Josephina Muntuumo, a lecturer in Computer Science from NUST’s Faculty of Computing and Informatics, and Nico Smit, International Relations Officer, visited the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences on exchange for staff training and teaching respectively in May 2022. Their exchanges to Finland were made possible through Erasmus+ International Credit Mobilities.
During her time in Helsinki, Muntuumo lectured undergraduate students in Metropolia’s Faculty of Technology, and also sat in on other classes closely related to the field of Computer Science. She also had the opportunity to engage Metropolia’s students in project work, which signaled a departure from their normal studies. “I really enjoyed my time at Metropolia, it was an eye-opening experience as I have been exposed to new ways and approaches to teaching and learning,” Muntuumo said. She added that she was impressed by Metropolia’s campus facilities, as well as that university’s focus on research, development and innovation, especially the joint projects with industry partners.
Smit was hosted by Metropolia’s International Office for his week-long exchange, which included workshops on processes for incoming and outgoing student and staff mobilities, as well as a detailed briefing on new Erasmus+ programmes. He also had the opportunity to meet with staff from Metropolia’s Communication Department, to learn about internal and external communication processes at the Helsinki-based university.
“The exchange to Metropolia has been excellent, the hospitality has been fantastic, and my exposure to key aspects of internationalization of higher education here has been very valuable,” Smit commented on his visit to Finland. He also had the opportunity to engage with Metropolia’s International Project Week, an initiative of that university’s Faculty of Business which brings together academics and students from numerous countries to teach and work on business cases in mixed groups.
NUST and Metropolia have enjoyed a longstanding partnership that has seen numerous student and staff exchanges in both directions. The two institutions will renew their cooperation again in 2022, and look to expand the academic areas of collaboration to include such fields as Medical Laboratory Sciences and Architecture and Spatial Sciences.