Towards shared, impactful education in Jyväskylä Universities: Education Development Programme advances following Strategic Steering Group decisions
The goal of the Education Development Programme is to create internationally attractive, learning-transforming and impactful education. At this stage, nearly 50 previously identified development initiatives have been consolidated into broader project entities and related work packages.
The purpose of this structure is to ensure that education development forms a strategically managed, clearly organised and impactful whole.
Six projects form the Education Development Programme
The programme is divided into six projects, each consisting of several work packages:
- Joint Curriculum Development
- Working Life Oriented Doctoral Education
- Development of Educational Pathways
- Development of Continuous Learning
- Shared Methodology Centre for Jyväskylä Universities
- Study Modules and Tools Supporting Students’ Capacity to Study.
The following proposals were submitted to the Strategic Steering Group for decision-making:
- Coordination resources for Work Packages 1.1 and 1.3 (€296,000)
- Support for JYU and Jamk student representatives participating in curriculum development (€16,000)
- Working Life Oriented Doctoral Education (€42,000)
- Work Package 4.1: Development of Micro-Credentials and Smaller Competence Modules (€120,000)
- Work Package 3.3: Guidance Supporting Educational Transitions (€120,000)
- Work Package 5.1: Planning Phase of the Methodology Centre (€16,000)
The coordination resources will help ensure that the programme’s most strategically significant development projects are implemented in a goal-oriented, timely and impactful manner. The coordinators to be recruited will support, in particular, the joint curriculum development work of Jyväskylä Universities and the Educational Pathways Project, while also contributing to the overall leadership, preparation and implementation of the Education Development Programme.
The Strategic Steering Group approved all proposals except the Working Life Oriented Doctoral Education project, which must still be reviewed by the Science Council.
Preparation of Projects Continues
Preparation will continue for the remaining projects and work packages included in the Education Development Programme. This work includes planning costs to be covered through university group funding, required personnel resources and possible additional funding sources.
During the preparation phase, those who submitted the original project proposals will be contacted, as the project contents are being developed on the basis of the proposals received through the development programme process.
The programme’s joint workshops will continue until the end of September 2026. During the workshops, project contents, priorities, implementation models and cost estimates will be further specified.
The aim is to bring the remaining project entities of the Education Development Programme to the Strategic Steering Group for consideration and decision-making at its October 2026 meeting.
The owners of the Education Development Programme are Vice Rectors Marja-Leena Laakso and Minna-Maaria Hiekkataipale. The programme is led by Anne Gustafsson-Pesonen and Sirpa Tuomi.
