International Collaboration and a New Pace for Life

Dutch Lecturer Jos Vaes immerses himself in Finnish working life through a Humak lecturer exchange

Working as a lecturer in sports sciences at HAN University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool van Arnhem en Nijmegen) keeps Jos Vaes busy. Located in Nijmegen in the Netherlands, HAN has been Jos’s professional home for eight years. Although he enjoys his diverse role, towards the end of 2023 he felt a spark to gain new thoughts and ideas for his work.

“I knew that Humak and HAN had collaborated before. I became excited about reigniting this well-functioning partnership. I contacted Humak to explore the possibility of a lecturer exchange. Everyone in Finland was immediately enthusiastic about the idea, and it didn’t take long before they found suitable courses and a fitting schedule for me.”

Humak’s Adventure Education programme felt like a perfect match for Jos, who has extensive experience in a wide range of sports and outdoor skills.

“My main goal for the exchange was to strengthen and continue the collaboration between the two universities of applied sciences. That was my priority and also my professional objective. But I also had a personal goal: to spend more time outdoors.”

A country of four seasons

A suitable schedule was soon found, and Jos flew to Finland in mid-May, greeted by the warmth of early summer. His visit of a few weeks was filled with teaching and getting to know staff and students. In the second phase of the exchange, in autumn 2024, Jos will return to Finland to assist Humak lecturers and share his expertise.

“I hope this experience will deepen my own skills so that I can take what I’ve learned here back with me to HAN. That way, I can help develop local expertise in adventure education.”

But are there any differences between Dutch and Finnish teaching approaches?

“Structurally, Humak’s adventure education studies differ from those at HAN, but I’ve really enjoyed this slightly different teaching style. I’ve noticed that the pace of studies is calmer – this allows students to delve deeper into the subject matter and develop their own skills. The lecturers are strongly committed to their students, which has been truly inspiring to observe.”

Finland is known as a country of four distinct seasons, where changing weather conditions bring both joys and challenges. For Jos, this has offered new perspectives on course planning.

“In the Netherlands, summers are longer and winters are mild. I’ve realised how much Finns plan their lives around the seasons. Even here at Humak, adventure education courses follow the seasons and changing weather. I really appreciate the active Finnish lifestyle, where people spend time outdoors regardless of the weather. Many Finns spend a lot of time outside engaging in different activities. I hope I can take a piece of this attitude back home with me.”

But what about getting to know Finns? After all, we are known for being shy and even reserved towards visitors.

“I had heard that Finns are reserved, but I’ve encountered nothing but friendliness. The staff at Humak have given me a very warm welcome, and I’ve already been sailing on the Baltic Sea with a colleague. I’m really looking forward to my first visit to a Finnish summer cottage.”

A reflective culture

Getting to know a new working culture has prompted Jos to reflect on his own habits. The slower pace of work compared to the Netherlands has been a pleasant surprise, and he hopes to bring some of Finland’s tempo back into his everyday work at HAN. While the Finnish reflective work culture has many positive sides, the long response times to emails also came as a surprise—something Jos now recalls with a laugh.

“I had never visited Finland before and didn’t really know what to expect. Now I understand why Finland has been chosen as the happiest country in the world for several consecutive years. There are many elements in everyday Finnish life that support happiness. I hope to learn from the Finnish way of life and to take with me something of Finns’ ability to adapt to different situations.”

The article was originally published in summer 2024.