Yrjönkoski has a personal study background at SAMK, as well as years of experience collaborating with the institution in other roles.
– For a long time, SAMK has appeared to me as a bold higher education institution, a ‘home of a thousand stories’, which breaks new ground and experiments with new ideas. There is a strong can-do spirit here, along with a sense of pride in being part of SAMK, she says.
In just a few months, she has already met familiar faces from different stages of her life.
– It has been a fast-paced start, but I have received a lot of support. People have been exceptionally helpful, and I have felt very welcome.
Agility is visible in everyday work
According to Yrjönkoski, SAMK’s strength lies in its ability to get things moving.
– I have been genuinely amazed by how big things can be achieved here in an agile way through collaboration.
She believes that the relevance of education lies in continuous dialogue with working life.
– SAMK is a critically important organization for the region. It is not just wanting to do things for the region, but about actually being able to do them.
Yrjönkoski points out that collaboration does not simply mean asking working life what kind of expertise it needs.
– It is often thought that a higher education institution should ask the working life what kind of skills it needs. That is indeed important, but it is worth remembering that the situation could sometimes be the other way round: higher education institutions should also be the ones that working life turns to when asking what it should learn next. The role of a higher education institution is also to be the one with the ability to look beyond today’s and the immediate future’s needs.
Technology is transforming education
According to Yrjönkoski, artificial intelligence and digitalization are having a widespread impact on industries and sectors of society. She emphasizes the responsible use of technology.
– We must also educate our students to become responsible users of artificial intelligence. That is not something that happens automatically, but it places significant demands on education.
She also believes that the field of technology needs a cultural shift, a “renaissance of the engineering identity”.
– Students’ life situations are far more diverse than before. We need to think more carefully about how this highly heterogeneous group of students learns, stays motivated and graduates as skilled professionals.
The future is built on partnerships
In leadership, Yrjönkoski emphasizes listening. According to her, leadership requires aligning organizational goals with people’s everyday realities.
– Everyone needs to be heard. A shared direction emerges from understanding how people see and experience their own work and linking that to what we are striving for as a whole. I find SAMK’s culture of discussion to be open and straightforward. Even difficult issues can be addressed constructively. This has reinforced my impression of a thriving community.
Yrjönkoski also highlights the importance of collaboration between higher education institutions, as the future strength lies in partnerships.
– An independent regional higher education institution is essential, but that does not rule out collaboration. On the contrary, deep collaboration creates new, more diverse opportunities for students and strengthens the future of the entire region.
In just a few months, Katariina Yrjönkoski has already seen a great deal. According to her, SAMK has a strong culture of action, a genuine connection with working life, and the ability to renew itself. Together, these reinforce SAMK’s role as a regional forerunner.
