Laurea University of Applied Sciences hosted its annual International Week in January, bringing together students, companies, experts, and international higher education networks to focus on a more hopeful future working life.
The week’s theme, “Together towards a hope-centered future working life,” gathered 46 higher education experts from across Europe. In total, 11 of the 12 universities in the PIONEER Alliance were represented, alongside participants from other higher education institutions.
The PIONEER Festival aimed to encourage participants to engage with diverse perspectives and strengthen collaboration within higher education ecosystems.
“Strengthening community spirit, academic interaction, and active networking are our shared responsibility – especially within the framework of the PIONEER alliance,” says Dr. Mika Launikari, Laurea’s local coordinator for PIONEER cooperation.
At the same time, Laurea’s campuses hosted the JobFest recruitment event, where students met with around 50 representatives from the world of work. The event offered students opportunities to build professional networks and explore career paths, while employers gained insights into students’ expectations of working life.
Panel discussions during the week highlighted the role of higher education institutions as active builders of regional and European ecosystems, combining applied research, challenge-based education, and close cooperation with working life.
The programme also addressed future skills needs. Speaking at the event, Dr. Asko Mononen emphasized the importance of broad digital competencies:
“One solution for supporting the employment of graduates is to focus on 21st-century digital skills, which combine cross-cutting competencies such as critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity, as well as the ability to use a wide range of digital applications in knowledge-intensive work to solve cognitive tasks,” Mononen says.
International Week once again demonstrated the power of collaboration in building a more inclusive, innovative, and hopeful future for working life.
Author: Laurea University of Applied Sciences
