Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (DIAK) is a Finnish university of applied sciences that, like VID, is a merger of former diaconal educational institutions. DIAK offers bachelor's and master's degree programmes in social work, health, diaconal work and interpretation services. The college has 3,700 students and 250 employees spread across 5 campuses, the largest of which is in Helsinki.
Last week in October, four VID employees from Stavanger travelled with an Erasmus+ mobility grant to visit DIAK: Kjersti Helene Haarr, head of studies for the master's programme in citizenship and interaction, Trine Alise Magne, senior lecturer at the programme, Helene Tveit Eik, study consultant with special responsibility for the master's programme and Kristin Fjelde Tjelle, head of the institute of Health.
BIP
The purpose of the Erasmus+ stay was to become better acquainted with DIAK's master's programme, organisation and profiling of these, and the pedagogical models. We also discussed further cooperation on student exchange and a very specific collaboration on a so-called BIP (Blended Intensive Program) at master's level, which for the Master in Citizenship is scheduled to be carried out for the first time in spring 2024 at VID Stavanger.
DIAK had set up an exciting program. We discussed joint project opportunities, and the possibilities for cooperation between our institutions. We see that we can achieve student exchange at master’s level, especially within the elective course’s students have in their master's programme.
DIAK offers 7 experience-based master's programs in the health and social care field, all of them worth 90 ECTS credits. Two of these are English-speaking and five Finnish-speaking. In its development and continuousrevision of the programs, the college wants close cooperation with the world of work and also to respond to the needs of society. All programs are offered as online studies, with no collections on campus, and are thus highly accessible and flexible. In addition, students are offered local (non-digital) supervision by DIAK staff on an hourly basis. It was interesting to learn more about DIAK's systematic work through several years with digital pedagogical models, with digital guidance and with the organization of the study courses for students at master's level.
Master School
The concept of DIAK Master School is currently being worked on. The aim is to offer attractive and practice-oriented master's programmes that are characterised by DIAK's profile and which appear with a unified organisation, unified pedagogy, with common compulsory courses, specialisations and a portfolio of elective courses. In the DIAK Master School, great emphasis will also be placed on identifying the master's student's distinctive profile and need for guidance and advice during the course of study. DIAK Master School further wants to develop as a strong brand, nationally as well as internationally.
We found it very exciting and inspiring to get involved in the ongoing work of DIAK Master School. We believe that VID has a lot to learn from DIAK's systematic and thorough work with profile, pedagogy, digitization, organization and focus on the master's student's course of study. We also have a lot to learn in terms of common structures and utilization of expertise and resources across the master's programs.
Hospitality
During the stay, we got a tour of the beautiful campus DIAK has in Helsinki. Among other things, we got to see both an open office cabinet with "free-seating" for the employees, and a quiet reading room that was common to students and employees. We also got guided tours of classrooms, simulation rooms and libraries.
We got to meet fantastic colleagues from DIAK, and are now left with many new impressions, new knowledge, and an appreciation that we were so well received.
View from the 5th floor of DIAK's campus in Helsinki (Photo Helene Tveit Eik)