Sprint Pirkanmaa 2024 at a Glance
This year, Sprint Pirkanmaa was held from 29th October to 3rd December and brought together nearly 100 students from three different study programme backgrounds. The participants included:First‑year students from the Proakatemia Bachelor’s Degree programme,Students from the Diploma in Entrepreneurship programme and Engineering students from both Finnish and English taught programmes.
This diverse mix of students created a multidisciplinary and international learning environment that closely reflects real working life.
What Is Sprint Pirkanmaa?
Sprint Pirkanmaa is a highly challenge based innovation sprint in which students are grouped in teams to solve real problems related to the Pirkanmaa region. The students are involved in real project work, creativity and teamwork in lieu of traditional lectures.
The sprint exposed the students to the reality of real business, and they had little time to generate ideas, concepts and solutions. This was a rapid format that promoted fast decision making, experimentations and teamwork.
Working With Real Companies
Cooperation with regional companies can be considered a major component of Sprint Pirkanmaa. As a part of the sprint, the students visited the companies of the Pirkanmaa region and participated in real case projects offered by those companies.
Through the direct interaction with businesses, students realized important knowledge in actual business requirements, customer outlook, and real limitations. This was an experience that helped in correcting the gap between theory and practice and provided the students with a realistic idea of what it is like to work on a project in the life.
Learning by Doing at TAMK
TAMK is regarded as practical and practice based in its approach to education, and Sprint Pirkanmaa can be considered the best fit in terms of this philosophy. During the sprint, students used knowledge in their respective disciplines, like entrepreneurship, engineering, and business, and received an education that was provided by other group members with different disciplines.
Students acquired skills that are important including:
Problem solving and critical thinking, Teamwork in multidisciplinary teams, Presentation and communication skills,Time management when you are under pressure, Sprint Pirkanmaa was the first time of working with an actual company case, which made the learning process a challenge and rewarding to many participants.
Restoration Interdisciplinary Collaboration.
Multidisciplinary collaboration is one of the largest strengths of Sprint Pirkanmaa. Students of varying skills, perspectives formed teams and motivated innovative problem solving and learning.
Collaboration allowed the students to appreciate the fact that innovation tends to occur at the intersections of various fields, and that robust solutions are developed when people work together as opposed to working alone.
Impact Beyond the Sprint
Sprint Pirkanmaa does not limit its benefits to the event only. At the end of the sprint, students have: Higher confidence in their competencies, Real world experience in their portfolio or CV, New business networks, Understanding of actual working life issues.
Simultaneously, motivated students contribute fresh ideas and new cognitions to the projects thereby offering companies new perspectives and knowledge that are up to date.
The Importance of Sprint Pirkanmaa
According to Sprint Pirkanmaa, education, and regional development should work together. The sprint promotes the cooperation, learning and innovation by facilitating the connections between TAMK students and real challenges of the Pirkanmaa region.
Such events as Sprint Pirkanmaa can equip students to not just graduate, but to go into the working life with hands-on skills, flexibility and eager teamwork.
Sprint Pirkanmaa demonstrates that the process of the meaningful learning occurs when learning is entrusted to the students as they are provided with the opportunity to practise their ideas.
Author: Jennifer Mohandas, International Tutor Coach.
Photos: Nea Vähäkuopus
