights into project planning and the process of preparing joint research proposals with fellow Uninovis partner HEIs. It has also been a pleasure to finally meet colleagues in person after previously only connecting via Teams."  

Uninovis is as strong as its members 

All in all, the first Uninovis staff week at TAMK was full of meaningful encounters and intense collaboration. It demonstrated that by sharing our knowledge, insights, and resources, we can better tackle the challenges the world is facing – whether in sustainability, digital transition, or the responsible use of data and AI. The Hackaton event, which finalized the student BIP-week on Friday, epitomized this. There, the multidisciplinary student teams pitched their cyber security project proposals to fellow students, Uninovis staff week participants, and assigning company representatives. As Juha Tenhunen from WellPro put it:  

“It’s inspiring to be part of a project that advances European digitalization and helps individuals and communities thrive in the digital age. It was a pleasure meeting with the Uninovis higher education institutions and students this week in Tampere – I appreciate the opportunity to present WellPro Impact Solutions Oy. And special thanks to the students, who did an outstanding job on their Bithabit Virtual Assistant hackathon task, focusing on cybersecurity.” 

Bringing together 8 higher education institutions with 150 000 students and over 13 000 staff members across Europe, Uninovis is as strong as its members. TAMK’s President and CEO, Professor Mika Hannula, put it succinctly when he said that “the essence of Uninovis Alliance lies in its members – the people who come together to create, innovate, and make a difference”.