Capacity Building Workshop: Developing Sustainable Partnerships with U.S. HEIs and International Student Services to Increase Student Mobility
The Fulbright Finland Foundation organized a capacity-building workshop to support Finnish higher education institutions in their efforts to develop sustainable and successful partnerships with U.S. institutions to increase student mobility from the United States. Together with expert speakers, participants shared best practices in partnership building as well as in hosting U.S. students and compile concrete ideas on the workshop resources site for developing institutional partnerships as well as international student services.
The training included an introductory Pre-Event Webinar on Insights into the U.S. Higher Education System as well as a full-day training event in Helsinki that ended with a networking reception hosted by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.
The events were free of charge.
Workshop Takeaways:
Key Factors and Best Practices for Partnership Building
Compilation of key factors and best practices shared by the workshop speakers and participants.
Pre-Event Webinar
March 12, 2025 at 14:30-15:45
Insights to the U.S. Higher Education System
Based on the feedback from the pre-event survey conducted for the Finnish HEIs, the training day was preceded by an introductory virtual session on the theme of U.S. higher education. The webinar focused on the basics of the U.S. higher education system, its unique features, and the broader landscape in which the institutions operate on the U.S. side.
- Leasa Weimer, Director for Global Partnerships, University of Denver, Colorado; Fulbright U.S. Fellow 2011-12 and Fulbright Finland Foundation staff alum
View the recording of the webinar
Program of the Capacity Building Workshop
March 19, 2025
Helsinki Congress Paasitorni, Paasivuorenkatu 5 A, Helsinki
Meeting room: Karhupuisto-Brahenkenttä, 3rd floor
8:30 Registration and Breakfast
9:00 Welcome and Introduction to the Capacity Building Workshop
- Terhi Mölsä, CEO, Fulbright Finland Foundation
9:05 Fulbright Finland Grant Programs Supporting Institutional Collaborations
- Emmi Jelekäinen, Program Manager, Scholar Programs, Fulbright Finland Foundation
- Karoliina Kokko, Senior Program Manager, Fulbright Finland Foundation
9:20 Trends in the U.S.: Partnerships & Student Mobility
- Leasa Weimer, Director for Global Partnerships, University of Denver, Colorado; Fulbright U.S. Fellow 2011-12 and Fulbright Finland Foundation staff alum
9:50 U.S. Institutions’ Insights: International Student Partnerships
- Chun-Hsing Ho, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; 2024-25 Fulbright-Tampere University Scholar Award (see presentation here)
- Risto Marttinen, George Mason University; 2024-25 Fulbright U.S. Scholar (see presentation here)
- Julie Shortridge, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; 2024-25 Fulbright-University of Oulu Scholar Award (see presentation here)
- Facilitator: Leasa Weimer, Director for Global Partnerships, University of Denver, Colorado; Fulbright U.S. Fellow 2011-12 and Fulbright Finland Foundation staff alum
- (Additional) Julianne Newmark Engberg, University of New Mexico; 2024-24 Fulbright-Tampere University Scholar Award (see video on an interview with the University of New Mexico's Executive Director of Global Education Initiatives)
University of New Mexico’s Executive Director of Global Education Initiatives on their international partnership practices
10:20 Break
10:35 Inspirational Practices from Finnish HEIs Collaborating with U.S. HEIs
- Utilizing Fulbright Finland for partnership building with U.S. Institutions
Tia-Maria Sjöblom, International Relations Adviser, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences: Fulbright Finland Travel Grants for Institutional Partnership Building alum - Aalto University School of Business partnerships with U.S. universities – Best practices and lessons learned
Saila Kurtbay, Head of International Affairs, Aalto University - Utilizing ISEP and north2north for student mobility with the U.S.
Igor Tanskanen, Specialist, International Mobility Services, Tampere University - Facilitator: Leasa Weimer, Director for Global Partnerships, University of Denver, Colorado; Fulbright U.S. Fellow 2011-12 and Fulbright Finland Foundation staff alum
Small Group Discussions: Sharing Inspirational Practices
11:50 Lunch (Paasiravintola, 2nd floor)
12:50 Mapping out “Sweet Spots” to Engage with U.S. Institutions
Small Group Discussions: Opportunities/Challenges & Creative Solutions
- Facilitator: Leasa Weimer, Director for Global Partnerships, University of Denver, Colorado; Fulbright U.S. Fellow 2011-12 and Fulbright Finland Foundation staff alum
13:50 Coffee Break
14:05 U.S. Student View: Practical Tips for Developing International Student Services
- Ava Asmus, 2024-25 Fulbright-LUT University Graduate Award
- Jack Donell, Exchange Student from the University of Southern California at Aalto University
- Andrew Greene, 2024-25 Fulbright-University of Turku Graduate Award
- Katelyn Moje, 2024-25 Fulbright-LUT University Graduate Award
- Natalie Schirmacher, 2024-25 Fulbright-Tampere University Graduate Award
- Facilitator: Leasa Weimer, Director for Global Partnerships, University of Denver, Colorado; Fulbright U.S. Fellow 2011-12 and Fulbright Finland Foundation staff alum
Small Group Discussions: Sharing Inspirational Practices
15:10 Discussion in Small Groups on Best Practices and Next Steps in Establishing/Developing Partnerships with U.S. Institutions
- Facilitator: Leasa Weimer, Director for Global Partnerships, University of Denver, Colorado; Fulbright U.S. Fellow 2011-12 and Fulbright Finland Foundation staff alum
15:50 Closing Words
- Terhi Mölsä, CEO, Fulbright Finland Foundation
16:00 End of Workshop
16:15 – 18:00 Networking Reception Hosted by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture
- Remarks by Jonna Korhonen, Director, Division for Higher Education Policy, Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture
Speaker bio: Leasa Weimer
Leasa Weimer is the Director for Global Partnerships at the University of Denver, Colorado, USA, and provides strategic thought-leadership and vision to develop an integrated partnership approach. Previously, she worked in Europe for over a decade, holding positions at the Fulbright Commission in Helsinki, the European Association for International Education (EAIE), and as a research fellow at the University of Jyväskylä. She has authored/edited numerous international publications and was a Principal Investigator for research projects with the Finnish Ministry for Education and Culture and UNESCO. Weimer holds a doctorate from the University of Georgia, USA, and received a Fulbright grant to conduct her dissertation fieldwork in Finland. She also received an Erasmus Mundus joint master's degree, where she lived and studied in Norway, Finland, and Portugal and served as the president of the Erasmus Mundus Student & Alumni Association.
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These activities are funded in part through the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture and a U.S. Study Abroad Engagement Grant from USA Study Abroad within the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.