March 5, 2025  |  President Office, International Office

From February 23 to March 2, Vice President Bai Jianfeng led a delegation to visit South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK) and Karelia University of Applied Sciences (Karelia UAS) in Finland, and University of Genoa (UniGe) in Italy. The visit promoted development of collaborations with partner institutions on international talent cultivation, scientific research cooperation and cultural exchange, and yielded positive outcomes.

The delegation first visited South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, a higher education institution focusing on forestry, healthcare, technology, and creative industries. It is the fifth-largest university of applied sciences in Finland, with more than 9,500 students and over 800 faculty and staff. Its annual budget exceeds €70 million, ranking second among similar institutions in Finland.

During the visit, the delegation had an in-depth conversation with Mika Ruponen, Director of Commercial and Int (Vice President level), and Santeri Koivisto, Head of Education Export. Vice President Bai Jianfeng and Mika Ruponen respectively introduced the basic information of SSPU and XAMK. The two sides discussed cooperation including joint education programs, double degree programs, pathway programs from higher vocational education to undergraduate education, short-term faculty and student exchanges, joint research projects, etc. They also exchanged ideas on how AI affects higher education and shared experiences on student cultivation at applied universities. The delegation then had a campus tour to XAMK’s digital classrooms, multifunctional healthcare simulation center and laboratories.

Karelia University of Applied Sciences aims to keep pace with modern work life and build a high-quality and efficient learning environment. Offering education leading to bachelor and master degrees, the university has around 4,000 students and over 450 faculty and administrative staff.

While at Karelia UAS, the delegation took part in the opening ceremony, parallel sessions and other events of the university’s International Week. They introduced and answered questions to the faculty and students of Karelia UAS about student exchange policies, summer school programs, etc. During the visit, the delegation met with Liisa Timonen, Board Member and Director of International Affairs, and Sini Rantanen, Head of Energy and Environmental Engineering program and had discussions on joint education programs, double degree programs, research collaborations, summer school, etc. The delegation also met with SSPU students of International Business who are currently studying at Karelia UAS. Bai Jianfeng asked about the students’ overseas life and study and encouraged them to overcome difficulties, study hard, and share Chinese culture, showcasing the passion and confidence of SSPU students.

The delegation then visited University of Genoa (UniGe) in Italy. Founded in 1471, UniGe is one of Italy’s most prestigious public comprehensive universities and is considered one of the top universities in Europe. It has academic departments including Chemistry, Engineering, Medicine, Biology, Physics, Computer Science, Law, Architecture, etc. The university currently offers 126 Bachelor's and Master’s degree programs, 29 doctoral programs with 81 projects, and consists of 11 schools and 22 departments, with approximately 2,360 faculty members and researchers.

UniGe Rector Federico Delfino warmly welcomed the delegation. Rector Federico Delfino, head of International Relations Office, and professors of Power Systems and Energy, Electrical Engineering, Materials and Energy Engineering, Applied Physics, and Automation met with the delegation. The two sides had in-depth discussions on cooperation in the fields of Materials Science and Environmental Engineering and exchanged views on educational and research collaborations, short-term faculty and student mobility, etc.

Heads and faculty members from SSPU School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Energy and Materials and School of Economics and Management were in the delegation.