Europe is your campus!

INGENIUM aims to reform and develop the structures and operations of higher education institutions, with the goal of creating a more student-centered European higher education system. The goal of INGENIUM is to increase joint studies and degrees among partner universities and to develop the course offerings by producing shared short courses, modules and micro-credentials. INGENIUM’s activities focus on pedagogical innovations, student entrepreneurship, inclusion and sustainable development. Also, multilingual competence and interdisciplinary approaches are valued.

Key initiatives include:

• INGENIUM European Campus: a unified entity from the student’s perspective, operating across 10 countries
• INGENIUM Open Degrees: offering students the opportunity to build their degrees in a more personalized way

Diverse members

INGENIUM embodies the heterogeneity of European higher education, diverse in geography, cultural background, organisation and activities. We are diverse: research and applied universities, old and new, comprehensive and specialist.

Other INGENIUM member universities are:

• University ‘G. d’Annunzio’, Chieti-Pescara (Italy)
• Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi (Romania)
• Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (Germany)
• Medical University of Sofia (Bulgaria)
• Munster Technological University (Ireland)
• University of Crete (Greece)
• University of Oviedo (Spain)
• University of Rouen Normandy (France)
• University of Skövde (Sweden)

Every partner university has their own project director, Xamk’s project director for INGENIUM is Eeva Kuoppala. INGENIUM consists of 10 working packages (WP), and every university leads one WP. Xamk oversees WP 5 called Innovative Pedagogy and Lifelong Learning, which is led by project manager Tiina Parkkonen. Xamk also has people working in all of the other WPs. Read more about the partner universities, WPs and their objectives and staff on Lux!

Next more about INGENIUM’s opportunities to Xamk’s students, our students and alumnus share their exciting experiences!

Internationalization opportunities for students

Inter-campus mobility for students and staff is a significant hallmark of the alliance. We recognise both the societal, cultural as well as educational benefits and opportunities that mobility in all its forms (physical, online, blended) will afford our staff and students. Within the INGENIUM Alliance, there are several opportunities to study internationally.

INGENIUM offers a variety of events, workshops, webinars, hackathons, and challenge-based learning opportunities, providing hands-on experiences that complement traditional classroom learning and foster creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills.

Long-term mobility and exchange programmes

As a student of the INGENIUM European University, you are presented with an exciting array of opportunities for academic exploration through student mobility. Through our exchange agreements, you have the chance to embark on transformative semesters abroad, immersing yourself in diverse cultures and academic environments that complement your study programmes.

Explore exchange opportunities at INGENIUM universities through Xamk’s mobility management system, SoleMOVE. Students can search for exchange destinations related to their own degree programme directly in SoleMOVE.

Short-term mobility – 10 Days of INGENIUM

Twice a year, usually in February and May/June, the INGENIUM organizes junior schools and senior schools across all disciplines. These schools are conducted over the span of 10 days, which stems the name of the flagship event of the alliance, the “10 Days of INGENIUM”. They are also called winter or summer schools depending on the time of the year. Junior & Senior Schools relate to students enrolled in bachelor, master, and doctoral studies from partner universities. The academic staff are joining as well to meet and act as mentors, trainers, keynote lecturers and participants in the Staff Academy sessions. The event has on-site and hybrid activities such as: Workshops, Team buildings, Outdoor activities, Informal networking and cultural activities.

“I saw a notice on Lux looking for students to join a week-long international university project. I was immediately interested when I saw that ten different countries and as many as 50 international students were involved,” says our student Silja Ahokas, who participated in the 10 Days of INGENIUM Summer School in Romania in spring 2024. In addition to making new friends and improving her language skills, Silja shared more about her experience in Romania: “At the beginning of the week, we were divided into teams of about five people to work on assigned projects. The teams were formed so that each student came from a different country, which provided an excellent opportunity to learn international teamwork skills. In addition to the project work, the week included a lot of organized activities, the gala dinner especially stood out as one of the highlights of the entire week in Romania.” Silja gained the confidence to go on exchange to South Korea and to do an internship in Germany after participating in INGENIUM activities.

Xamk’s alumnus Oskari Laurila found the courage to go on exchange to Germany and pursue further studies in Sweden after participating in the 10 Days of INGENIUM Winter School in Cork in 2024. “In Ireland, the days were filled with various workshops where we learned different skills. One memorable moment for me was when my team won the hackathon competition on the theme of sustainability. Our team included a Finnish, Swedish, Italian, and French student. — The days were intense and exhausting, but we always found time in the evenings to go out for dinner together or explore the local nightlife!” says Oskari. Oskari says he gained a lot from the experience: “I gained a huge boost in confidence. I proved to myself that I can manage outside of Finland and made contacts all over Europe. — It gave me the assurance that I can do anything and that my language skills are enough to succeed abroad. It also gave me the courage to write my thesis in English and to go on exchange.”

Next year’s 10 Days of INGENIUM:

• The winter edition 2026 will be hosted by HIS and TUIASI.
• The summer edition 2026 will be hosted by MUS and MTU.

Possibilities to influence as students

Students actively participate in building the European University INGENIUM and have a say in decision-making through the Student Advisory Board. The Board’s job is to foster collaboration among students, safeguard their interests, and increase awareness of INGENIUM. This advisory board comprises students from all ten partner universities.

The first chair of the Board was Miika Hämäläinen from Xamk. In addition to friendships, Miika says he gained a lot from his involvement: “I’ve also had the chance to learn a great deal about working with different cultures. But above all, these trips have given me courage and boosted my confidence in situations where I must speak a foreign language. I’ve also gained valuable experience in international collaboration, project work, and student-driven development.”

Follow INGENIUM!

To stay up to date on the possibilities INGENIUM offers to students follow us on social media and join INGENIUM’s Student Network in LinkedIn, subscribe to INGENIUM’s newsletter and read more on Lux and on INGENIUM’S website.

INGENIUM

• Xamk is part of the European University INGENIUM, a campus consisting of ten European higher education institutions.
• Joint studies and degrees, research cooperation, information and experience sharing, student exchange, and staff mobility are at the heart of INGENIUM.
• INGENIUM is co-funded by the European Union.