Active efforts for global partnerships of Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia are, again, taking new steps as more than 100 Chinese teachers, principals and students of vocational and general upper secondary education visit Jyväskylä seeking for the best practices for the benefit of their own schools.  

The first Entrepreneurial Summer School is organized for a group of students from the so called Experimental Finnish Class. The Chinese visitors represent the cooperative schools of Gradia located in Shanghai, Beijing and Ningbo.

The visitors are, especially, interested in collaboration between schools and working life, which is not so common in China, as well as in competence-based learning, curriculum development, educational coaching methods and entrepreneurship, all of which are internationally acknowledged strengths of the Finnish Education System.

Gradia is a pioneer in global partnerships dealing with Finnish vocational qualifications. The first Finnish educational export trade transaction of a vocational qualification was carried out in Qatar in cooperation with EduCluster Finland and Gradia. Twelve students graduated with the Finnish Further Qualification for Learning Assistants in spring 2018. Prior to that, 22 Shanghai students completed the Finnish Business Administration Qualification module trained by Gradia as the first Finnish education provider. Moreover, a qualification module of Service Design, included in the Specialist Qualification of Product Design was completed by 26 Shanghai teachers. Presently, Gradia is founding a Finnish-International General Upper Secondary School in Qatar, also in cooperation with EduCluster Finland. It is the first General Upper Secondary School using the Finnish National Curriculum to be operated completely in English, and opening this autumn.

Innovations are Made for Enterprizes during the Summer School of Chinese students

The Chinese students participating the Entrepreneurial Summer School spend two weeks in Jyväskylä. During those weeks, they are trained in teams by teachers of Gradia, and are handed out real development tasks by the Sauna from Finland Enterprize Network consisting of ca. 200 companies which aim at developing the Finnish sauna experience to be launched in international markets. Furthermore, SnowPanda Innovation specialized in Finnish-Chinese collaboration and located in Ähtäri also offers development challenges to the students.

By the end of the period, each team will introduce their solutions of the given tasks to the jury. The best innovation, team and presentation will be awarded. The Finnish know-how is implied in brainstorming, further development of business ideas, marketing and solution-oriented team-work.

Training is Tailor-made for Customers

A complete global partnership product is always tailor-made for the customer’s needs by Gradia, even if it considers vocational qualifications.

The Finnish National Agency for Education authorized Gradia to provide vocational qualifications for global partnerships’ needs in 2016. The authorization is valid until the end of 2020. During the testing period, potential modifications in the Finnish Educational System as well as in the laws on vocational qualifications are studied in order to prevent possible obstacles of global partnerships.

The practices of Finnish vocational education and training are found interesting world-wide. It is only now that the Finnish legislation allows commercial initiatives connected with vocational qualifications. Nevertheless, there are still obstacles to be conquered. Germany, United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, to name a few, have been successful carrying out educational business for several years, already.

The commercial services of Gradia are provided by Gradia Education Services Ltd. and EduCluster Finland Ltd.

Global Partnerships Developing Finnish Education System

”Finnish educational expertise is found globally interesting, and Gradia intends to share well-working pedagogical methods also across the Finnish borders. However, it is not only about the Global Partnerships, but also about development of our own work”, says Pirjo Kauhanen, Principal of Gradia Jyväskylä.

”Global Partnership projects and collaboration with foreign colleges and colleagues offer our staff an excellent opportunity to widen their international competences, from which they can benefit in their teaching work also here in Finland.  Meeting the customers’ needs and designing the services according to them are preconditions in the Global Partnership projects. Thus, the know-how of our service design activities is strongly developed by designing and carrying out these projects”, Pirjo Kauhanen continues.

 Invitation to Media

Gradia warmly welcomes media representatives to learn more about global partnerships. The Close-up Ceremonies of the Chinese student teams are held on Thursday, 29 August. The teams are presenting their innovations and experiences to Finnish entrepreneurs.  

Program:

09.30 to 11.00 am  Students’ presentations and feedback of the jury
12.15 to 01.00 pm  Awards for the best innovation, certificates and students’ reflections 

Venue: Viitaniementie 1 B (Meeting Room Saunaneuvos, 3rd floor), Jyväskylä

Further Information

Ms. Pauliina Holm, Global Partnerships Manager, Gradia, tel. + 358 40 341 5889, pauliina.holm@gradia.fi
Ms. Kirsi Koivunen, Global Partnerships Manager, Gradia, tel. + 358 40 341 6339, kirsi.koivunen@gradia.fi
Ms. Pirjo Kauhanen, Principal, Gradia Jyväskylä, tel. + 358 40 341 6152, pirjo.kauhanen@gradia.fi

Press Release 21 August 2019