Shared Commitment to Applied Research and Innovation
A six-member delegation from DUT visited TAMK in 2025 on 9 December and spent the full day discussing and exploring opportunities for collaboration across strategic RDI themes. The visit included presentations from TAMK leadership and experts, including Ari Sivula, Vice President; Syed Mubaraz, Head of International Business; and Niina Jallinoja, Dean of Business and Media Programmes who introduced TAMK’s profile and ongoing RDI activities. Both institutions share a long-standing commitment to applied research, community engagement, and industry collaboration. The meeting highlighted overlapping strengths and identified thematic areas where coordinated efforts could deliver tangible impact. DUT’s strong orientation towards innovation and community-focused initiatives aligns well with TAMK’s multidisciplinary expertise, solution-driven pedagogy, and extensive experience in applied sciences.
Key themes emerging from the dialogue included sustainability, digitalisation, entrepreneurship, and capacity building.
These areas represent strategic opportunities where collaborative RDI projects could foster societal and industrial transformation. During the discussions, the delegation expressed particular interest in TAMK’s ProAcademy model, known for its entrepreneurial mindset, team-based learning, and learning-by-doing approach, which they saw as a strong fit for DUT’s innovation and community-engaged education priorities. TAMK is already engaged in several Africa-focused projects across education, sustainability, and innovation, and this potential collaboration with DUT represents yet another meaningful avenue for strengthening partnerships on the African continent.
Key Areas of Collaboration
- Joint Research Projects: Potential for interdisciplinary research combining engineering, health sciences, business, and community-centred innovation to address shared global challenges.
- Mobility and Exchange: Enhancing student and staff mobility to build intercultural competence, strengthen pedagogical collaboration, and foster shared learning.
- Industry Partnerships: Strengthening links between universities and industry to accelerate innovation, support start-ups, and co-create practical solutions for societal needs.
- Capacity Building: Exchanging best practices in RDI management, research funding strategies, commercialisation pathways, and knowledge transfer models.
Next Steps
To move these ideas forward, DUT and TAMK agreed to establish a joint working group that will outline priority areas and develop an initial action plan for collaborative endeavours. Early tasks will include identifying potential funding sources, mapping expertise, and setting timelines for the first pilot initiatives.
Towards a Sustainable Future
This emerging partnership reflects a shared commitment to contributing towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through applied research and innovation. By leveraging complementary strengths and a shared vision, DUT and TAMK aim to co-create solutions with real-world impact, strengthen the global innovation ecosystem, and expand opportunities for staff, students, and wider society.
Authors: Emmanuel Abruquah, Senior Lecturer, & Jennifer Mohandas, International Tutor Coach TAMK
Photo: Jennifer Mohandas
