In the fall of 2024, an international project was undertaken by a project team consisting of business students from Laurea University of Applied Sciences (Laurea) in Finland, along with exchange students. The goal of the project was to create an e-book aimed at spreading knowledge about Working Life Connected (WLC). This e-book was published in three languages—English, Portuguese, and Spanish—and its purpose was to showcase the national projects carried out by Brazilian and Paraguayan institutions as part of the HEIComp project which is financed by EU Erasmus Capacity Building Program. The HEIComp project is implemented by nine international partners and coordinated by Laurea.
HEIComp partners are:
- Laurea University of Applied Sciences
- Polytechnic of Porto (IPP, Portugal)
- Transylvania University of Brașov (UniTBv, Romania)
- Vale do Gorutuba Faculty (FAVAG, Brazil)
- National Telecommunications Institute (INATEL, Brazil)
- University Center of Southern Minas Gerais (UNIS, Brazil)
- U.Experience Consultancy, Lectures & Training (U.Experience, Brazil)
- Autonomous University of Encarnación (UNAE, Paraguay)
- National University of Itapua (UNI, Paraguay)
The project also had a broader mission: to communicate and disseminate the outcomes of the HEIComp initiative, ensuring that the impact of project-based learning and international cooperation was clearly shared with all involved. The e-book is part of the larger dissemination strategy, aimed at meeting key performance indicators outlined in the HEIComp communication plan.
“It has been rewarding to work with such diverse people and to implement communication for HEIComp. The project has also taught many new skills and provided valuable experiences“, says Silja Saranen, a business management student who served as the communication manager in the project.
The primary objective of this project was to highlight studies conducted with WLC methodology in Brazil and Paraguay. The project involved 13 students from Laurea studying various fields such as Market Entry, Service Design, Digital Marketing and Sales, and Project Management. Working together, the team successfully created the e-book as part of their fall semester coursework, learning essential skills related to service design, market entry, digital marketing and project management (figure 1).
The e-book – Showcasing Brazilian and Paraguyan HEIComp Projects and Methodologies
The e-book content includes Brazilian and Paraguayan HEIComp WLC projects descriptions. It was developed in collaboration with members of the HEIComp consortium and U.Experience marketing team, with the aim of reaching students, teachers, academic partners, and organizations across Brazil and Paraguay. The e-book emphasized the results, impacts, and methodologies of these projects, with dynamic content such as images, videos, and detailed descriptions of each project.
The e-book presents a total of 19 projects. For each project, it provides basic information (such as the academic institute, number of students, professors in charge, time period, and methods), objectives, student benefits, and project results. The e-book will be available on HEIComp’s website as shown in Figure 2.
“I have enjoyed leading the team. The project has not been the easiest, but it has taught a lot and provided valuable skills for the future“, says Tiia Räisänen, a business administration student who served as the project manager.
Highlighting Success Through Collaboration and Impact
By making public the success of projects carried out under the WLC methodology, the project aimed to engage students, teachers, Brazilian and Paraguayan HEIs (Higher Education Institutions), and external organizations to learn about HEIComp and its methodology. The engagement strategy included social networks and website visibility, along with marketing materials such as photos, videos, and text to disseminate the e-book.
This project not only highlighted the achievements of the HEIComp initiative but also demonstrated the power of international collaboration and project-based learning in higher education.
Here is the link to access the e-book: https://heicomp.com/ebook/
@heicomp project is funded by #erasmusplus #capacitybuilding
Co-author: Matilda Nylund
