The changing admission system in 2020 brings uncertainty to the international higher education field in Finland. The new act on admission to higher education is changing the joint application system, making the arena more competitive for degree programmes in English. This is a challenge that universities of applied sciences need to face within the next 10 months. There are many options for arranging the admissions to degree programmes in English in 2020.
It is difficult to fully predict the outcome of these changes and the impact they will have on Novia UAS and other higher education institutions in Finland.
Sandeep Nepal. (Photo: Sima Alise Nepal)
One of the unsolved challenges with future admissions to higher education in English in Finland is how to digitalise entrance examinations for degree programmes in English without compromising on the needs of the different English programmes such as seafaring. Finnish and Swedish education offered at universities of applied sciences are currently developing a digital entrance examination for 2019 and 2020 as part of a national project funded by the Ministry of Education in Finland (AMK-opiskelijavalinnat 2019). Similar demands will likely be placed on English degree programmes. However, there are challenges to be addressed. Challenges related to a digital entrance examination are purely technical issues yet also related to maintaining a high standard on proving the identity of the candidates, which is important when it comes to cooperation with the immigration authorities.
Digitalisation has brought new challenges and opportunities to the education sector. Although higher education is still mainly offered on-campus, a few UASs are taking their degrees to new dimensions by offering fully online degrees. Novia UAS is exploring new ways of delivering classes so that students can participate in lectures regardless of their whereabouts. Within Novia UAS and our Maritime Management, Captain degree programme, some courses are offered online to allow students to study during their on-board practice. This field of study requires practical exercises in many subjects, such as basic safety at sea, celestial navigation and training in the simulation centre (Bachelor of Maritime Management, Maritime Management, Captain 2019).
Therefore, this degree requires on-campus studies regardless of technical advances in digitalisation of education.
Adapting the education to the needs of the industry and the trends in the current global market is necessary to survive in the competitive education market. As a response to the changing digital world, Novia UAS has in the past two years offered a unique master’s programme in Autonomous Maritime Operations, focusing on emerging trends in the maritime field. Students that have graduated Maritime Management, Captain are eligible to apply for further studies at universities of applied sciences after gaining at least three years of work experience in a relevant field after their graduation. We also offer a regular master’s degree in Maritime Management aimed for those pursuing a leadership role in their careers. Our students have great opportunities to be part of the future in the maritime industry, either as professional seafarers or by gaining deeper knowledge in their field of expertise through pursuing a master’s degree.
CONCLUSIONS
As for the changing admission system in 2020, the higher education field faces the challenge of marketing Finnish higher education internationally. There are opportunities to cooperate towards a more effective and focused student admission in 2020. It is our hope that the FINNIPS network will continue to bring international students to Finland over the next ten years and work towards cooperation within student admissions, keeping in mind digitalisation challenges as well as the specific needs of different programmes. The FINNIPS network has brought a diverse group of students together in recent years, and the Maritime Management, Captain degree would not be the same without its international students!
REFERENCES
About Novia UAS. 2019. Page on Novia UAS website. Accessed on 17 February 2019.
Retrieved from https://www.novia.fi/about-us/about-novia-uas/
AMK-opiskelijavalinnat. 2019. Page on AMK-opiskelijavalinnat. Accessed on 20 February 2019. Retrieved from http://www.amk-opiskelijavalinnat.fi/
Bachelor of Maritime Management, Maritime Management, Captain. 2019. Page on Novia UAS website. Accessed on 17 February 2019. Retrieved from https://
www.novia.fi/programmes/bachelor-degree-programmes/bachelor-of-maritime-management-maritime-management-captain
Caesar, L. & Cahoon, S. 2015. Training Seafarers for Tomorrow: The Need for a Paradigm Shift in Admission Policies. Universal Journal of Management, 3(4), 160–
167.
Entrance Requirements. 2019. Page on Novia UAS website. Accessed on 20 February 2019. Retrieved from https://www.novia.fi/programmes/bachelor-degree-programmes/bachelor-of-maritime-management-maritime-management-captain/
entrance-requirements
History. 2019. Page on Aboa Mare’s website. Accessed on 17 February 2019.
Retrieved from https://www.aboamare.fi/History
Karlsson, T. 2019. FINNIPS. E-mail message of 8 February 2019. Recipient I. Borgar.
Correspondence on the impact of the FINNIPS network on the Maritime Management, Captain programme.
International degree programmes attract applicants from different corners of the world through the FINNIPS joint application procedure, but where do our graduates end up after graduation? Saimaa University of Applied Sciences started the international degree programme in tourism and hospitality management in 2006. So far, 153 students have graduated from the programme with a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management. As Finland is facing the growing problem of a labour shortage, it is in the national interest to integrate as many international graduates from Finnish universities of applied sciences as possible to work and live in Finland after their graduation. How successful are the universities of applied sciences in this, or do they perhaps also have alumni success studies that reach beyond Finland’s borders?