Bachelor s Degree Program in International Business Aalto University School of Economics Mikkeli Campus Overview Joan Lofgren, Program Director November 11, 2010 1
The Program in Brief History Started in 1989 (BBA program), completely in English Transition to BScBA degree program in 2001 Basics International Business major Intensive, three-week courses year-round by visiting faculty One course at a time, fairly small classes Semester abroad is a required part of the program (3 rd year) Popularity & internationality 900 + applications this year for 80 places [see handout] About 12% of degree students from outside Finland Productivity: near 90% of graduates do so within 3 years 2
Staff of 9 Administrative Structure Linked to Dept. of Management (2011-) Program Committee advisory role Coordination, oversight, quality control All key departments represented Council on Academic Affairs approves curriculum each year 3
International Faculty 50+ visiting profs in 15 countries hired each year to teach 80 courses Core of experienced returning faculty & complementary Linking research at home to Aalto University Expert contribution to program development 4
Internationalization: faculty Continent of Origin 2009 2010 2010 2011 Africa 1 1 Asia 7 8 Europe 18 20 North America 21 22 South America 1 1 Total 48 52 5
Learning Environment Student-centered Activation a core value Daily interaction in the classroom Small groups Simulation of business environments Emphasis on communication skills 6
Community Focus on studies at separate campus Contact with profs much higher than usual Tightly knit student body, student culture 7
Internationalization: students (data from year 2008/2009, Kota database) University Foreign degree students (% of all students, year 2008) Outgoing exchange students (% of all students) Incoming exchange students (% of all students) Credits completed (courses taught in foreign language / 1000 degree students; index) Aalto Mikkeli 12,0 % 30,2 % 32,9 % 55467 Aalto Helsinki 3,6 % 6,6 % 5,7 % 14202 Average value of Finnish B.Sc. students 2,8 % 6,8 % 7,5 % 11368 8
80 Exchange Students each year 9
Sample teaching methods Company projects Brand audits Financial analysis Simulation & role play Group work Short tasks in class Larger projects, oral/written reports (also posters) Student reflection: blogs, learning diaries Research skill development: Testing a method Peer evaluations (with grade impact) 10
Research Skill Development Focus on critical thinking, problem-solving skills, research methods & design, academic writing Clinics, eg in quantitative analysis, writing Thesis process Thesis supervision 7 months Pool of faculty & researchers around the world (14 this year) Projects for companies encouraged (~ employability) One of pilots for thesis grading rubric in School of Economics 11
Student Professional Development Built into the curriculum SEFE survey: key skills valued by employers Presentation skills (9.3/10) Ability to interact (9.8/10) Opportunities for student projects in local businesses Leadership training in student organizations 12
Quality Assurance Criteria in faculty recruitment Research performance Teaching excellence Student evaluation of faculty & themselves Feedback loops Review of syllabi before course starts Informal consultation during courses Accreditation processes in School of Economics 13
Regional Networks Mikkeli University Consortium (MUC) funding for Business and Community Development Project Examples of courses linked to the region: Project management course for local city agencies International Technology Venturing -- feasibility studies for University of Kuopio and MTT researchers Operations Management -- production facility visits, work shadowing, applying audit instrument 14
Other community links Faculty expertise contributes to Mikkeli academic community Students in Mikkeli participate in joint events Winter/summer of success with local entrepreneurs Kampus Piknik kick-off to school year (organized by MAMK) see next slide 15
Church boat race BScBA Team (Länsi-Savo, 15.9.2010) 16
Future Opportunities in Aalto Overall sharing our model/best practices Student mobility in Aalto Summer modules Blended learning Faculty mobility in Aalto Regular module teaching Guest lectures Special events Expanded visiting faculty networks in Helsinki 17
Thank You! Photo credits: Oliver Saarinen 18