Training Catalogue for Faculty & Staff in Unite! Universities
On this page you can find the upcoming trainings for faculty and staff offered by Unite! universities.
Unite! opportunities for faculty and staff
On this page, you will find different ways teachers, researchers and staff can benefit from and get involved with Unite! alliance. From different channels for collaboration to staff weeks, we invite you to meet Unite! colleagues from other universities to share practices and learn from each other.
Unite! alliance consists of nine technical universities across Europe, and offers multiple opportunities for collaboration and innovation for Aalto staff.
Unite! for teachers
Here you will find all international collaboration opportunities for teachers, as well as types of support available from Aalto and Unite!. On this page you will find information about Unite! as a matchmaking platform for academics and international projects, funding instruments and process examples of the different collaboration opportunities and the related local contacts.
Internationalisation of online courses, or the Virtual Exchange Credit Programme (VECP), is a way to make adding an international component to one's study plan easier for students. VECP is thus more inclusive for all students to take part in, and helps in widening their knowledge by gaining access to a larger course base. Also, teachers benefit from the input from students who study at another university. VECP offers a more international and intercultural learning environment, and acts as a practical addition to physical student mobility.
The process
VECP courses are all taught and assessed completely online, and the courses are chosen from the existing curriculum. The courses are added to the Unite! course catalogue, after which students from Unite! partner universities can apply to said courses. After a selection period, the students are given their study rights, orientation packages and then added to the course. Once the course is finished, the students transfer the credits to their home university study plans with the help of their local student services.
Examples of courses offered by Aalto professors in the past:
- Energy engineering: EEN-E3001 Fundamentals of Industrial Energy Engineering, PHYS-E0483 Advances in New Energy Technologies, PHYS-E6570 Solar Energy Engineering D, 31C01300: Energy and Environmental Economics
- Architectural engineering: ARK-E1023 Parametric Design, ARK-E1024 Algorithmic Design D
- Language and cultural competence courses: LC-0614 Developing Global Competence: Working in an International Virtual Team, LC-7003 Survival Finnish Online, LC-1322 Thesis Writing for Engineers (MSc)
How to get involved:
Do you have a course that is taught online or could be taught online? Contact your local Unite! VECP support at Aalto: Melina Nummi (melina.nummi@aalto.fi)
Important to note:
- Virtually attending students may require more guidance at the beginning of the course.
- It is important for the teacher to create opportunities for Aalto students to interact and collaborate with virtually attending Unite! students, especially if the course can also be attended physically.
A Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) is a course that combines physical and virtual learning. A BIP is organised by three different higher education institutions from three different Erasmus+ programme countries and funded by the Erasmus+ mobility programme. For more information about BIPs and how to get involved, go the the BIP Aalto page: Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) | Aalto University
Local support at Aalto:
Melina Nummi (ENG)
Eija Kujanpää (SCI)
Alex Hetrick (ELEC)
Summer schools
Unite! partner universities often offer summer schools for Unite! students to take part in. Some of these summer schools offer opportunities for teachers as well, for example, guest lecturing. Summer schools often utilise the BIP structure, having the course start with a couple of weeks of on-site teaching, and then having the students finish the course online.
You can also create a summer school course yourself and invite colleagues from other Unite! universities to give lectures or co-host the course.
Examples of Unite! summer schools that Aalto University has hosted in the past:
- Design thinking and product development - Unite! | Aalto University
- Communications engineering and data science summer course - Unite! | Aalto University
Aalto University local contact for summer schools: Marcela Acosta Garcia (marcela.acosta@aalto.fi)
Collaborative online international teaching or, as they are called in the Unite! community, COILs, are a way for teachers to create and teach a course with colleagues from another Unite! partner university.
COIL courses are an excellent way to combine teaching expertise from different Unite! universities. They provide the students access to courses that are not taught at Aalto while at the same time giving them the possibility to enhance their intercultural competences with their peers from the partner university.
The COIL model connects accredited courses, linking the classrooms of two or more Unite! universities. Cooperating teachers create a shared syllabus of either already existing courses or to create a new course.
The teachers work closely with all students, but students are awarded grades only at their home institution. The students do not need to be registered at the partner university and the course will be part of both universities’ curriculum. COIL courses are taught either fully online or offered as a hybrid option for the local students. Ideally, students should collaborate virtually in international teams.
The process
Find an international partner to work with. If you don’t have a partner yet but have a topic in mind, we can help you to find a partner within the Unite! network. Make sure you involve the administrators at an early stage to get access to administrative and pedagogical support.
Pilots
We are currently piloting COIL courses within Unite! Please get in touch to find out more.
More about the creation of the course and how to get involved:
Local support at Aalto: Melina Nummi (melina.nummi@aalto.fi)
International joint degree programmes are two-year English-language master's programmes in which students study at two or more universities. Upon successful completion of the two-year studies, the students will receive a double or multiple degree. Unite! supports the development of joint programmes between the alliance partners in various ways. The expert group “Joint Programmes” is working on supporting documentation and tools to boost and facilitate the development of joint programmes. There is also an annual seed funding call for new initiatives related to education.
One of the first Unite! Joint Programmes is CoDaS - Unite! Master of Science in Communications Engineering and Data Science Unite! Master of Science in Communications Engineering and Data Science – Offered by leading European Technical Universities (unite-codas-master.eu). This Master's programme, coordinated by Aalto involves following Unite! partners: Grenoble INP (Graduate Schools of Engineering and Management, Université Grenoble Alpes), Técnico Lisboa at Universidade de Lisboa and UPC Barcelona. The Programme will empower students to solve industry-relevant problems employing cutting-edge tools of artificial intelligence, automation and control theory, data analytics, wireless systems, and signal processing. Students will acquire competences in a range of techniques covering the broad areas of electronics, data science, distributed systems, modelling and analysis of signals and systems, machine learning models, and communication systems. During their studies, students will further acquire expertise in other areas, such as teamwork and coordination, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and sustainability.
If you plan to develop a new international joint master's degree programme or bilateral double degree collaboration with Unite! partners, contact first your school experts in Learning Services (Manager of study affairs or Manager of international relations) and in addition, get in touch with Eija Kujanpää (School of Science, eija.kujanpaa@aalto.fi, coordinator of Unite! 4.2 expert group (Joint Programmes).
Aalto also offers many other international joint programmes International Joint Degree Programmes | Aalto University. Useful information can be found here Programme director's handbook | Aalto University and Preparing a new degree programme | Aalto Universit.
Call for seed funding here Unite! University Alliance Launches Seed Fund to Foster Collaborative Teaching, Research and Student Activities | Aalto University.
Course organisers are often looking for professors in partner universities to give a guest lecture on a specialised topic or to help facilitate a collaborative course. These guest lectures can be organised online. For a bigger role in collaborative courses, a teacher exchange can be arranged (min. 8 teaching hours per week). Further information about the Erasmus+ funding for teacher and staff exchanges for Aalto employees: Erasmus+ mobility grants for staff | Aalto University
The Online Toolkit for Joint Educational Offerings
The toolkit supports academic and administrative staff in building and running joint education. It provides essential tools, guidelines, and best practices from all nine Unite! universities. Link to the Toolkit
The toolkit is dedicated especially to
- Joint Programmes that are degree leading master's programmes run by two or more partner universities,
- Collaborative Courses that are single courses or modules run by two or more partner universities, and
- Virtual Exchangeswhere a university's courses are opened to participants from other Unite! universities.
More information and local support at Aalto:
Eija Kujanpää, International Relations Manager at the School of Science
Online Teaching Digital Toolbox
This online repository contains the elements involved in creating joint online courses, including a technology toolbox, good online teaching practices, and a compilation of activities suitable for an online environment. Link to the Toolbox
Aalto University local support staff will help you look for collaboration opportunities in the Unite! partner universities.
Unite! partner universities:
- Kungliga Tekniska högskolan (KTH) in Sweden: KTH - Sweden’s largest technical university | KTH
- Technische Universität Darmstadt (TUDa) in Germany: Home – TU Darmstadt (tu-darmstadt.de)
- Politechnika Wrocławska (WrocTech) in Poland: Wrocław University of Science and Technology (pwr.edu.pl)
- Technische Universität Graz (TU Graz) in Austria: Home - TU Graz
- Grenoble INP-UGA in France: Université Grenoble Alpes (univ-grenoble-alpes.fr)
- Politecnico di Torino in Italy: Politecnico di Torino (polito.it)
- Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) in Spain: UPC - UPC Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
- Instituto Superior Técnico Lisboa in Portugal: ULisboa | Universidade de Lisboa
Local support at Aalto University: Minna-Kaarina Forssén (minna-kaarina.forssen@aalto.fi)
Seed funding
The seed fund is aimed at stimulating and supporting bottom-up proposals by teachers, researchers and students for collaborative activities and help form sustainable academic and student communities across the nine Unite! universities. More information about the seed fund can be found here. The next application period for seed funding will be in 2027.
If you need ideas for the seed fund or have questions regarding the application, contact Minna-Kaarina Forssén (minna-kaarina.forssen@aalto.fi).
Mobility funding for staff and teacher mobility
Teachers and staff traveling to other Unite! partner universities can apply for Erasmus+ staff and teacher exchange scholarships. More information can be found here: Erasmus+ mobility grants for staff | Aalto University.
BIP funding
An Erasmus+ BIP is a funding instrument for short-term courses that combine physical (min. 5 days) and virtual learning. To be eligible, a BIP course needs to be for a minimum of 3 ECTS and have at least 15-20 mobile participants. The funding is 6000-8000 EUR per course, depending on the number of mobile participants.
For more information about applying for funding: Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) | Aalto University or contact Saara Kilponen (saara.kilponen@aalto.fi).
Help with student engagement and international marketing
Aalto University and Unite! offer help for marketing courses and international opportunities to students. Our student marketing officer and Unite! communications manager can help you reach the target group of the study opportunity you're offering. We can also market the study opportunity in period newsletters and in student guilds. If you want to advertise international opportunities for students or staff, contact our communications manager Melissa Georgiou (melissa.georgiou@aalto.fi).
Local support
Local support is offered for all the above-mentioned activities. You can find contact persons at the end of each listed activity. Help is also available from Aalto University Student services and Learning services of the Aalto University schools.
The Unite! Metacampus is the federated digital learning platform of Unite! Alliance. The learning management system (LMS) serves as a collaborative digital space for staff and students, facilitating joint courses, programs, and training opportunities within the alliance.
Similar to MyCourses, Metacampus is a Moodle-based platform where you make your courses accessible to Unite! partners. Metacampus is ideal for courses where the participants are affiliated with Unite's member universities, as their affiliates can easily log in and enrol in courses without extra work. Metacampus is available in the languages spoken at the partner universities, and it also offers the possibility of issuing Open Badges.
For courses that should grant study credits, accreditation of studies should be agreed in advance with the participants' home universities.
More info and local support at Aalto:
Veruscka Xavier Filgueira, Digital Learning Specialist
veruscka.xavierfilgueira@aalto.fi
Unite! for researchers
Unite! supports especially early career researchers in building European collaboration and networks.
Unite! strives to offer low threshold access to their research infrastructures also for students and researchers as well as external users. Unite! Agora facilitates access to shared research infrastructures among partners, enabling researchers to utilize state-of-the-art facilities and laboratories. This includes high-performance computing platforms, specialized laboratories, virtual reality tools, and specialized equipment. These shared resources enhance research capabilities, accelerate project timelines, and break down geographical barriers for collaboration.
The online research infrastructure catalogue provides detailed information on each RI, including a concise description, a link to the respective website, contact email addresses, availability of technical personnel for external user assistance, and whether it has an online booking system.
Inquire about access from individual research infrastructures.
Unite! Agoraacts as a central notice board, connecting researchers with opportunities for collaboration, project consortia, and seed funding. Researchers can browse and apply for relevant opportunities, expanding their network and securing support for their research endeavors. This platform facilitates the formation of impactful partnerships and accelerates the pursuit of groundbreaking research.
Unite! also organises matchmaking events targeted to researchers, especially in their early career. The last event took place in Grenoble in January 2024 and was focused on health technology.
You can also contact Key Liaison Officer Minna-Kaarina Forssén at Aalto who can help you find research partners at the Unite! universities.
The seed fund stimulates and supports bottom-up proposals by teachers, researchers and students for collaborative activities and help form sustainable academic and student communities across the nine Unite! universities. More information about the seed fund can be found here: Apply for Unite! Seed Fund to foster collaborative teaching, research and student activities
If you need ideas for the seed fund or have questions regarding the application, contact Minna-Kaarina Forssén (minna-kaarina.forssen@aalto.fi).
The handbook reveals the best open science and innovation practices from research teams in the Unite! university alliance, exposes guidelines for the adoption of these practices, and shapes a new governance model for the management of open science and innovation in universities.
Trainings and staff weeks
Wellbeing and inclusion
Well-being at work - best practices (external link)
Best practices guide to improve work-life quality across the nine Unite! universities.
Join the Unite! 21-Day Diversity & Inclusion Challenge (external link)
A self-directed, online and free learning tool designed to deepen your understanding of diversity and inclusion.
Best practices on inclusion and diversity (external link)
The IDEM Toolkit provides best practices and actionable recommendations for Higher Education Institutions.
Testimonial from Yoonjoo Cho, Teacher from the Aalto University Language Centre
Being part of the Unite! community has given me extra perspectives and insights into online teaching and learning. Especially, the development and delivery of an online Unite! course was an interesting process for me as it allowed me to research and teach effective communication in virtual teamwork, which is an integral part of various workplaces in the 21st century. Having Unite! students in the course was also beneficial for Aalto students as they were able to share many interesting viewpoints and experiences, which enabled them to learn from each other’s different perspectives.
Testimonial from Sushant Rajpassi, Lecturer from the Aalto University Design Factory
The 2023 Unite Summer School was a transformative three-week experience where I had the pleasure of teaching a diverse cohort of students from various backgrounds in the realms of Product Development, Futuring, and Extended Reality. Guiding these students was a truly enriching experience, as I adapted my methods to their different backgrounds and was, in turn, inspired by their fresh perspectives, open-mindedness and initiative to learn by doing. Through our journey from concept to solutions, the students became equipped with new technological tools, showcasing their growing skills through visualizations and prototypes.
At Aalto Design Factory, we delved into collaborative innovation, and the Aalto + Unite community played a crucial role, offering a supportive network that enhanced our teaching and learning. Sharing expertise with fellow faculty members proved invaluable, helping to refine and enrich the curriculum. This teaching experience was not just enjoyable but an educational evolution for me, thanks to this platform's supportive and dynamic ecosystem of educators and practitioners.
News
Back on track –workshop series 29.9. & 27.10.2026
Starting Point of Wellbeing is organizing a two-time peer support workshop series for those who have progressed in their studies more slowly than they hoped, or are returning to their studies after a break. The workshop is multilingual, and we use English as the common language.
Can’t find your English course in Sisu? Use the new course codes LC-1124/LC-1125/LC-1126/LC-1127
Note the code changes in some English courses!
The default view in Sisu’s Structure of Studies section will change
The renewed Structure of Studies view will become the primary way to plan your studies.
New! Pilot for teachers: Participate in teaching‑supporting events and earn 1 ECTS
Teacher Services is piloting a model where, alongside Aalto’s pedagogical training, you can earn 1 ECTS by participating in short teaching‑related trainings, community events, and pedagogical peer activities.Events
Open Office with the Dean
Come and meet the Dean Pauliina Ilmonen via Zoom and at the office starting Friday 14 August.
SciSustain: Beyond the Bench Seminar
SciSustain: Beyond the Bench is a one‑day seminar at Aalto University (Otakaari 2A, Living Room) with online streaming. Associate Professor Charles Cai opens with a keynote on aligning research with real‑world constraints to deliver impactful innovation, followed by a policy–industry panel with ECHA, UPM, and Boreal Bioproducts. The “SciSustain Stars on the Stage” session showcases practical frameworks and results, including lyocell‑type transparent film scale‑up, techno‑economic and life‑cycle assessment for commercialization, social LCA for new circular value chains, and the Science Translation Framework 1.0. The afternoon continues with a metrics and framework workshop for invited guests and closes with optional visits to Designs for a Cooler Planet. Join researchers, industry, and policymakers to translate sustainability science into market‑ready solutions.
Open Office with the Dean
Come and meet the Dean Pauliina Ilmonen via Zoom and at the office starting Friday 14 August.