Xamk monitors international student mobility on the basis of credits earned. In 2019, Xamk students earned 4,626 credits from studies and 2,054 from work placements abroad. Most students headed for European countries, but Xamk students also went to Tanzania, South Korea, Thailand and Brazil.
In 2019, Xamk received exchange students from Vietnam, China and Russia, in addition to European countries. They earned a total of 5,771 credits.
The total number of credits earned by outgoing and incoming students decreased by 18 per cent compared with 2018.
International mobility of staff continued to increase
Staff mobility is measured on the basis of days of international travel. In 2019, Xamk personnel had a total of 2,231 international travel days. The most common destinations were Russia (149 trips), Germany (49 trips), Estonia (37 trips) and China (32 trips). The other countries on the top ten list were Sweden, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Lithuania and Poland.
International exchange staff completed a total of 691 workdays at Xamk.
Two long-stay exchanges took place: a senior lecturer from Xamk visited the Beijing University of Technology for six months – the entire spring semester. Reciprocally, a senior lecturer from Beijing came to Xamk for three months in the autumn semester.
In 2019, staff mobility increased by approximately 26 per cent from the previous year.
More international projects and partners
In addition to Europe, Xamk engages in international co-operation with selected partners in Russia and China. The number of international projects increased from the previous year. Xamk has over 300 international partners; some of them are RDI partners, while others are partners in educational co-operation. Partnerships and co-operation were developed in both sectors.
Xamk’s international strategic partners are Anglia-Ruskin in the UK, Henan University and Beijing University of Technology in China and ITMO University in Russia. Two students and ten employees from Xamk paid a benchlearning visit to Henan University, relating to the audit to be conducted in 2020.
Export of education focusing on China
Export of education includes income from annual tuition fees (minus scholarships paid to students) and small-scale education-related travel. Export of education increased by 25 per cent in 2019 compared with 2018.
In addition, Xamk invested in product development for the export of education and created co-operation relationships particularly with the Chinese education market. In August 2019, a group of nursing teachers and students from Henan University participated in a Study Visit in Mikkeli.
International degree students from 70 countries
In 2019, there were 398 international degree students enrolled in Xamk’s degree programmes taught in English. In addition, international students were studying in several double degree programmes taught in English as well as degree programmes taught in Finnish. Altogether, there were 516 international degree students, representing 70 different countries.