ESTABLISHMENT OF A FUND FOR INTERNATIONAL ALUMNI NETWORKS IN THE FINNISH UNIVERSITIES OF APPLIED SCIENCES, Case: JAMK University of Applied Sciences. The goal is to find the elements needed to create a win-win situation between JAMK University of Applied Sciences and the international alumni and third parties.
Topic introduction
The views of the international graduate students were collected through a quantitative survey targeting the international graduate students at JAMK University of Applied Sciences.
Internationalization of the alumni networks
As international alumni play such a key role in the future of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences, it is surprising to note that the internationalization process of alumni networks is still quite inadequate.
Research problem
Research questions
2 KEY PRINCIPLES OF BRANDING AND NETWORKING IN INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS OF THE FINNISH UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES. In the following chapters, the authors will try to illuminate the theories of networking and branding, and show how they are key elements in the process of creating a successful international alumni network.
The Core of Networking
If one of the guests is given a suggestion for a particular wine served at the party, The international network of graduates is somewhat similar to the party example presented in previous chapters.
The Core of Branding
This is something that Finnish universities of applied sciences are going through with the legislative transformation in the next few years. Currently, Aalto University has one of the strongest brands in the Finnish education system.
Internationalization of the Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences
The university, at least from the alumni point of view, could be seen as the most attractive school in Finland since it has such a large number of alumni registered. The authors believe that the answer lies in the merger process and the publicity that Aalto University gained from high-ranking politicians and members of the education sector, public figures and highly respected figures nationally and internationally.
Finnish alumni network models
Membership may involve a fee, but in most Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences and their graduate organizations membership is currently free. Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, HAAGA-HELIA University of Applied Sciences and JAMK University of Applied Sciences.
Issues in the existing alumni network models
For example, the way Finnish people communicate differs from the way Chinese people communicate with each other. Although the former students have become more international and familiar with other cultures during their time at the host school, the problems can arise when they return to their home country and readjust to their original culture due to social pressures. A large number of potential professionals leave Finland and return to their home country or another more attractive country.
One of the main national goals of the internationalization process of the Finnish universities of applied sciences is to integrate the international students and make them a workforce in the local areas of the universities of applied sciences. Strong international alumni networks can be essential as they can be used as a support network for the graduating students and help the alumni find jobs and fit into the culture permanently. The problem with the two existing alumni network models is the little effort put into the international alumni.
Information sent to alumni is in most cases only in Finnish, meetings and events take place and are mainly aimed at Finnish students, and there is a lack of awareness when targeting international students.
Research methods and approaches
Population and sample
If the number of cases is small, Kananen says they can all be included in the study. If the number is large, you should consider including only a subset of cases. Due to the small population, it was not necessary to apply a sampling method, but a full enumeration method was applied, meaning that the sample includes all cases in the population.
Data collection
The third part focused on the brand of JAMK University of Applied Sciences and what the school could offer to the alumni and what the alumni could offer it so that a win-win situation could be achieved.
Reliability and validity
It was chosen as the survey executive tool because of its ability to collect data anonymously, contact respondents anonymously, and also because of the reliable nature of the program. In the planning phase, the survey was examined by the employer of the thesis and the international office staff of JAMK Hogeschool. The selection of the target group influences the validity of the research.
It was determined that the group would consist of both Finnish and foreigners from the international programs of JAMK University of Applied Sciences, as this would ensure the authentic opinion of all parties who would eventually join the international alumni network. The response rate of 36% is also a clear indicator of validity, as is the distribution of the responding students across all programmes. There are different types of people within the population and their attitudes towards the subject can influence the way they answer the questions. Another point of concern in terms of validity is the number of female respondents: 68% of the respondents were female.
This may be because the women were more interested in the research or because there were more women than men in the study programmes. Overall, the reliability and validity in this study are at a good level, at least from the point of view of the authors.
Background data
This is what is to be expected when the population consists of degree students at the bachelor's level. After analyzing the influences of the age distribution, it is time to look at the citizenships of the respondents. This question was included to see the ratio of the respondents who were Finnish compared to non-Finn.
There is a chance that nationality and cultural differences may affect the answers of the respondents. Since the difference between Finns and non-Finns is relatively small, it shows that the views of the foreign respondents are also included in the survey. If you look at Figure 8, the gender of the respondents, it can be seen that female respondents were a majority.
We also included the "other, specify" option in the survey, as it is politically correct these days. The effects of the study program were analyzed in the previous part of the thesis.
JAMK International Alumni Network – Student POV
The purpose of the set of questions was to determine the current state of the international alumni network at the JAMK University of Applied Sciences and to give an indication of what the respondents want regarding the development of the international alumni network. Only a third of the respondents had heard of the existing international network of JAMK graduates of the University of Applied Sciences. The vast majority of respondents stated that they should be contacted during their studies rather than at the end.
52% of the respondents answered that they should be contacted during the 2nd or 3rd year of study. The next question, shown in Figure 12, illustrates the respondents' views on who should be the person who contacts them about the international alumni network. Determining the interests of the respondents gives an idea of the future interests of the alumni.
One of the basic questions related to the creation of the international alumni network is the structure of the network. There is a visible indication that a strong school presence is desirable, and that the school should be in charge of the alumni activities.
Networking
As shown in Figure 16, a staggering 61% of respondents said they would be interested in using the alumni intranet, and 39% would think about it. Estimate the usefulness of the following social media tools for the JAMK international alumni network. On average, most of the social media tools were seen as somewhat useful, with the exception of Plaxo, which is most likely quite unknown to respondents.
The popularity of the social media tools may have influenced the respondents more than the usefulness of the tool itself. LinkedIn would be a valid existing social media tool, but it seems that over half of the respondents do not use it at all. One of the most interesting questions in the survey was the question of local umbrella networks, as it was something new that the respondents did not know beforehand.
Looking deeper into the overarching network system, 30% of respondents said they would be interested in coordinating their local networks and 42% would consider doing so. 58% of respondents said they were interested and 32% said they were considering it.
Branding
These results indicate the likelihood of joining and starting the potential of the international alumni network. In addition to a strong brand, it also requires a structured way to introduce the international alumni network to current students at the school. According to the survey, 35% of respondents would like JAMK University of Applied Sciences to approach them about the international alumni network during the first two years of their studies.
The school's role is to act as a link between graduates and students. An example of entering the international alumni network is shown in figure 28. Respondents are already interested in being active participants in the international alumni network, thanks to the school's strong brand.
JAMK University of Applied Sciences is at the top level and its role is to act as an enabler for the international alumni network. Next to it are the strategic partners, companies that work together with JAMK University of Applied Sciences and their employees and students, as well as the alumni from the international alumni network. Creating a win-win situation between the alumni and the school should be a priority and a goal from day one in the creation of the international alumni network.
This can be done by measuring the brand value of the school and the international alumni network.
