CARPE creates new: Let’s mash up!
At the moment, participants from six HEIs all around Europe are joining forces and looking for means for universities of applied sciences to succeed in the future. It’s time to mash up, mix, ask and create new. The best part is that the experts from different fields come together.
Text: Anne Lehikoinen
Photos: Paul Pietilä and Anne Lehikoinen
European experts in the field of education have for several years worked in the CARPE network. The aim of the network is to increase the amount of joint projects and curriculum work.
CARPE consists of five HEIs in addition to TUAS: from the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, Germany and Hungary.
The continuous internationalisation of working life is tangible in the field of education. The competition no longer takes place within a country or continent, but the field is global. To succeed, universities of applied sciences are required to have top competence, courage and curiosity and contacts with each other - and, obviously, skills to make it in the future. The way is forward.
In the opening speech of the conference on Tuesday morning, TUAS’ Rector and President Vesa Taatila emphasised that it’s time for us in Europe to roll up our sleeves. We can head to the future together and by doing together.
– In Turku, our new slogan spurs us: “Excellence in Action”. We have to be bold and curious to experiment in addition to the top competence we already have, Taatila encouraged.
By force of cooperation
Bror Salmelin, Adviser for Innovation Systems in the European Commission, spoke of open innovation. In this, networks and the networks of networks play a significant role, Salmelin reminded the CARPE people. Things are done in cooperation and it’s the only way forward. In the future, there are no boxes to think outside of, because the boxes will no longer exist.
– We cannot plan and direct everything ready in our own circles, we have to make things happen. What fares best will succeed. Novel innovations, which are not linear but are mashed up as new with complex cooperation, will be in the key role. Ideas have to be tested and implemented as early as possible, Salmelin emphasized.
At the same time, he frowned upon that nowadays everyone keeps talking about innovations without understanding that, in fact, operations and cooperation are mostly about creating something new. Influence is taken and received from different sources and everything is constantly moving, open to the future.
– We have to find the courage, the EU specialist invoked.
Yasmin Hussain encourages students for mobility
“I think this is an awesome opportunity to network. It is always interesting to meet people who work with the same issues. I'll conduct a session this afternoon on how we could encourage our students even more to apply for exchange in the other HEIs of our network. Welcome to create new methods! Ideas are always welcome”, Yasmin says.
The conference continues on Wednesday, when the participants go on a picnic cruise and get a glimpse of the beautiful archipelago. The day is filled with programme.
On a joint trip new acquaintances always come about and future HEI students might get to enjoy the results of this trip, too. In the future, which we cannot predict.
Turku University of Applied Sciences profiles in Innovation pedagogy both in the education of our own students and in international export of education. In CARPE cooperation, Innovation pedagogy is constantly applied in practice in research and development projects and each student has gotten to know the working life in their field before graduation.
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