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TAMK International

Erasmus+ Exchange and UNINOVIS collaboration at Kauno Kolegija, Lithuania.

— simo.vainionpaa@tuni.fi
eachers Milla Salama and Katja Hautsalo from TAMK and Edita Armalienė and Gerda Bukauskaitė – Žiūkienė from Kauno Kolegija.
eachers Milla Salama and Katja Hautsalo from TAMK and Edita Armalienė and Gerda Bukauskaitė – Žiūkienė from Kauno Kolegija.

Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) is part of the European Universities Alliance UNINOVIS. In September 2025, we—two senior lecturers, Milla Salama and Katja Hautsalo—visited Kauno Kolegija in Lithuania as part of the Erasmus+ Staff Mobility for Teaching program.

Below, we briefly describe the content and co-operation we did during our exchange week. In the accompanying video blog

https://tuni.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=d809ad73-ac42-4c4a-90bc-b35d005c5fd4  

,you can get a deeper sense of the atmosphere, explore the environment, meet the people, and hear the thoughts of a Lithuanian nursing student about her studies.

Going on an exchange broadens your horizons – it’s definitely worth it!

eachers Milla Salama and Katja Hautsalo from TAMK and Edita Armalienė and Gerda Bukauskaitė – Žiūkienė from Kauno Kolegija.
Teachers Milla Salama and Katja Hautsalo from TAMK and Edita Armalienė and Gerda Bukauskaitė – Žiūkienė from Kauno Kolegija.

We started our teacher exchange on Tuesday by meeting our friendly host, Nursing Coordinator Edita in Kauno Kolegija kampus. She welcomed us and introduced us the school’s facilities, degree programs, and faculty members. Edita had also organized our teaching schedule, which provided us the opportunity to meet and teach nursing students at various stages of their studies.

Nursing education in Finland and Lithuania shares several common features, such as the use of simulations and case-based learning as pedagogical methods, as well as challenges related to the availability of practical training placements. There are also some differences: for example, paramedic education is shorter in Lithuania, and nursing students at Kauno Kolegija conduct small-scale research for their thesis projects. At TAMK, the theses are typically literature reviews or development projects.

We taught three different groups of nursing students during our exchange. At the beginning of each lesson, we did a short round where every student had the chance to speak aloud, stating their name and the skills they believe are especially important in a nurse’s work. We also gave a short introduction about TAMK, the School of Social Services and Health Care, and the opportunities available for international exchange. Few students showed interest in going on exchange—hopefully we’ll see some of them at TAMK in the future!

On Tuesday, we taught a group of first-year nursing students—nearly 50 in total. The main topic of the class was person-centered care and family care. On Wednesday, we worked with third-year students, a group of over 40. This time, the focus was on mental health, specifically loneliness, isolation, and depression. On Thursday, we discussed neurological rehabilitation with second-year nursing students. All students were engaged with the topics, enjoyed speaking English, and actively participated in the discussions. We also had the opportunity to interview one nursing student, Augusta, about her studies and interests.

UNINOVIS exchanges also involve planning and implementing collaboration. We discussed and brainstormed ideas for cooperation related to the online delivery of courses for nursing and paramedic students, as well as exchange opportunities. Both institutions have international nursing groups, and initiating collaboration between them could be educational and enriching. The staff at Kauno Kolegija expressed interest in participating in TAMK’s International Week next spring and reminded us of the International Week they organize themselves. Kauno Kolegija’s International Week is held in the form of a conference, attracting participants from many European countries.

Our hosts also took us on a hospital visit. The geriatric day ward, Geriatrijos, dienos stacionaras poliklinika was particularly impressive. They implemented a very holistic, person-centered approach to rehabilitation and care for the old people. Technological devices played an important role in care, alongside crafts and art, relaxation, sharing of life history, and social interaction with others.

Kaunas offered a charming old town atmosphere and welcomed us with warm September weather. The historic center features a long promenade lined with restaurants, churches, small shops, and a scenic riverside. But still meeting other people was the best part of exchange. It was a great pleasure to meet colleagues from UNINOVIS and plan future collaboration. In addition, teaching and engaging with over a hundred nursing students from diverse cultural backgrounds was truly inspiring. Nursing, as a valued profession, connects us all.

 

Written by: Katja Hautsalo ja Milla Salama

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