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Mr. Korosuo (M.Sc.) is specialized in International Business and Education. After his pedagogical studies at the University of Helsinki and working as a lecturer at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences and Helsinki Business College, he has dedicated himself to promoting Finnish education internationally. Among other projects, he has spent several months in Colombia in 2016 and 2017, consulting the local Ministry of Education. Since 2016 he has worked as the CEO of VisitEDUfinn and Customer Relationship Manager of Haaga-Helia.
Contact:
riku.korosuo@visitedufinn.com
+358 409 684 987
Ms. Roos (teacher of early years, PhD) has over 10 years of experience as a teacher and a leader in Finnish child care centers. For the past 10 years she worked as a teacher in vocational collage for practical nurses majoring in early childhood education. Now Roos works as a lecturer and consult through her own company (www.piiaroos.fi). In addition, she is a partner in VisitEDUfinn Ltd. Her special interests are children’s perspective and participation. Her doctoral thesis focuses on children’s narration.
Contact:
piia.roos@visitedufinn.com
+358 505 242 176
Ms. Westling is an expert on educational psychology with a broad view of education and a deep understanding of the human mind. She has graduated from and later taught students in an innovative program of educational psychology at the University of Helsinki. Her teaching has included lecturing, supervising pre-service teachers’ practice, and facilitating group processes and phenomenon-based group studies. In her research, she has studied the quality of regulation of students’ learning and activity both at school and at teacher education. She has worked as an expert in educational program design at an academic level as well as in few international organizations.
Suvi has also gained grassroots experience with children and teenagers while working as a classroom teacher, youth worker, and camp supervisor in various places at earlier phases of her life. She has developed an international mindset and understanding of different cultures by participating and working in different international communities and networks, living and studying in Latin America (Chile).
Ms. Havisto (M.A.) studied foreign languages, educational sciences and psychology at the university of Turku. Later, she studied international business at Turku University of Applied Sciences. She has been working with pupils of different ages. As a language teacher, Ms. Havisto wants to remind you that for example learning new languages stimulates the same brain center as being in love or eating chocolate. Learning is intrinsically fun for humans.
Contact:
johanna.havisto@visitedufinn.com
Ms. Vizcaino is an enthusiastic and passionate professional supporting the international operations of VisitEduFinn. She holds a degree in law and a Master’s in Public Business. Beatriz is originally from Mexico and has worked in both the public and private sectors. She is a consultant and a social entrepreneur behind EUMex-Connect, a strategic hub for Latin American and European Institutions with a focus on Education, Research & Innovation. In addition to consulting services, she is passionate about Finnish education, traveling, and volunteering.
Contact:
beatriz.vizcaino@visitedufinn.com
+358 451 602 008
Ms. Pietilä holds a Doctor of Science degree in entrepreneurship and a Master of Science degree in technology. She is a qualified vocational teacher and special needs teacher. She has decades of experience in upper secondary level and higher education, teaching subjects like math, IT, business studies and entrepreneurship. Since 2005 she has worked as a teacher trainer. She has facilitated 60 credits vocational teacher training programs for international participants in Finland, Colombia and South Africa, and shorter trainings & workshops in Vietnam, China, Japan and in several countries in Europe.
Irmeli’s areas of expertise include learning design, digital pedagogy, design thinking, playful learning, and peer mentoring. She enjoys face-to-face interaction with participants in the classroom and in the wood, but she is equally at home online and in hybrid encounters. For her virtual is real.
Contact:
irmeli.pietila@iki.fi
Ms. Kontra (M. Ed.) is a special education and Finnish language and literature teacher who currently works in a primary school near Lahti, Finland. She has worked in many international schools both in Finland and abroad. Ms. Kontra is keen on active ways of teaching and she believes that by incorporating physical activity and new forms of functionality and devices into teaching, we can tackle many of today’s challenges in the field of education. In addition, she is a partner of VisitEDUfinn Ltd.
Contact:
sari.kontra@visitedufinn.com
+358 505 552 016
Mr. Pokki is the founder of VisitEDUfinn Ltd. He has made a long career as an education consultant and has owned his own company since 1995. He is a kindergarten teacher and has also worked as the head of a public kindergarten in the 1990s. Simo was in local politics for 20 years, working most of the time as Chairman of the board of education in Vantaa, one of the largest cities in Finland. He knows the Finnish education system well and has close networks in Finland. He established VisitEDUfinn Ltd. in 2016 with four partners. He has also been a popular speaker and trainer for more than two decades.
Contact:
simo.pokki@visitedufinn.com
+358 440 885 599
Mr. Aulis Pitkälä has an exceptional career in the field of education. During the years 2012-2016, Aulis responded to a valued task of Director General in the Finnish National Agency for Education. Afterward, he worked as a Deputy Mayor of Education and Cultural Services in the city of Espoo. In 2017, he was awarded the honorary title for his distinguished career in education by the President of the Republic of Finland.
Matias Saviaro is a passionate linguist, educator, and expert in the Franco- and Anglophone worlds, dedicated to fostering language learning and cultural exchange. He has a solid academic background, including a double MA degree in linguistics and language learning, complemented by a BA in French and English studies. He has work experience in the fields of education and customer service, and a proven track record in coordinating exchange programs for students. Moreover, he has personally participated in such programs, immersing himself in diverse cultural environments and gaining firsthand experience in international education.
Contact:
matias.saviaro@visitedufinn.com
+358 40 645 2747
With extensive experience in customer service and a background in event management studies, Emmi Sarajärvi brings a unique set of skills and knowledge to the organization. Having worked in customer service for multiple years, Emmi has developed strong communication skills, the ability to handle customer queries, and resolve issues effectively.
Additionally, Emmi’s studies in event management have provided valuable insights into organizing successful events, managing resources, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.Emmi’s work experience has instilled a strong work ethic, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment.
Contact:
emmi.sarajarvi@visitedufinn.com
+35840 7600 626
Mr. Tukonen is a School Principal from Järvenpää. Besides an experience of almost fifteen years in school leadership and taking part in several municipal projects, Pekka previously had a long experience as a Primary School teacher.
He studied pedagogy at Helsinki University. After finishing his studies, he worked in Spain, near Barcelona, for eight years, in one of the best-known private schools in Catalonia. His Finnish degree was recognized to a Spanish higher degree in Pedagogy and he did various post-graduate studies, as well as language studies (e.g. Spanish, Catalan, and English).
He has participated in various conferences and has given talks to English and Spanish-speaking education specialists. He has organized different visits related to education and has a wide net of collaborators in schools and universities.
Mr. Sinnemäki was one of the top 50 finalists at the Global Teacher Prize 2018. He is holding the following degrees: Master of Education, Master of Arts, and Specialist Qualification of Product Development (Research and Development R&D). Sinnemäki has 20 years of experience in teaching field in different positions, class teacher, subject teacher, and principal. At present, Sinnemäki is developing solutions to increase overall well-being integrated
Ms. Liukas is a programmer, storyteller, and illustrator from Helsinki, Finland. She is a central figure in the world of programming and has worked on edutech already before it was called that. Linda is the founder of Rails Girls, a global phenomenon teaching the basics of programming for young women all over the world. Her TED talk has gathered over 1million views.
Mr. Makkonen is a Finnish principal lecturer living in Jyväskylä and Kokkola, Finland. He holds a Ph.D. degree in Business Administration and Economics with a specialization in Information Systems and Information Systems Education. He has completed formal Teacher Training according to Finnish statute. Dr. Pekka Makkonen has more than 34 years of experience in the field of ICT, management, operations management, and education, out of which 32 years in delivering ICT classes at the different levels of the education system including higher education and TVET.
From 2000, Pekka Makkonen has run courses on different e-learning platforms by using different pedagogical approaches. He has written more than 50 research papers on this subject and major publications can be found through Google Scholar. In 2014, Pekka Makkonen’s defended dissertation dealt with e-learning implementation in higher education. This thesis can be found at https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/44843
In addition to teaching in Finland for different institutions and many European countries under the EU’s Erasmus+ program (2000-2019), he has worked in different counties in Asia and Africa.
Ms. Torseke (classroom teacher, subject teacher, special education teacher) is a multi-tasker with a foot in the business world and travel industry as well as in the field of education. Her teacher identity is in the practical domain of expertise in Finland where she brings 10+ years of teaching experience to the classroom. In addition to her degree in pedagogy from Finland, she holds degrees in Business Administration and Travel Management.
Her wide international living and work experience combined with her business acumen allows her to observe her environment from a different angle. Jaana is a creative and open-minded problem solver, not afraid to get out of her comfort zone. Her most popular topics include peer-assisted learning and how to create a dialogue. She is a personable and energetic lecturer who engages her public.
Mr. Walker is an American teacher and writer living in Espoo, Finland. He is the author of Teach Like Finland: 33 Simple Strategies for Joyful Classrooms, which was translated into more than a dozen languages. Walker is also the co-author of a new book with Finnish scholar Pasi Sahlberg entitled In Teachers We Trust: The Finnish Way to World-Class Schools. He has written extensively about his experiences for The Atlantic, Educational Leadership, and on his blog, Taught by Finland. Inspired by his work in Finnish schools, he
speaks internationally about the importance of play, trust, and joy in education.
Ms. Rauhala (B.A.) is an educational sciences student at the University of Turku with studies also in the fields of psychology, business and HR, and sociology. As an education major, she is passionate about lifelong learning and the Finnish education system. She believes in change through education. In addition, Ms. Rauhala loves to learn new languages. She completed an Erasmus + university exchange in Spain as a part of her studies and wants to work toward everyone getting international learning opportunities. Ms. Rauhala is working for VisitEDUfinn part-time while finishing her studies.
Contact:
melina.rauhala@visitedufinn.com
