- Practical suggestions for measures have been found, particularly for the needs of marine and manufacturing industry as well as health care
- The intention of the cooperation is to produce more workforce with Master level background for the Turku region
- The schedule and content of the cooperation will be defined in more detail during the spring
Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) signed a Letter of Intent with the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, in late 2017. The agreement on cooperation is an outcome of the joint visit by representatives of the City of Turku and Turku University of Applied Sciences to the University of Strathclyde in late November. The Letter of Intent was built upon to develop concrete plans during the two-day Turku visit of the representatives of Strathclyde.
Director of the City Development Group Pekka Sundman from the City of Turku highlighted Turku’s long and strong traditions in international commerce and other international cooperation.
– Strengthening the already good international connections through cooperation in education is a natural continuum for us. The University of Strathclyde is engaged in close collaboration with several international companies, some of which also operate in Southwest Finland, Mr. Sundman said.
The connection with Strathclyde was originally initiated on the recommendation of joint international industrial partners.
Professor Tim Bedford, Associate Principal Research & Innovation at Strathclyde, said:
– We see a great opportunity from international cooperation between European universities, which will also benefit our own city of Glasgow. The competencies we found match well together and we see a lot of opportunities, complimentary expertise and similar goals.
The University of Strathclyde is a leading international technological university located in Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city. Their commitment to useful learning guides their research, learning and teaching as well as the way they work with businesses and organizations. Thus, similarities can be found with, for instance, the innovation pedagogy utilized at TUAS.
Emphasis on marine and manufacturing industry and health technology
Vice Rector Juhani Soini from TUAS said:
– During the visit of the University of Strathclyde to Turku, we were able to identify several practical measures through which the cooperation can be quickly deepened. During the spring, we will make a return visit Glagow. After that, we will surely be wiser regarding the schedules and detailed content of the cooperation in education.
Professor Bedford said:
– Marine engineering, manufacturing and health are the three common aspects we found and could start building cooperation.