Last week, Karelia University of Applied Sciences (UAS) hosted the physical kick-off meeting for INVEST Work Package 3 – “Student and Staff Journey” at Wärtsilä and Tikkarinne campuses. The event brought together colleagues from the seven universities involved in the INVEST alliance, including those working in coordination, entrepreneurship, mobility, admissions, student involvement, and wellbeing.
Karelia UAS is leading the Work Package 3, aimed at establishing a robust foundation and unified procedures to enhance the physical, blended, and virtual mobility of students and staff within the INVEST Alliance. The primary aim is also to promote the highest level of internationalization, encompassing students, academic and non-academic staff, and researchers. The meeting played a crucial role in fostering a shared understanding and collaboration among the participants.
In addition to informative presentations and fruitful discussions, the participants had the opportunity to visit the Karelia Entrepreneurship Expo. This provided them with insights into local best practices in entrepreneurship. Moreover, they had the chance to immerse themselves in Finnish culture, including participating in the “Kanelipulla” baking workshop.
– The enthusiasm towards INVEST was heard and seen in conversations throughout the week. One topic came up in all the discussions – the Finnish weather. What a cozy small-talk topic to those of us living in Finland! But everyone was eager to return to Joensuu on March 2025, when we will be organizing our next, international INVEST event, commented Kristiina Väänänen, the WP3 leader at Karelia UAS.
This event marked a significant step forward in the INVEST Alliance’s journey towards enhancing student and staff mobility and fostering internationalization.
Find more information on INVEST Alliance: