It’s a Done Deal!

I can’t believe it! This thesis process I started nearly 2 years ago is at an end. I’ve turned in my thesis, presented to my peers and hopefully JAMK will take the results and use them to their best benefit. I want to thank all of you wonderful International Business Degree Alumni that helped me along the way! You encouraged me and helped me answer the questions I was desperate to answer. Without you, none of this would have been possible. My most sincere thanks to all of you! What I hope will result will be an alumni network that will get stronger year by year. This network isn’t going anywhere by the way. I still intend to keep this going no matter what! Feel free to drop a line and post on the Facebook pages! Thanks again!

Free Webinar! March 26th, 2013: Key Success Factors in Strategic Development of Clusters

The JAMK Centre for Competitiveness proudly presents a webinar on Key Success Factors in Strategic Development of Clusters!  Don’t miss out.  The webinar will take place on march 26th, 2013 at 14.00 Finnish time (UTC/GMT + 2 hours) = 13.00 Central European Time = 07.00 USA Eastern Standard Time.

• Speaker: Albert Solé, consultant at Cluster Development
• Moderator: Dr. Murat Akpinar, JAMK
• Date: March 26, 2013
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Starting Time: 14.00 Finnish time (UTC/GMT + 2 hours) = 13.00 Central European Time = 07.00 USA Eastern Standard Time

Process: 30 minute presentation by the speaker + 30 minutes time for discussion and questions from the audience. The audience can submit their questions during the first 30 minutes or during the Q&A session to the “Chat” area. The webinar will be video recorded and made available at the blog of JAMK Centre for Competitiveness as well as through the channels of the Competitiveness Institute (TCI) and MoC network.

Participation: You can participate by signing-in as a guest (no password required) at
https://connect.jamk.fi/webinars
We will allow entry five minutes before the start.

Key Success Factors in Strategic Development of Clusters

Clusters have been recognized as an important means for stimulating innovations and fostering competitiveness, economic development and prosperity. Today, about 20 years after the concept of business clusters gained relevance as a tool for economic  development, it is used by countries and regions around the world with varying speeds, particularities and of course different starting points. Cluster initiatives are undertaken to stimulate cluster dynamics and development. Understanding key success factors behind strategic development of clusters is crucial in order to optimize public resources and deploy efficient cluster policies. This webinar aims to serve to this purpose with examples of success stories.

Cluster Development is a Spanish consultancy firm headquartered in Barcelona. It specializes in the strategic and sustainable development of clusters to reinforce the overall competitiveness and long-term profitability of cluster firms. Its team of consultants has applied a results-oriented, innovative and hands-on methodology to more than 140 cluster projects within more than 30 different economic sectors around the world. For more info, please visit http://www.cluster-development.com/

Albert Solé

Albert Solé has 10-year experience in the field of clustering, both from the consulting and the public sector perspective. Previously to joining Cluster Development, he worked for different consulting firms in the US and Europe. Later, at the Catalan Competitiveness Agency (ACC10), he managed the sectorial policies unit in charge of facilitating collective actions to reinforce the competitive position of Catalan economic sectors. He is an active member of European-wide discussion groups in the field of clusters and regular speaker at The Competitiveness Institute congresses. He holds an MBA from the University of San Francisco.

 

Join Free Webinar! Branding – What Can it Offer for High-Tech companies?

For high-tech SME’s it is important to allocate resources to finding the means to compete and succeed. Many high-tech SME companies lack marketing experts and operate with insufficient knowledge to commercialize their technology.

The aim of the webinar is to provide more understanding of branding in high-tech SME’s. In the discussion the special needs of high-tech companies are highlighted which helps them to develop their marketing and branding practices. Moreover, some recommendations of the role of public organisations are provided.

• Title: Branding – what can it offer for high-tech companies?
• Speaker: Heidi Neuvonen, JAMK
• Moderator: Murat Akpinar, JAMK
• Date: September 24, 2012

Time: 14.00 – 14.45 (30 minutes dialogue between speaker and moderator + 15 minutes for answering questions from the audience. Audience should write their questions during the first 30 minutes into the “Chat” area)

You can participate by signing-in as guest (no password required) at 
https://connect.jamk.fi/webinars/

 

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How to Apply for JAMK’s Master’s Degree Programmes (conducted in English) 2012

International Business Management

Selection criteria
The requirements for eligibility are a bachelor’s level degree in the field of business and administration or other equivalent degree, and at least three years (36 months) of relevant work experience after the bachelor’s degree.

The application period is from 5 March to 3 April 2012 (until 4.15 pm. Finnish time, GMT+2). When the application period starts the online application form will be available at http://www.jamk.fi /english.

Please note, that applicants applying with a non-Finnish qualification need to send copies of the certificates to the admissions office. If certificates are written in any other language than Finnish, Swedish or English, you have to enclose authorised translations of the certificates in one of these languages. The translator must sign and stamp the translations. The copies of degree certificates and work certificates must be at our Admissions Office not later than 12 April 2012 (until 4.15 pm Finnish time, GMT+2).

Apply: application form (application period opens 5 March 2012)

Entrance examination

All the applicants who have demonstrated their eligibility will be invited to the entrance examination. Entrance examination will be organized in Finland 22 May 2012.

Student selection is based on the total score of the entrance examination, the grade of bachelor’s thesis, and work experience. Total points from entrance examination are 50 points. The applicant must score at least 20 points in the entrance examination in order to be admitted to the programme.

English language skills are assessed in the entrance examination on a pass/fail basis. An applicant who fails the language test one cannot be admitted to the programme.

Tuition fee for Non-EU/EEA citizens

The Master’s Degree Programmes conducted in English have a tuition fee for NON-EU/EEA citizens. However, there are no tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens who are equivalent to European Union citizens or non-EU/EEA citizens who have a right to permanent residence in Finland.

Non-EU/EEA citizens living permanently in Finland must provide certification of being considered equivalent to a European Union Citizen: a photocopy of the residence permit (the residence permit has the letter P).

The tuition fee for non-EU/EEA citizens is 8000€/academic year, but one has an opportunity to apply for a JAMK’s scholarship. The scholarship may cover maximum half of the tuition fee (max. 4000€). The scholarship application can be filled at the entrance examination.

If you have further questions regarding the tuition fee please contact us by email: admissions(at)jamk.fi

More about selection criteria

Admission points

Entrance examination	50 points
The grade of bachelor’s thesis	30 points
Work experience	20 points
Maximum points	100 points

Work Experience

The minimum requirement regarding work experience is at least three years (36 months) of relevant work experience after the bachelor’s or other equivalent degree.

JAMK accepts work experience also after a vocational college diploma or a higher vocational diploma (in Finnish opisto- tai ammatillisen korkea-asteen tutkinto) before completing a bachelor’s degree. If an applicant has completed one of these diplomas before graduating from the bachelor’s degree the work experience will be accepted also after the prior degree. Even in this case the minimum requirement of work experience from the field is 3 years (36 months).

Only the work experience that exceeds three years (required for eligibility) gives admission points; two month work experience from a relevant field equals to one admission point. The maximum amount of admissions points from work experience is 20 points. The work experience must to be from the field of the degree (used for applying) or from field that the applicant is currently applying. Applicant can count in work experience until 31 July 2012.

In the application it is necessary to fill in work experience as whole months. Part-time work can be transferred into whole months, in a way that, 150 hours or 20 full workdays (at least 7 hours per day) corresponds to one month. Service in an army, non-military service or nursing leave is not considered as work experience.

Admission points from work experience can be recieved only from work experience from which the applicant has work certificate. If an applicant has worked as an entrepreneur it is necessary to provide to the admissions office a document which proves that the applicant has YEL- or MYEL-insurance.

The selection is not final until the original certificates have been checked. If the applicant has given false information about his/her qualifications, it may make him/her ineligible for admission. The original certificates will be checked at the student services in the beginning of studies.

Further Information

Master’s degree programme in International Business Management
Student’s wellbeing at JAMK

JAMK Accepted in Harvard Business School’s Network

by Murat Akpinar

Professor Michael Porter

JAMK has been accepted into the Microeconomics of Competitiveness (MOC) network developed by Professor Michael Porter at the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness at Harvard Business School. There are around 90 affiliate universities in the MOC network. JAMK is the second Finnish institute of higher education to join the network following Aalto University School of Economics.

MOC

MOC is a graduate-level course which explores the determinants of national and regional competitiveness through the lenses of strategies of firms, government policies, and the roles of actors such as industry associations and universities. The course analyzes clusters, organizational structures, institutional structures and change processes required for sustained improvements in competitiveness. Target students are graduate students in business, economics, development, government and related disciplines. Member universities in the network teach the course locally with the aid of resources developed at Harvard. The course is taught in the International Business Management master degree program at JAMK.

Selection Criteria

Harvard selects universities that are leading business schools in their regions. The ideal member university should have faculty with doctoral degrees and an ongoing research program in the field. Participation in the course is on an invitation-only basis. JAMK was recommended to the network via visiting professor Faheem ul-Islam who has been an affiliate of the network since 2006. Instructors from new affiliates should attend the new faculty workshop at Harvard in December prior to teaching the course. The workshop provides instructions on how to teach the course, how to use case studies in the course, and how to manage student teams in class. Matti Hirsilä and Murat Akpinar from JAMK will attend this workshop at Harvard during Dec 12-13, 2011.

Areas for Cooperation in the Network

MOC opens the doors for cooperation possibilities in teaching and research with highly prestigious schools in the network from all around the world. Instructors meet annually at Harvard to share their experiences in teaching of the course, learn about new developments, and exchange ideas for research and development. Cooperation continues throughout the year between instructors through joint projects and staff exchange. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to JAMK’s internationalization.

Long-term Vision for Member Universities

The course addresses the ways in which the private, public and university sectors can work together to boost regional development and competitiveness. As such it does not only serve as a platform to educate young people but also to help universities to contribute to regional and national economic development. The course can be adapted to train public sector officials and private sector leaders. In that respect it stimulates projects in which students and faculty work together with business and regional government. As for JAMK, this course can provide the means to play an even more influential role in the development of the region of Central Finland.