Nasrin Jinnia: Schedule of the Visit

As the first agenda, Nasrin Jinnia from TUAS explained to all participants about the schedule during the visitation (1st exchange period of the project), from April 16th to 23rd, 2024.

Hanna Cederberg & Raija Sipila: Welcome to Turku & Finland

Both described Finland, specifically Turku and Helsinki, as the city destinations during this project. Some facts about Finland they shared include:

• Metal music in Finland: The diverse DNA of Finnish people across the region contributes to a unique musical composition. Symphony of Extreme is one example of Finnish metal music.
• Finland is part of the Nordic countries and experiences polar nights and midnight suns. Finland also has the largest lake district in Europe.
• Free education is provided for all children, from elementary school through university. Public healthcare is free for those under 18 years old.
• Helsinki is the biggest city in Finland, with over 50% of the Finnish population living there.
• Recommended places to visit in Helsinki: The Kruununhaka and Kaivopuisto areas.
• Turku is the oldest city in Finland, home to the country’s oldest national park. Ruissalo is part of this national park and contains some of the oldest forests in Turku and Finland.
• Population of Turku: Over 200,000 residents.
• Student Village in Turku: Available for both international and Finnish students studying in Turku.

Anu Raunio: Turku UAS International Services

Anu from TUAS shared that TUAS has over 10,000 students distributed across several departments: Technology, Health and Social Services, Business, and Culture. The Health and Well-Being field has around 3,000 students, while the Business Department has the largest number of students at TUAS.

Some student grants available include Erasmus+, Nordic Ministries, and Finnish Government scholarships. TUAS collaborates with global organizations, European bodies, local authorities, and other universities. Around 400 students have already participated in exchange programs across over 40 destination countries.

Budi Hartono: Getting to Know Each Other

Budi Hartono from UI led the introduction session. All participants introduced themselves by holding a ball labeled with foods from their regions. The ball was passed around until everyone had introduced themselves. The activity was called “Break the Stereotype.”

There were 22 participants at that time: 9 from UI, 10 from TUAS, and 3 guests — two teachers from Sweden and one from Bangladesh.

Welcoming Ceremony

After the coffee break, during which all participants enjoyed Finnish food, TUAS officially welcomed the participants. The ceremony opened with the TUAS Choir performing two national songs. The choir consisted of students and faculty members.

Tuuli Lahti: Short Introduction of The Project

Tuuli, the Project Leader, introduced the participants to the TEACH program (Transformative Education for Advancing Competencies in Planetary Health). This cooperation project between TUAS and UI aims to integrate planetary health into master’s level education within the faculties of health and well-being—an area currently limited in both Finland and Indonesia.

Faculty members will carry the main responsibility for planned activities, while students will be actively involved through joint development of study modules and mobility periods.

A transformative education approach will be used to develop critical thinking and other essential competencies related to planetary health, including ethical awareness and community empowerment.

The project also offers opportunities for students and faculty to work online and in interdisciplinary and cultural settings, helping to improve English skills and cultural understanding. The project is funded by the Finnish National Agency of Education, Team Finland Knowledge, and runs from August 2023 to December 2025.

Indri Susilowati: Indonesian Perspectives & Introduction of The Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia

Indri introduced UI and the Faculty of Public Health to the participants with details including:

• Universitas Indonesia is government-funded and located in Depok, West Java, and Jakarta.
• Faculties at UI include Medicine, Public Health, Nursing, Law, Economics and Business, Computer Sciences, Culture, Social and Political Sciences, among others.
• The Faculty of Public Health offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs.
• Departments include: Health Policy Administration, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Biostatistics & Population Studies, Public Health Nutrition, Occupational Health & Safety, and Health Education & Behavioral Science.
• Master’s programs cover: Public Health, Epidemiology, Hospital Administration, and Occupational Health & Safety, with several concentrations available in Public Health and Epidemiology.
• Indonesia currently has no curriculum specifically about planetary health, but UI offers Environmental and Global Health at the master’s level, and Global Health at the bachelor’s level.
• The faculty publishes several journals and hosts research centers.
• Collaborations exist with various global, national (government, NGOs, universities), and other partners such as companies and hospitals.

Katja Heikkinen & Eeva Timonen-Kallio: Education, Research & Development in Turku UAS

They shared information about services at TUAS, including:

• Finland has several applied sciences campuses/universities, but TUAS is the largest.
• TUAS departments include: Technology, Health and Social Services, Business, and Culture, serving over 10,000 students.
• TUAS runs several projects in 2024, including the TEACH project.
• Other projects include: VAASI (residential youth and children competencies), eFAMI (digitalization of family and social services), GeoICT (challenge-based learning in Tanzania), and LR Project (career project modeling).
• TUAS also runs a project focused on the Development of Child and Family Services and Management, aiming for preventive and early support for families and enhancing multi-sectoral professional capacities.

Welcoming Dinner at Restaurant E.Ekblom

After the activities at TUAS Campus, participants from Indonesia were invited to a welcoming dinner at E.Ekblom Restaurant, which served Finnish cuisine including appetizers, main courses, and desserts. The venue and the food were both excellent.

Key Messages

The Planetary Health Project is a new initiative for both campuses, but it is achievable and has the potential to become part of the culture. Strong commitment and collaboration are essential foundations for the program’s sustainability, benefiting TUAS, UI, Finland, Indonesia, and globally. Moving forward, maintaining a good relationship between the two parties is crucial to achieving the project goals.