Teaching and research act of the year awards to the support team for digital teaching and Suvi Karirinne, director of VEBIC
The University of Vaasa granted the Teaching Act of the Year and Research Act of the Year awards during the anniversary celebrations on 27 January. The Teaching Act of the Year 2020 award was granted to the support and development team for digital teaching. Suvi Karirinne, director of the research platform VEBIC that focuses on energy and sustainable development, received the Research Act of the Year 2020 award. The Student Union of the University of Vaasa awarded the Good Teacher recognition to Niina Nissilä, university lecturer in communication studies.
The Teaching Act of the Year 2020 award was granted to the university’s support and development team for digital teaching. The support team for digital teaching brings together experts in pedagogics, IT, and education services.
The purpose of the team is to advance the quality of digital teaching and learning in collaboration with the schools and the language centre Linginno. The team members are Digital Teaching Coach Sanna Eronen, Head of ICT Services Ari Hovila, Specialist Timo Salonen, Specialist Ove Ritola, Pedagogue Sanna West and Pedagogue Sören Granlund.
The team has done outstanding work in developing virtual learning environments and coaching teachers both before and during the covid-19 pandemic. The efforts of the team were central to the success of the university last year.
- The recognition is of great value, especially after a year during which teaching and learning were moved online overnight. Our teachers wanted to teach well, but the usual methods did not work in remote teaching. This gave rise to a desire to develop, and it has been inspiring to accompany them on this journey. This year, the Teaching Act of the Year award belongs to all of our teachers and supervisors, says Sanna Eronen.
– We will continue to support interaction and community building in remote teaching and learning because students have also raised these themes.
VEBIC is developed through collaboration
The Research Act of the Year 2020 award was granted to Suvi Karirinne, director of the research platform VEBIC. Karirinne has done outstanding work in developing the research platform and advancing collaboration among the schools in accordance with the strategy of the university.
The research group that Karirinne heads has done well in acquiring external funding. Their latest achievement was to get significant funding from the EU's Horizon 2020 programme for the research project CHEK that promotes low-carbon shipping. The University of Vaasa leads the consortium in a project that involves several international partners and Wärtsilä, among others. Karirinne is also the CHEK project coordinator.
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– Developing VEBIC is essentially collaboration – both within the university and with external stakeholders. The collaboration culminates in shared successes, as in research projects that get external funding. We have already reached several milestones, and I would like to thank everyone involved in the operations of VEBIC and its development, especially our partners, says Karirinne.
The Student Union of the University of Vaasa awarded the Good Teacher recognition to Niina Nissilä, university lecturer in communication studies. In these exceptional times, Nissilä has furthered smooth remote studying, given excellent remote teaching and maintained a positive atmosphere. Nissilä has been flexible and taken into account the different situations that students have in their studies.
Further information:
Digital Teaching Coach Sanna Eronen, tel. 029 449 8084, sanna.eronen@uwasa.fi
Director Suvi Karirinne, Research Platform VEBIC, tel. 029 449 8284, suvi.karirinne@uwasa.fi
University Lecturer Niina Nissilä, tel. 029 449 8394, niina.nissila@uwasa.fi
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