Workshop on Best Practices in Hosting U.S. Students and Visiting Scholars

Hanken School of Economics
Logoes of the Fulbright Finland Foundation and USA Study Abroad

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Venue: Hanken School of Economics, Arkadiankatu 22, 00100 Helsinki, Room 409, 4th Floor

The workshop brings together hosts of U.S. students, teachers and scholars from Finnish HEIs, and provides them with an opportunity to share and discuss best hosting practices. The workshop will be facilitated by an experienced administrator in the internationalization of higher education. Best practices will also be shared by higher education administrators and faculty members from Finnish HEIs with a proven track-record of going beyond basic procedures in helping U.S. students and visiting scholars to feel welcome, get settled and connected with professional networks.

The workshop is free of charge. Lunch and afternoon refreshments are provided.

Registration for the workshop has closed.

Program

11:45 Registration
 
12:00 Networking lunch (provided)
 
13:00-16:00  Workshop on Best Practices in Hosting U.S. Students and Visiting Scholars
 
13:00-13:40 Fulbright Finland Foundation Services and Resources

Welcome Remarks
Terhi Mölsä, Chief Executive Officer, Fulbright Finland Foundation

Fulbright Finland Foundation Services and Resources for Hosts and U.S. Fulbrighters
Emmi Jelekäinen, Program Coordinator, Fulbright Finland Foundation
Mirka McIntire, Manager, Teacher Exchange and Education Programs, Fulbright Finland Foundation

  • Pre-arrival:  Webinars, Online Guide, Advising Services
  • In-country: Orientations, Program Coordinators, Annual Events, Fulbright Buddy
  • Beyond grant period in Finland: Alumni network
  • Fulbright Finland Foundation Programs to deepen and continue collaboration with the U.S. Fulbright Visiting Scholars and Teachers: Travel Grants, Specialist Program

Fulbright Finland Foundation Guidance on Host Responsibilities
Emmi Jelekäinen, Program Coordinator, Fulbright Finland Foundation
Mirka McIntire, Manager, Teacher Exchange and Education Programs, Fulbright Finland Foundation
 
13:40 Panel Discussion: Perspectives on Hosting U.S. Students and Visiting Scholars
Facilitator: Leasa Weimer, Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships , Fulbright Finland Foundation

  • National Perspective: Internationalization of Finnish Education and Attracting Talent to Finland
    Tiina Vihma-Purovaara, Senior Ministerial Adviser, The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture
  • Host Perspective: Making Most of the Host Experience
    Hanna Pöyliö, University Teacher, University of Jyväskylä; Project Coordinator, Niilo Mäki Institute; 2018-2019 Fulbright Finland Travel Grant for Research Collaboration
  • Visiting U.S. Scholar Perspective:
    John Broussard, Professor of Finance, Estonian Business School; 2016-2017 Fulbright-Hanken Distinguished Chair in Business and Economics   

14:30-14:50 Coffee Break
 
14:50-15:50 Workshop: Taking Hosting to the Next Level
Brainstorming concrete ideas to help current and future hosts to make the most of the experience (in small groups)
Facilitator: Leasa Weimer, Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships , Fulbright Finland Foundation
 
15:50-16:00  Closing Words, Steps Forward
Leasa Weimer, Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships , Fulbright Finland Foundation

16:15 Bus to the U.S. Embassy

17:00 Reception in Honor of the 70th Anniversary of the ASLA-Fulbright Exchanges and the Centennial of Finnish-U.S. Diplomatic Relations (by invitation only)
Host: Robert F. Pence, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Finland,Honorary Chair of the Fulbright Finland Foundation Board of Directors

18:30       Reception Closes

 

Speaker Biographies

Photo collage on the speakers of the Workshop on Best Practices in Hosting U.S. Students and Visiting Scholars
Left to right: Tiina Vihma-Purovaara, Hanna Pöyliö, John Broussard and Leasa Weimer

Hanna Pöyliö
Hanna Pöyliö works as a project coordinator in Niilo Mäki Institute. Her interest is in literacy research. Pöyliö is a Fulbright Finland Travel grant alumna. She spent 3 weeks in Boston, MA in Pittsburgh, PA researching phonological awareness and phonics materials and assessment tools and is currently developing such materials to English as a foreign language teaching in Finland. The project originated from a Fulbright grantee project in 2016 and the collaboration has been active ever since. Pöyliö has acted as a faculty advisor for three Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching grantees and collaborated closely with three more. She continues having active contact with all of them. 

John Broussard
Prof. John Paul Broussard was 2016-2017 Fulbright-Hanken Distinguished Chair in Business and Economics. John's research is on international financial markets and the risks imposed. John recently retired from Rutgers University, and is Professor of Finance at Estonian Business School, where he teaches at both the Tallinn and Helsinki campuses.

Leasa Weimer
Leasa Weimer, Ph.D, is Assistant Director of Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives for the Fulbright Finland Foundation. She is also a researcher at the Finnish Institute for Education Research where she’s currently involved in a UNESCO project. She has over 20 years of experience in higher education and has been active in European international education as a principal investigator for a Ministry-funded project on ‘internationalisation at home’, Fulbright grantee, president of the Erasmus Mundus Association, and has authored several academic publications.