Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Program Speakers 2020

Dr. Erja Vitikka works as Counsellor of education at the Finnish National Agency for Education. Vitikka’s main assignments relate to strategic planning of the development and implementation of the Finnish national core curriculum in basic education. She is also involved in the development of student assessment in basic education. Vitikka has a doctorate in education. She has studied the structure of Finnish curriculum design from the viewpoint of the characteristics of subject content and pedagogy

Dr. Mirjam Virtanen works as a principal in Turku International School. Virtanen has previously worked as a vice principal in the teacher training school (Turun normaalikoulu) and as a teacher. In addition, she has worked in development co-operation in Eastern Africa for several years. Virtanen has a doctorate in education. She studied the emotional competency of teachers through emotional intelligence (EI). The research explained how Finnish class teachers assess their own emotional competency and how important they think these issues are in teaching and principals work.

Work experience

City of Espoo

• Director of Education and Cultural Services, 1 Feb 2019–
• Deputy Director of Education and Cultural Services, 10 Dec 2018–31 Jan 2019
• Principal, Etelä-Tapiolan lukio upper secondary school, 2001–2018
• Deputy Director of Education at the Finnish Education unit, 1 Sep 2014–31 Aug 2015
• Censor, Matriculation Examination Board, 2001–
• Full-time teacher of History and Social Studies, Etelä-Tapiolan lukio upper secondary school, 1996–2000
• Full-time teacher of History and Social Studies, Karakallion yläkoulu secondary school, 1988–1996 

Toni Lehtinen, organization secretary in The Finnish Association of Principals since 2010. Responsible for association on a daily basis and especially events and trainings.  Currently studying MBA, Future management and customer based business model in Laurea University of Applied Sciences. In my spare time I enjoy activies with my dog and various sports. Former Futsal Fifa Referee.

My name is Agneta Torsell. I have been working as a principal for about 15 years in Lagstads skola in Espoo (grades 1-10 with about 500 students and 60 teachers and school assistants). Lagstads skola is a school for Swedish speaking children. I am also a principal for two small schools, Bemböle skola and Rödskogs skola, both with grades 1-4 and about 50 students and 6 adults in each school. Before I started as a principal I worked as a teacher in grades 1-6. At the age of 18 I got my first job as a substitute teacher (in Lagstads skola) for one year and I was totally hooked – that was the best job I ever had. I stayed for two years in Espoo and then moved to Vasa to study in the University to become a primary school teacher. I think being a teacher and also a principal is actually the best work you can ever have – yes it has days you really question why you chose this job, but when you get to be with all the fantastic students and grown ups in my schools you just love it. And you know how it goes, I married a teacher and my oldest daughter is now in Vasa University studying to become a teacher…

Olli-Pekka Heinonen is Director General at the Finnish National Agency for Education. Mr. Heinonen has been Minister of Education and Science (1994-1999), Minister of Transport and Communication (1999-2002) and MP (1995-2002). He has also been Television Director in the Finnish Public Broadcasting Company and State Secretary in five different ministries.

Mr. Heinonen has had a number of positions of trust serving the society in a wide scale. Mr. Heinonen holds a Master’s degree in Laws. He is married and has three children.

Arto Kallioniemi is currently working as a Professor of Religious Education and Vice Dean of International affairs, Societal Interaction and Equality at the University of Helsinki, Faculty of Educational Sciences. He is also UNESCO Chair on Values, Dialogue and Human Rights, and alum of the ASLA-Fulbright Visiting Scholar program as well as Study of the U.S. Institute for Scholars.

Tapio Lahtero (Ph.D., Adjunct Professor) has been making his career both in the education departments of municipalities and at the universities. He graduated as a primary teacher at the University of Turku in 1993 and made his doctoral theses at the University of Jyväskylä in 2011 with the topic “Leadership culture at schools”. eMBA exam in Leadership in the public management he finished in 2015 at the University of Tampere. 

Tapio Lahtero has worked for over twenty years as a principal, as a regional principal and as the head of the comprehensive schools in the education department in City Vantaa. Since 2015 he is the Administrative Principal of both Teacher Training Schools of the University of Helsinki – Viikki Teacher Training School and Helsinki Normallyceum. 

Tapio Lahtero has been educating principals and leaders of education departments of municipalities at the Universities of Jyväskylä and Turku. Currently he works as the leader of the principal training program in the university of Helsinki. He has published several research articles about leadership culture, strategic leadership and pedagogical leadership.

Marja Martikainen has made her career in the teacher education at the University of Helsinki. She studied at the University of Helsinki, graduated as a German and Swedish teacher. She has been working as a language teacher, university lecturer, researcher and developer of the Subject Teacher training. At the University of Helsinki she has also taken part in the quality assurance process, research projects in language education and assessment, curriculum processes and several international projects in teacher education. Currently she is part of the Leadership team at the University of Helsinki's distinguish Teacher Training schools and active principal of the Secondary School.

Beside her university career she has been working as a textbook author, as an external evaluator in international mobility programmes, as an expert in language education for the National Agency for Education and as an in-service teacher and principal educator.

Another remarkable international work experience for her was to lead the work of a local team to create the new national core curriculum for German and other languages in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2004. Since 2015 she has been cooperating with Beijing Normal University affiliated schools in China.

In 2008 Marja Martikainen was rewarded by the FIPLV (Fédération internationale des professeurs de langues vivantes) with the International Award Certificate of Honour.

Director of Development Ms Tarja Mykrä has a long and versatile experience in the field of education. Currently she is responsible for diverse development projects in Mercuria. She is also a vocational teacher and a specialist in coaching, mentoring, student-centered teaching methods, and work-based learning. Ms. Mykrä has several publications in the field of her specialist areas. She has received two Fulbright grants: Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching 2015-2016 and Fulbright Leaders for Global Schools Travel Grantee 2019.

Principal, CEO Ms Tiina Immonen has been in Mercuria Business College for over 30 years. She has worked as a vocational teacher, student counsellor, vice principal and since 2011 as Principal. Ms Immonen is an enthusiast of young people, and she has achieved creating a genuine working culture of care, appreciation and trust. She has been working actively to increase the appreciation for vocational education. Ms Immonen has been a trailblazer for the ideas of competence-based evaluation and that of personalisation. She was awarded as The Leader of Vocational Education of 2018.

International coordinator Hilla Helasaari is working with a variety of Mercuria’s international projects. She has almost ten years of experience on international work in Mercuria. Many of the international projects are funded by European Union, Erasmus+ funds. International projects mainly focus on entrepreneurship and robotics with students from vocational education. In addition to the international work Mrs Helasaari is responsible of sending 30-40 students yearly to work abroad as part of their studies. Co-operation with companies and development of working life connections and practices is also on Mrs Helasaari’s responsibility.

Vice principal Mr Markus Oedewald is currently in charge of developing pedagogy of young students in different learning environments (school, eKampus, work). His work consists mainly on management and leadership including strategy planning, pedagogical and curriculum management, supervising development managers and student counsellors, and co-operation with companies and other stake holders. As he has extensive experience and education in International Business Cultures and Tourism Business his area of responsibility includes many international and domestic projects.

Salme Sulander started her teaching career as a foreign language teacher, but has already 25 years of experience as a principal. She has worked at all levels of education, from elementary to adult education. She has a passion for international cooperation and has a lot of experience of organizing both student and teacher exchange projects with schools abroad, for example, in England, Germany, Chile and Australia. 

Anne-Marie Rapo is currently working as the Principal of an international, comprehensive English-language school in Finland. Earlier in her career, she worked as a teacher, an education planner and mentor teacher. She is a popular presenter on Finnish education. Ms Rapo holds a Master of Arts degree in modern languages from the University of Helsinki, Finland.

MA Eero Kling has 16 years of experience working as a comprehensive school principal. His current school has special emphasis on music and dance and over 40% of its students have an immigrant background. He started out as a history and social studies teacher in high school. He has worked as a principal in three different schools and has experience in running both bigger and smaller schools. He has an active role in the principals' association and is interested in making research about how school leaders should be led.