Nordic cooperation at Karelia has its roots in the 1990s. Financed by the Nordic Council, the Nordplus programme has provided funding for student and teacher mobility, development programmes and short intensive courses. The first Nordplus networks at Karelia were founded in health care. Over 30 years of cooperation, the number of partner universities has varied and is now six. Three partners, however, have remained the same from the very beginning: Karelia UAS, Malmö University and University College Copenhagen (KP) Hillerod. This article is based on the authors’ experiences of Nordplus cooperation in health care. The article discusses the various benefits this cooperation has offered, without forgetting a few difficulties on the way. But that’s what makes cooperation interesting and rewarding.
Introduction
Nordic cooperation has deep roots in politics, economics and culture. In the vision, the values shared by the Nordic countries help make the region one of the most innovative and competitive in the world. “The Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Council are the main forums for official Nordic cooperation, which involves Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.” International work includes cooperation with the Baltic countries, among others. The interdisciplinary perspectives that touch on all activities are sustainable development, gender equality, and a children’s rights and youth perspective (Nordic Council, 2022).
Nordplus is a mobility and networking programme for education that includes all educational levels, from primary education to University. One of the aims is to support development and innovation in educational systems through cooperation in education and training, as well as cooperation on development projects, exchange programmes and networking (Nordplus, 2020).
At Karelia, the Nordplus programme has played an important role in developing student and teacher mobilities and short intensive courses. Currently the Nord-Baltic 6 network includes six higher education institutions concentrating on bachelor’s programmes in nursing and public health nursing, and master’s degrees in social and health care. The participating universities are Malmö University (Sweden), University College Copenhagen KP (Denmark), Rīga Stradiņš University (Latvia), the University of South-Eastern Norway (Norway), Karelia University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and the University of Iceland.
All network members are equally responsible for the activities and decision-making. Leadership and coordination tasks change every three years. Nord-Baltic 6 focuses on student and teacher exchanges, short study visits and online cooperation. In the 2010 application period, Rīga Stradiņš University (Latvia) became a member of the network and the name changed to Nord-Baltic 5. This was an important step towards widening the cultural perspective.
The authors of this article have all worked as Nordplus nursing network coordinators for several years.
The first mobilities and a lot to learn
In this section, Principal Lecturer Arja-Irene Tiainen describes her first experiences as a teacher and coordinator in this Nordplus network in the 1990s.
In the beginning stages of my work as a coordinator, there were many basic matters that needed to be considered. Swedish language was more or less problematic for all Finnish coordinators. In the degree programme in nursing, this was a time when teacher and student exchanges started. Everything needed to be done for the first time. There was no internet or email at that time. Fax, phone, telegram and letters were the tools used to keep conversations running between the partners.
I took part in my first Nordplus teacher exchange in the autumn of 1996. The teacher exchanges had just started at Karelia University of Applied Sciences. Nordplus principles emphasised the use of Swedish in all activities. The first teacher exchange at Malmö University was a demanding experience. There were several days of teaching and the teaching material had to be created almost from scratch. The second teacher exchange in the spring of 1997 was easier in many respects. It was nice to see that my knowledge of Swedish had improved and I could use it more than I could during the first exchange period.
Gradually, teacher exchanges became more common, and the Nordplus programme played a significant role in this development. Internationality became a more important thing in Karelia’s operations. For me, the most memorable short course took place in the spring of 2001, when we organised a short intensive course exclusively for male nurse students. The most important aim was to support male students in their nursing studies as they were a clear minority in the world of nursing. In those days, many health care institutions needed more male nurses and more nursing professionals in general.
Boosting motivation for Swedish studies
In this section, Head of Educational Development Marjo Nenonen describes her experiences as a young language teacher and a Nordplus network coordinator in the late 1990s and the early 21st century.
The Nordplus network offered me my first intensive experience in internationalisation and intercultural communication. As a young language teacher, I was chosen to coordinate the Nordplus network in nursing. That task came with the job of being a chair in Nordplus meetings where all the participants used their native languages (Swedish, Norwegian and Danish), except us Finns who had to manage with Swedish. The first meetings with the Nordic colleagues were a struggle. However, there was always help from Swedish colleagues and a very warm and understanding attitude from all the participants towards a young Finnish language teacher who was trying to cope with all these languages. Little by little, communication became easier, and I even learnt to understand some Danish and Norwegian.
For Karelia students, Nordplus cooperation has offered a chance to create personal contacts and gain experiences that have improved their communication skills, increased their understanding of the neighbouring countries and their languages. Short exchanges and short intensive courses have provided students with a different type of mobility opportunity. These exchanges have been possible even for those students who cannot take part in longer exchanges. The numerous positive experiences have boosted students’ communication skills and created a positive attitude towards learning Swedish. It is not the mistakes you make, but the things you can say and do using a foreign language. And the friends you make while doing that.
From language studies to nursing
In this chapter, Lecturer Kirsi Tanskanen describes her experiences as a network coordinator and nursing teacher in the 21st century.
When the task of coordinating the network was transferred to a nursing teacher, the network came closer to nursing education. The Scandinavian partners understood each other even though they spoke their own languages – which amazed me in the beginning. I was always encouraged to use Swedish even though I did not speak it perfectly.
The official language of the network changed to English when Rīga Stradiņš University from Latvia joined the network, but in more non-professional situations the partners continued to use Swedish/Danish/Norwegian too. The Scandinavian languages created a sense of unity and cultural closeness. The partners were surprised that everyone in Finland studies Swedish, so in many ways there was a lot to learn from each other. Over time, the perspective changed and English became the official language of the cooperation, although for me it was important to continue practising my Swedish.
It has been surprising to note that for many students from the partner countries, the Nordplus exchange has been the first time they have visited Finland. I remember vividly a Danish nursing student who told me that it was only in Finland that she learnt to be quiet in company without feeling uncomfortable – she called it comfortable silence – liberating, isn’t it? All in all, the network has played an important role in both linguistic and cultural aspects. It has strengthened the collaboration between partner universities and supported the growth of nursing understanding. Nordic cooperation is important for young people to promote the understanding of health and welfare in the Arctic region.
Thoughts from partners
In this section, we give the floor to our Nordplus partners Katherine Webster and Siv Roel to describe briefly what Nordplus cooperation has meant for them.
“My interest in participating in this exchange programme has resulted from the students who have been involved. Those students that I have helped with exchange through this network have inspired me with their motivation to improve their professional skills and their willingness to improve their competence across the cultural interface.”
Katherine Webster, Lecturer of Nursing, Network Coordinator, Malmö University Sweden
“Nordplus is a suitable network for students who want to go on short-term exchanges. It’s an opportunity for everyone to become a little more familiar with nursing education in other countries. It gives teachers an opportunity through exchange to get to know education in other countries, gain new colleagues and form networks for professional development and research. It is also an important offer for master’s degree students that do not have the opportunity for exchanges of three months in their study programme. Exchange in general gives students and staff an opportunity to take part in a global world.”
Siv Roel, Lecturer of Nursing, USN Norway
Discussion and conclusions
The Nordplus programme and the Nordplus nursing network have had a remarkable influence on internationalisation at Karelia UAS. Student and teacher mobilities in the Nordic countries created a solid basis for entering other exchange programmes. For teachers, the network has offered opportunities to exchange ideas with Nordic colleagues and to create new teaching content. Since the cultures and the standards in health care are quite similar, cooperation has in many ways been easy and effective. Furthermore, the cooperation has had the impact of increasing interest in studying the Swedish language and learning more about Nordic cultures.
Although this article focuses on history, the network itself is very much alive and developing its actions. These long-standing partnerships have also served as a basis for other international networks and projects. Today, Karelia students on the master’s programme in social services and health care can take part in short intensive courses in Latvia. The partners have also been eager to plan new projects, such as for the Erasmus+ programme. In the future, the Nord-Baltic6 network intends to strengthen the perspectives of the environment and well-being in the Arctic region, and to enhance cooperation and digital activities in addition to student, staff and teachers exchanges.
Authors:
Arja-Irene Tiainen, Principal Lecturer, Karelia University of Applied Sciences
Kirsi Tanskanen, Lecturer, Karelia University of Applied Sciences
Marjo Nenonen, Head of Educational Development, Karelia University of Applied Sciences
References:
Nordplus 2020. Introduction to Nordplus. https://www.nordplusonline.org/how-to-apply/handbook/introduction-to-nordplus/introduction-to-nordplus/#:~:text=Nordplus%20is%20a%20mobility%20and,the%20Nordic%20and%20Baltic%20countries. 14.09.2022.
The Nordic Council of Ministers. www.Norden.org. 15.09.2022.