How I Ended Up at TAMK
From March 9th to 13th, I had the pleasure of attending the Uninovis Staff Development Week at TAMK. And no, I’m not part of any teaching staff — I found myself there in what felt like a miracle!
As a student in TAMK’s online Professional Teacher Training programme, I asked my tutor, Mrs. Sanna Brauer, about opportunities for teaching practice. She suggested I support her during her workshops at the Uninovis week. I was thrilled and accepted without hesitation.
For those hearing about Uninovis for the first time: it’s a development week bringing together staff from partner universities across the world. Academics from Mexico, Spain, France, Turkey, and — representing TAMK — me, from Morocco! The week was incredibly insightful, and I had the chance to contribute in both roles: as a workshop facilitator and as a participant.
AI, Innovation, and the Future of Education
There were common workshops for all participants, plus four specialized tracks to choose from: Collaborative Online International Learning, AI and RDI, International Office, and Sprint Innovation Festival. With my background in engineering and educational technology, you can probably guess which one I chose.
I deeply believe that AI will not replace teachers — but it might replace those who refuse to use it. These technologies aren’t threatening our educational methods; they simply make their weaknesses visible. Educational technologies play a powerful role in bringing fun, differentiation, personalization, and meaningful learning experiences into the classroom.
Of course, these tools can’t be mastered in one week, and the facilitators from TAMK knew that. Instead, they ensured participants got hands-on experience with possibilities like AI and the Metaverse, sparked creativity, and celebrated the fruits of international collaboration. Activities alternated between homogeneous and heterogeneous groups — sometimes creating space to share one’s own identity and culture, other times encouraging curiosity and diversity exploration.
Learning How Finns Teach
The workshops were everything but boring. There were individual activities, group work, games, digital and unplugged tasks, meditation sessions, even dancing breaks! The Finnish facilitators showed remarkable empathy and clearly visualized every detail during workshop design. I often learned not only from the content of the workshops but from how they were delivered. The facilitators embodied the very competencies they were teaching. No wonder Finland is a global leader in education.
Sharing My Story: Social Media and Personal Branding
Having experience in social media content creation and personal branding, I shared with the Uninovis Staff how this is becoming an essential skill for everyone. I gave real examples of how social media has helped me reach people organically, prototype and validate project ideas through interaction, leverage follower numbers when connecting with influential people, and build a reputation as someone others want to collaborate with. I also shared practical methods for being effective in this space. The staff all agreed: exploring this world is urgent.
Nokia, Nostalgia, and a Lesson in Innovation
My favorite spot on the TAMK campus was the floor where all the Nokia phones were exhibited. I feel lucky to have been born in the 90s — each Nokia model reminded me of a different age in my life and brought back vivid memories.
I was surprised to learn that Tampere was the birthplace of this legend. I reflected on the times when Nokia led the world in mobile phones and recalled the words of Stephen Elop, Nokia’s CEO from 2010 to 2014, when asked what happened: ”We didn’t do anything wrong.”
Spending the week in Tampere, I saw that Finland learned that lesson the hard way. Being innovative is no longer a choice — it’s essential for survival. Finnish education, in my view, strikes the right balance between well-being and global competitiveness through openness to innovation. This includes active participation in international partnerships like Uninovis, embracing global accessibility through English-taught programmes and open education, and introducing disruptive offerings like the Bachelor of Entrepreneurship and Team Leadership at TAMK.
I made a video about this last mentioned programme — one of the best I’ve ever created. In just one week, it reached over 2 million people on Instagram (@said.hougga) and brought me more than 18,000 new followers, including influencers, artists, journalists, entrepreneurs, and leaders, and mostly positive comments, a clear signal that Finland is now leading the change.
A Final Word to TAMK
TAMK, don’t be surprised if your inbox fills up with inquiries from Morocco! 😊
Said Hougga 25E
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