Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finnish: Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu, Swedish: Haaga-Helia yrkeshögskola) is one of Finland's largest universities of applied sciences ("ammattikorkeakoulu" in Finnish). The institution is fully supervised and accredited by the Finnish government through the Ministry of Education and Culture. The university's primary facilities are in Pasila, Helsinki. It has other premises in Haaga, Malmi (all in Helsinki), and in Porvoo and Vierumäki.Haaga-Helia offers Bachelor and Master level courses in business, information technology, sport and leisure education, hospitality, tourism and event management, journalism, and vocational teacher education. It has about 11,000 students, of whom 1,000 are international students, and about 650 employees, of whom nearly 400 are full-time teachers. In the field of business, Haaga-Helia is the largest educator in the Nordic countries.Haaga-Helia's Student Union that takes care of student advocacy and social and study-related interests is called Helga.
Context: Inclusion is a key objective in modern education systems, yet gifted students are often not the main focus of inclusive policies. Austria has developed more inclusive structures for educating gifted students since 2009, whereas in Finland support is less explicitly targeted towards supporting gifted students. Since the VET systems in Austria and Finland are comparable in their structure, those two countries were selected to compare measures to support gifted students in VET. Approach: The study analyses which measures to support gifted students are formally available in the Austrian and the Finnish VET systems and deduces the similarities and differences between both countries. It adopts a comparative VET research perspective and a hermeneutic approach, based on legal documents and policy recommendations. Findings: Both countries offer a range of acceleration and enrichment measures for gifted learners in VET, although they differ in their structural background. Austria provides more formally defined acceleration options such as grade skipping, early exams, and shortened apprenticeships, while Finland emphasises flexible, competence-based progression and individual pacing. In terms of enrichment, both systems include optional learning opportunities such as higher education courses and skills competitions. Conclusions: Despite differing policy frameworks both VET systems provide comparable opportunities for supporting gifted learners through acceleration and enrichment strategies. Our study only identifies measures formally available for supporting gifted students, but further empirical research is needed to assess their actual implementation and effectiveness.
This paper explores advanced educators’ digital working capabilities in online language teaching, with a particular focus on sharing Finnish language and culture in a foreign context. Cultural and linguistic knowledge play a significant role in enhancing students’ motivation to study foreign languages. In today’s educational environment, digitalisation and globalisation exert an increasing influence on foreign language teaching and learning. The digital learning environment has brought about a paradigm shift in foreign language didactics. Digital language learning is both challenging and holistic in nature. Continued foreign language learning is simultaneously an individual and a social process, as digital learning cultures impose new and often unexpected demands on both teachers and learners. This study highlights how educators must respond to profound changes in their working environments. The COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, accelerated the transition from classroom-based teaching to online instruction, requiring educators to demonstrate flexibility, adaptability, and digital competence. As a result, educators have increasingly focused on designing and delivering online courses and have demonstrated a willingness, readiness, and ability to employ digital teaching methods.
The creation of complex research-based artefacts for innovation increasingly relies on industry–university collaboration, yet such projects are difficult to organize due to evolving problem spaces, multiple stakeholders, and high technological uncertainty. This paper argues that these conditions require correspondingly complex research methodologies and demonstrates the application of echeloned Design Science Research (eDSR) for planning and coordinating industry-focused research projects. The paper presents the Generative AI-enhanced Knowledge Management (GAIK) project as a use case. GAIK is an ERDF (European Regional Development Fund.) co-research initiative that aims to develop a business-oriented Generative AI toolkit supporting three key knowledge processes: how companies create, synthesize, and access critical business knowledge. The methodological contribution lies in the integration of eDSR with the University–Industry Linkages (UIL) framework. By aligning eDSR iterations and echelons with UIL phases—pre-linkage, establishment, engagement, advancement, and potential latent phases—the paper shows how design knowledge creation and university–industry collaboration can be jointly structured. This integration supports both systematic artefact development and effective collaboration in complex, industry-embedded research projects.
The knowledge base and institutional integration of twin transitions in higher education institutions within the sub-Saharan African context was explored, using the University of Ghana as a case study. A total of 1,011 students, lecturers and management staff participated in a survey, with data analysed descriptively. Findings show that, from management’s perspective, the university is advanced in integrating digitalization into teaching and administration. Lecturers demonstrated strong knowledge of digital tools for education and research. Students reported having digital skills for learning and content creation. On sustainability, lecturers were highly knowledgeable about climate and environmental issues, whereas students required more exposure to understand the links between social factors and environmental consequences. The university was seen to be supporting green initiatives such as recycling, energy efficiency and waste reduction. The study highlights a gap between institutional goals and classroom reality, and management sees strong progress on the twin transition.
