The Summer Academy is an immersion programme organized in collaboration with Proakatemia, an entrepreneurship unit at Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK), renowned for its expertise in innovation. This programme provides students with the opportunity to explore the societal and economic challenges of Northern Europe, while fostering interactions between Finnish and Swiss students who participated in the event. Students were divided into interdisciplinary and intercultural groups to tackle challenges assigned by local organizations, using methodologies they studied during their first year of training.
In addition to practical projects, students visited innovation ecosystems at the Tampere and Rovaniemi centers and participated in conferences on entrepreneurship. They also conducted a workshop on innovation processes with TAMK Bachelor students. Cultural activities included visits to nature reserves around Lake Vesijärvi and a tour of Arktikum, the museum of Lapland history.
Students also experienced Finnish student life and culture through interactions with their peers, particularly by sharing meals during their stay.
Full-time students attend the Summer Academy between semesters 2 and 3. For part-time students, the Summer Academy takes place between semesters 4 and 5.
The aims of the Summer Academy are to:
- Develop critical thinking skills and the ability to reflect on complex situations in a rapidly changing, internationalized world.
- Understand how innovation functions within the socio-cultural and economic context of Northern Europe.
- Enhance students' theoretical knowledge by introducing them to new working methods and refining their practical skills.
- Encourage student mobility by fostering reflection on cultural differences and preparing them to become global citizens.
- Increase the international visibility of the Innokick Master's program and, in turn, enhance the quality of teaching at HES-SO Master's.
- Promote the Innokick innovation process.
L'Académie d'été 2025 :
Pour leur Académie d’été les étudiant·es de deuxième année sont partis au Québec du 18.08.25 au 29.08.25. La première semaine s'est déroulée à Montréal où les étudiant·es ont travaillé sur un défi en collaboration avec Art souterrain, une référence canadienne en matière d’intégration de toutes formes d’art dans les espaces publics et environnements atypiques. Lors de cette semaine, ils ont également visité des entreprises, des incubateurs et des ateliers d’artistes.
La deuxième semaine, les étudiant·es se sont rendus à Trois-Rivières pour la partie du programme en collaboration avec l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). Le programme a débuté par une visite du campus et s'est poursuivi par la découverte d'un centre d’entrepreneuriat et d’innovation ainsi que d'un centre manufacturier.
