The Head of Education is working as part of Humak’s national network
Sanna Pekkinen’s working career at Humak began more than 20 years ago, when she arrived at the Jyväskylä office to work as a senior lecturer in cultural production.
The communal atmosphere of the campus immediately captivated Sanna, beginning her journey from the role of a teacher to the head of education and at the same time deep into the core of cultural production.
While working as a senior lecturer in cultural production, Sanna was able to teach and guide young people towards professional growth. She especially remembers the moments when lightbulbs started lighting up in the teaching groups and the students learned something new. Soon, in addition to teaching, the opportunity to participate in applying for Humak’s first ESR projects opened up. This opened the way to working in the acquisition side and provided Sanna with the position of Project Manager in various projects.
In 2018, Sanna transferred to cultural production to work as a Degree Programme Lead, which provided a broader view on the entire education. Curiosity and interest in developing the activities of the university of applied sciences did not stop there, however, since from 2025 Sanna has been working as Head of Education of cultural production and interpretation.
“In this role, you get a comprehensive view of development and management in a university of applied sciences – I find this fascinating. In addition, as Head of Education in interpretation, I have been able to control a new field, which has been very interesting,” says Sanna.
Her everyday life currently involves supporting the work of Heads of Education, solving problems and conveying information between Humak’s teachers and administration. The work is made more diverse by work with partners and developing education to suit the needs of various fields and working life.
For Sanna, work at Humak feels significant, as it is a very central actor in its fields in Finland, such as cultural production and interpretation.
“For us, it is very important for students to choose Humak. A responsible and enjoyable part of the work is attempting to respond to students’ expectations about the field and education. This way, we can also further promote the field,” says Sanna.
Sanna appreciates the sense of community in Humak, although work is mostly performed online, since the offices are located all around Finland. She says that diversifying offices on the national level is, in fact, a great benefit when developing wide networks and staying up to date about topical events faced by one’s own field.
“At Humak, people have the right to be excited and to drive their own thoughts forward. Development proposals are well received, and everyone has the opportunity to make a change,” describes Sanna. “For example, project ideas that excite other people make you more excited about your own work as well. In a small and tight working community, the significance of cooperation is emphasised and people share responsibility collectively!”
