Dear Partner,

 

South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk) cordially invites staff, teachers and other specialists from our partner institutions to join our traditional International Week in the spring of 2024.

There is no participation fee for the International Week but the participants are expected to cover the costs of travelling, accommodation, meals and other daily expenses. Erasmus+ teacher or staff exchange support may be available from the sending institution.

 

 

 

The maximum amount of participants for the week will be 50 / campus and the recommendation for the number of participants per partner is two.

Enrolment to the week is over. Deadline for the enrolment to Mikkeli and Savonlinna campuses is 31 January 2024. For Kotka campus deadline is 16 February, 2024.

You are warmly welcome to take part in the International Week!

Dates and themes

The international week will be organised on the Mikkeli campus on 11-15 March 2024 and on the Kotka campus on 22-26 April 2024.
The International Week on the Savonlinna campus has been cancelled. 

The International Week will be arranged by the following departments and units: 

  • Department of Health Care and Emergency Care & Department of Social Services and Promotion of Functional Ability (Kotka & Kouvola)
  • Department of Social Services and Health Care & Department of Tourism, Hospitality Management and Youth Work (Mikkeli)
  • RDI Services, and 
  • Xamk’s International Services

 

The main themes by campuses will be the following:

  • Kotka  / Multicultural work in Social & Health care and International offices
  • Mikkeli / Higher education institutions as promoters of wellbeing

Under the main themes, we will also focus on current related topics in different fields of welfare, such as:

  • NatureArt and Wellbeing 
  • Service Quality and Customer Experience
  • Participation          
  • Digital Wellbeing Services 
  • Social sustainability​
  • Wellbeing Tourism

 

Kotka

Programme

Mikkeli

Programme

Savonlinna´s week is cancelled

Programme

Enrolment

Guests are invited to give lectures on their own area of expertise or research. We would wish the lectures to be connected to the main theme or the sub themes of the International Week and hope (but not limit) the teaching to be more practical, i.e. that it would be arranged in a form of a workshop, group work or other methods. 

If you wish to have lectures during the week, please, describe the way of your teaching (lecture, workshop, group work, etc.), wishes for room conditions, materials you would need as well as the preferred group size in your abstract. Our normal group size is between 20-40 students. In addition, please, describe how you wish to divide your teaching hours (e.g. 2 hours of lectures and 4 hours in a form of a workshop, group work, etc. = a total of 8 hours, which is the minimum amount in Erasmus+ teacher exchanges; STA). Our lessons consist of 45-minute sessions, i.e., for instance, 1.5 hours is calculated as two full teaching hours.

You may also participate in the week’s programme without giving any lectures, for instance, through Erasmus+ staff exchange (STT). In this case, you could also give lectures but there is no minimum amount of teaching hours.

Along with teaching, the International Week is a great opportunity for networking with new international partners and discussing future cooperation possibilities (research and development, projects, exchanges, development of pedagogical methods, online courses, etc.). You are also welcome to bring students (max. 15 students/group) with you to participate in the week. Also students need to enrol for the week. 

Please do not make any travel arrangements before you have received confirmation information from the contact person of the campus of your destination.

 

 

 

 

Accommodation

Accommodation in Kotka

In the following you can find the options for accommodation in Kotka.

Kotka city center is about 5 km from the campus, Karhula about 6 km from the campus.

Also several Airbnb options available.

Accommodation in Mikkeli

In the following you can find the options for accommodation in Mikkeli:

 

Accommodation in Savonlinna

In the following you can find a few options for accommodation in Savonlinna:

All the above-mentioned hotels are located only 1-1,5 km from the campus.

Nowadays, there are also several Airbnb accommodation options available in Savonlinna.

Travelling

To Kotka

Kotka is situated some 130 km from Helsinki and 60 km from EU Border.. Depending on where you are coming from, there are different means of transport you might find convenient:

By Coach
If you are travelling via Helsinki Airport, you most likely will prefer to use a bus connection. You need to take airport train to Helsinki city center Railway Station and then from Kamppi Travel Center with bus, please, check  Onnibus.com bus company web-pages for the options.

By Train
For timetables and fares, please, see the website of the Finnish railways VR.fi.

 

Useful information:

From the airport to Helsinki with Train P or I : terminal T1 arrivals floor

Helsinki – Kotka: Onnibus 

Train from Airport via TIkkurila-Lahti-Kouvola – Kotka: VR railway company

You will get more detailed instructions / information before the event by e-mail from Sari!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travelling

To Mikkeli 

Mikkeli is situated app. 260 km from Helsinki. Depending on where you are coming from, there are different means of transport you might find convenient:

By Coach
If you are traveling via Helsinki Airport, you most likely will prefer to use a bus connection, please, check Matkahuolto Travel Services or Onnibus bus company web-pages for the options.

By Train
If you are coming from Helsinki Airport through Kouvola, we recommend using train. For timetables and fares, please, see the website of the Finnish railways.

 

To Savonlinna

The distance from Helsinki to Savonlinna by road is 335 km.

By Coach
Depending on the route, the coach travel from Helsinki to Savonlinna takes 5 to 8 hours. Most coaches to Savonlinna leave from the Helsinki city centre but there may also be some coaches leaving directly from the airport. For coach timetables and fares, please, see www.matkahuolto.fi and www.onnibus.com.

By Train
An express train journey from Helsinki to Savonlinna takes about 5 hours. If you take a train from the airport, you will have to change the train twice, at Tikkurila and at Parikkala. Please, note that there are two train stations in Savonlinna: Pääskylahti station and Kauppatori station (the end stop in the centre of Savonlinna). If someone is coming to pick you up from the station, tell them at which train station you will get off. Please, also note that it is not possible to purchase tickets on trains but they should be bought beforehand. Information on the timetables and fares can be found at www.vr.fi/en (web pages of the State Railways).

By Plane
There are flights between Helsinki and Savonlinna from Mondays to Fridays. Flights can be booked without a service fee at norppa.aero or at finnair.com (if your trip includes a connecting flight from Helsinki by Finnair).

Climate


Climate / weather 

The weather in March in Finland may vary from -15°C to +10°C. It can be freezing, windy, snowy, icy and very slippery or then it can be beautiful, sunny temperatures with a nice spring breeze.  Good shoes & warm clothing is recommended.  ​

During the International Week, the participants In Mikkeli will have a chance to take part in the nature experience day. The activities will be planned and organised by students, and part of the activities will be outdoors in Finnish nature, so it is a good idea to bring some warm outdoor clothes and boots with you.

Participants in Kotka campus (in April) have a chance to experience Finnish nature on Wednesday afternoon / evening including Sauna & cold-water swimming possibility.

​The guests in Savonlinna will be offered a possibility to have a hot tub and sauna bath as well as to try ice swimming on Tuesday evening.

Therefore we would kindly recommend you to check the weather forecast approx. one week before arrival to Finland.On the website of Finnish Meteorological Institute you can find information about the Finnish climate and check the current forecasts

Contact information

Kotka 

International Coordinator
Sari Pieviläinen
+358 44 702 8236
sari.pievilainen@xamk.fi

Kotka Campus – Xamk

 

 

 

Mikkeli

International Coordinator
Ulla Vuorinen
+358 400 872 764
ulla.vuorinen@xamk.fi

Mikkeli Campus – Xamk

Savonlinna

International Coordinator
Lea Reponen
+358 50 312 5072
lea.reponen@xamk.fi

Savonlinna Campus – Xamk