Introduction
Education Engineering Days is an invite-based 3-day unconference event at Otaniemi (Espoo) and Suvilahti (Helsinki) sites, from 27th to 29th October which gathers an international community of professionals changing the global education landscape.
The term ‘education engineers’, suggested by the organizers for joint discussion, implies an emerging profile of professionals who successfully develop, implement, and adjust educational practices; and by doing so, aiming to supplement – or to be an alternative to – traditional tertiary education, and to satisfy perceived real world needs.
With the focus on presence-based youth and adult education practices, the event organised by GameChangers and Pixelache will gather 25 representatives of pioneering education projects from Europe, Russia and United States (See below synopsis of all participants). The unconference will take place at two culturally different districts – Otaniemi in Espoo, and Suvilahti in Helsinki. The majority of the event is to be held as an internal discussion by the invited group of participants, although documentations will be gathered for a wider audience. Topics for discussion include: Visions & missions, Formats & tools, Methodologies, Changing roles, Funding & organisation/business models, Outreach, Admission/participation & alumni, Campuses or sites of learning, Collaboration & learning models.
We welcome you to join the public ‘Lightning Talks’ session on Monday 28th October from 18.00 to 21.00/6-9pm (Helsinki time), to be held at Startup Sauna (Betonimiehenkuja 3 D, Otaniemi, Espoo). NB: This event will also be streamed live via this channel; If you plan to attend physically, please register via Eventbrite so we can prepare appropriately.
Background
The ‘Education Engineering Days’ event is initiated and organized by GameChangers (Russia), closely connected to Russian IT-business, providing peer-based and curated learning environments, based in St. Petersburg; and Pixelache (Finland) who organize and promotes activities at the intersections of trans-disciplinary art+design+technology topics, ranging from media arts, bioarts, grassroot organizing, alternative economics and most recently, waste and food. Their two different organizational cultures provide a unique combination of different backgrounds and goals, underlying values and principles and levels of (semi-) attachment to educational institutions. The event is produced with these distinctions in mind.
Contacts:
Elena Yarmanova, event producer, yarmanova [-at-] gamechangers.ru
Andrew Paterson, co-organizer, andrew [-at-] pixelache.ac
Invited participants/programmes
Aalto Design Factory (Finland)
Aalto Design Factory represents one of the Aalto University’s factories and is an interdisciplinary product design and learning hub uniting students, teachers, researchers and industry. Represented by prof. Kalevi Ekman, Director of Design Factory; Elina Kähkönen, Teacher in Charge – Aaltonaut. http://aaltodesignfactory.fi
BarnCamp (England UK)
Barncamp is a regular low-cost rural DIY skillsharing event open to anybody with an interest in technology and how to subvert it to put it to good use. Represented by Mick Fuzz, Co-organizer. http://hacktionlab.org/barncamp
Bioinformatics Institute (Russia)
Bioinformatics Institute is the first non-governmental non-commercial bioinformatics educational and research institution in Russia. It has been created in 2013 on the basis of Bioinformatics Courses (since 2010) supported jointly by Russian Academic University of Russian Academy of Sciences and JetBrains company. The Institute’s mission is to prepare new generation of highly qualified specialists in the field, popularize bioinformatics in Russia and contribute to Russia’s transformation into world research center in bioinformatics. Educational programs are aimed to acquaint students with the main objectives and methods of bioinformatics and open problems related to this science. Represented by Eketarina Chaykina, curator. http://bioinformaticsinstitute.ru/
Campus (Russia)
Campus is a project base-camp situated in Moscow region aiming to educate the generation of highly conscious and sensitive designers capable of posing and solve project-related tasks through research and rethinking of the context. Represented by Anna Kholina, Curriculum Developer. http://masterskaya.pro
The Chair for Applied Software Engineering (Germany)
The Chair for Applied Software Engineering Centre at Technische Universität München offers talented students the international and interdisciplinary capstone courses. It focuses on how to manage High-Tech in close cooperation with industry, research and education, while simultaneously being committed to preparing the students for future leadership positions in their professional career. Represented by Stephan Krusche, M.Sc, Project Leader. http://www1.in.tum.de
CRI (France)
CRI, Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity, is a Parisian meeting place of international researchers and students passionate about interdisciplinary science and innovation in education. CRI is connected with the University Paris Descartes through innovative Bachelor, Master and PhD program in interdisciplinary life science, as well as newly emerging Master and PhD program in innovative educational methods. Generously funded by the Bettencourt Schuller Foundation, CRI is implementing learning through research methods and development of 21st century skills in all curricula with the aim to train the next generation of change-makers in science and education. This pioneering approach has recently been recognized by UNESCO, as well as French government which is investing in the formation of the Institute for Learning Through Research in the center of Paris. Represented by Tamara Milosevic, Curriculum Designer. http://www.cri-paris.org/
Digital October (Russia)
Digital October Center is a place for globally-minded technology entrepreneurship community. The Center is built around two core themes: new technologies and technology entrepreneurship. It hosts unique educational programs inviting top educators and experts from around the world. Represented by Yulia Lesnikova, Director of Educational Programs. http://digitaloctober.ru
European University – Center for Science and Technology Studies (Russia)
The Center of Science and Technology Studies at the European University in St. Petersburg has recently launched an ambitious research project to identify, map and understand Russian Computer Scientist community at home and abroad. The multidisciplinary strategy of the center is aimed at presenting and analyzing history, current state of affairs, trajectories and ecologies of Russian computer science and IT worlds. Represented by Lubava Statokhina, Research Assistant; Liliia Zemnukhova, Research Assistant. http://www.eu.spb.ru/en/research-centers/sts
Fablab Amersfoort (Netherlands)
FabLab Amersfoort is an open workplace with digital equipment and where everybody can use these machines to create (almost) everything. It is part of the worldwide network of FabLabs. Represented by Diana Wildschut and Harmen Zijp, Founders. http://fablabamersfoort.nl
GameChangers (Russia)
GameChangers is a free two-year program for ad-hoc education and research. Started in 2010 as an offline wiki course on IT industry GameChangers is constantly expending its thematic focus to various related and emerging industries with tracks in bioinformatics, legal issues in IT, education, design and usability, enterprise architecture, data mining and others. Represented by Sergey Dmitriev, Co-founder; Aliona Markovich, Development Lead; Roman Musatkin, Design Track Curator; Ekaterina Chaykina, Bioinformatics & Biotechnology Track Curator. http://gamechangers.ru
Garage48 (Estonia)
Garage48 is a series of international start-up events for turning ideas into working prototypes in 48 hours. Garage48 brings together developers, designers, marketers and visionaries to pitch ideas, form teams and build real products and services under “blood & sweat” intensity. So far 26 Garage48 events have taken place in 12 countries from South Africa to Russia with 2200 participants, 300 finished prototypes and 15+ successful start-ups created. Represented by Krists Avots, Head of Operations. http://garage48.org
The GREEN Program (US)
The GREEN Program is the leading provider of renewable energy education, experiential learning and career development around the world. Represented by Mikhail Naumov, Melissa Lee, Founders. http://thegreenprogram.com
Hyper Island (Sweden)
Hyper Island designs lifelong learning experiences for individuals and organizations all over the world. Hyper Island is a school of higher education within the fields of digital communications and leadership, and a strategic partner to companies that want to transform their business or organizational culture. Hyper Island was founded in Sweden in 1996, is privately owned, and has Learning Hubs in Sweden, UK, US and Singapore. Represented by Sveinung Skaalnes, Partnership Director and alumni. http://hyperisland.com
ikasHUB (Basque Country, Spain)
ikasHUB is a co-learning laboratory aiming to develop personal skills and generate new ideas with value for the society. ikasHUB offers learning experiences that will allow to explore your whole potential.
Represented by Ander Pomposo, Christina Sala, Founders. http://ikashub.net
International Youth Initiative Program (Sweden)
YIP is an initiative and social leadership training for youth aged 19 to 25 who want to create positive social change in the world. The program is a co-created platform for passionate young people to develop the knowledge, capacities, skills and self-awareness in order to become drivers for integral sustainable development.
Represented by Maíra Rahme, Branding and Communications Lead and alumni; Lyra Skusa, Fundraising and Administration Lead and alumni. http://yip.se
Kaospilots (Denmark)
The Kaospilots is a hybrid business and design school, a multi-sided education in leadership and entrepreneurship designed to help students not only to fit the future, but to create it. Represented by Morten Nottelmann, Educational Designer & Consultant and alumni. http://kaospilot.dk
KOULU (Finland)
KOULU (i.e. ‘School’) is a festival for peer-learning operating based on the acknowledgment that everyone has skills and knowledge that others want to learn. All the teachers are volunteers and all the lectures are concerning a good life. Representative to be confirmed. http://kouluschool.org
Learning Environments Group (Finland)
The Learning Environments Research Group (short name: LeGroup) at Aalto University is involved in research, design and development of New Media tools, as well as their use and application, in the field of learning. Represented by Prof. Teemu Leinonen, Research Group Leader. http://legroup.aalto.fi
Open Urban Lab (Russia)
Open Urban Lab is an inter-disciplinary professional group working in the areas of urban research, urban planning, strategic development of the city. The team includes architects, urban planners, sociologists, psychologists, designers, transport planners, city brand managers, communication and IT professionals; with local, international, and regional experience. Represented by Sophia Chilingarova. http://www.openurbanlab.org
Otava Opisto Coop (Finland)
Otava Opisto co-operative is a network organization for education and training. Its members are NGO’s and R&D organizations interested in the renewal of education. Coop works in close cooperation with Otava Folk High School, part of non-formal adult education system in Finland. Represented by Pauliina Jalonen, CEO. http://www.otavanopisto.fi/osuuskunta
Peloton (Finland)
Peloton is a three-year joint project encouraging companies and consumers into all-around, everyday energy consciousness. Represented by Maria Ritola, Club Leader. http://peloton.me
Pixelversity (Finland)
Pixelversity is the outreach & education programme of Pixelache Helsinki scene around the year. Related pedagogy on experimental art, design, research and activism aims to support the regional grassroots scene(s), and is based upon learning from experience and from peers: Learning by doing, and doing it together. Represented by Pixelache members Andrew Paterson, John Fail, Owen Kelly (monday only), Jon Irigoyen (monday only), Mikko Laajola (but in charge of streaming). http://pixelache.ac/pixelversity
Public School Berlin (Germany)
The Public School is a school with no curriculum. It is not accredited, it does not give out degrees, and it has no affiliation with the public school system. It is a framework that supports autodidactic activities, operating under the assumption that everything is in everything. The Public School was initiated in Los Angeles in 2007 by Telic Arts Exchange, and exists in several places worldwide since. The Public School Berlin opened in fall 2010 and is currently hosted by Archive Kabinett in Berlin Kreuzberg. Represented by Fiona Geuss, Founding Member. http://thepublicschool.org/berlin
Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design (Russia)
Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design is an international education project launched in 2010. A post-graduate research institute with a curriculum designed by Rem Koolhaas/AMO, Strelka also hosts public lectures and workshops, publishes books and consults on urban development. Represented by Liya Safina, Learning Facilitator. http://strelka.com
THNK (Netherlands)
THNK, the Amsterdam School of Creative Leadership, has a mission, to accelerate and develop the next generation of creative leaders that will have societal impact on the world. THNK brings together curious and forward-thinking executives, thought leaders, and organizations across the world, across diverse industries and fields, for a distinctive experiential learning experience in creative leadership. Represented by Tuija Pulkkinen, Founding Participant of THNK and alumni (first registered student of THNK); Emer Beamer, Curriculum Development Contributor and alumni, Founder of the Dutch School. http://thnk.org
Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture represented by Marianne Möller and Elena Khoroshkina.
Funding & Supporting partners
The event is funded and supported by Norden’s The Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture programme, Russian Venture Company, and Russian innovation company i-Free.
Use of venues Aalto ADDLab and Startup Sauna via inkind support.
The organizers wish also to thank the following Russian communications partners for their information support:
Theory and Practice service that brings people and institutions who share an interest in/through educational events;
Edutainme blog about the future of education and technologies that change it;
Apparat online magazine about people and technology;
Paperpaper online city magazine covering events that impact lives of young inhabitants of St. Petersburg.
- See more at: http://www.pixelache.ac/pixelversity/programme-2013/eedays/#sthash.kz772X4Q.dpuf
