Cooperation trip to Finland

Textile Studies, Craft Education and Makerspaces

Third-party funding by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Education for the University of Osnabrück/Textile Design

Textile Studies, Craft Education and Makerspaces was the core of a cooperation trip of the Textile Design Department of the University of Osnabrück to Finland to universities and institutions there. The Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture supports the cooperation project with funding from the INTENSIVinternational program to strengthen European cooperation in the full amount of 10,000 euros. The project will now be continued with a concretization of the cooperation and the exploration of cooperation possibilities between Finnish universities, the University of Osnabrück as a university in Lower Saxony and the Dutch Textile Research Centre in Leiden.

Internationalization is a key topic in the strategy process of the University of Osnabrück. The goal is to increase the exchange and generation of international young scientists. Research landscapes with individual countries are to be established, taking into account research priorities. The goal is to increase the attractiveness of the location in the international university landscape and to attract international students and scientists.

The Nordic countries have an understanding of craft education that goes far beyond school education. The goal is lifelong learning as an educational concept that transcends generations, cultures and disciplines. In addition to education at universities, this craft education finds particular expression in participatory makerspaces. International contacts in Finland are universities in Rovaniemi, Turku/Rauma and Helsinki/Eespo.

A report about the trip at Digital Weaving Norway: Finland Travel Diaries: Textile Studies, Craft Education and Makerspaces

Caption: Aalto University/Entrance hall; University Helsinki: Weaving Workshop with Prof. Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen and Prof. Sirpa Kokko; Urs Dierker explaining his circular costume design to Prof. Bärbel Schmidt; Gloves/Local Heritage Museum Rovaniemi; Makerspace Völtila/Pirita Lauri with Digitaljacquard TC2; handwoven woolen Ranuus/Local Heritage Museum Rovaniemi; University Turku/Rauma Campus/Craft Teacher Education; Jätermateraalikengät/Ana Nuutinen/Art Exhibition by staff from University of Lapland/Arktikum Rovaniemi.

Photos: Prof.in Dr. Bärbel Schmidt/Dipl. Des. Lucia Schwalenberg