Cooperation is at the core of everything we do. In this exceptional year, we aimed to support companies suffering as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, continue cooperation with other higher education institutions and promote students' distance learning skills.
The COVID-19 pandemic, the educational reform and the organisational reform that came into force at the turn of 2020–2021 characterised the year 2020 in education. In addition to the existing online provision, we created online teaching and guidance. We also quickly created new online pedagogical solutions.
We actively participated in the educational reform workshops. We developed a new Haaga-Helia-level guidance counselling model in the Student's Counseling For the Work of the Future project. The model, which will be completed in the autumn of 2021, especially supports students' graduation within the target time, and career guidance.
We increased the skills of our teachers in the field of sustainable development. Together with our cooperation network, we continued to implement the digital financial management specialisation training. In the field of business, we influenced the further development of the new digital entrance exam and increased the supply of continuous learning.
We created new internship opportunities for students in the chambers of commerce around the world with the support of the FinnCham Chamber of Commerce chain's internship community. In August, the fourth group of students began our International Business programme in Mondragón, Mexico. We also developed the quality of the International Business programme in workshops with three international universities. We were involved in the circular economy project of the Ministry of Education and Culture, which involved 17 universities of applied sciences. Amidst fierce competition, we received the Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliances project funding.
We offered consultation and support free of charge to small and medium-sized enterprises applying for funding during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October we hosted an alumni event on robotics and artificial intelligence, which received praise. We prepared study coaching for companies, through which the participants can apply to be degree students. We gave training in companies, especially in service design, sales and supervisory work.
Haaga-Helia and HOK-Elanto started a study coaching programme leading to a degree that is targeted at HOK-Elanto supervisors and experts. The programme, which lasts for about a year, is completed while working and with the support of the employer. The coaching started in August 2020 and consists of demonstrations of competence as well as four study periods, which focus on, for example, the development of a new product or service idea and professional competence development. The trainers of Haaga-Helia have been able to offer the group, consisting of less than 20 participants, varied viewpoints on the finances and funding of a company as well as support for professional competence development of the HOK-Elanto supervisors and experts.
The board of the Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce granted Haaga-Helia and Helsinki Business School a funding of a maximum of EUR 90,000 this spring. The purpose of the funding is to support international internships in the Chamber of Commerce’s FinnCham offices in different countries. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, six students were able to go to internships and gain versatile international experience. The goal of the Chamber of Commerce internships was to offer the students an opportunity to gain experience of an international working environment and at the same time share the experience they have gained at Haaga-Helia with other countries.
The coronavirus crisis affecting Finland and the rest of the world proved to be a critical moment for the viability of business for almost all entrepreneurs. The experts at Haaga-Helia helped by offering consultation and support free of charge to small and medium-sized enterprises applying for funding during pandemic from Business Finland and The Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. Consultation help was offered as part of the Haaga-Helia Yrittäjyyden vuosi 2020 campaign (Year of Entrepreneurship). The goal of the consultation help was for as many companies as possible to be able to ensure the financial support needed for continuing business operations. At the end of the year, the experiences of the companies that received the funding were analysed with regard to the possible benefits the funding was able to bring.
Business studies, graduates 2020 (691)
