UEF Summer School Courses

Please note that these courses have been organised in 2023. Courses for 2024 have not yet been selected.

Information for 2024 will be updated at a later date.

School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education:

Education in Diverse Cultures

Course dates: 7-18 August 2023 (2 weeks)
Course extent: 5 ECTS
Course coordinator: Ritva Kantelinen (ritva.kantelinen@uef.fi)
Course description in Peppi: FS00CR73

After completing the study unit, the student
• understands concepts and perspectives underlying the diversity in educational settings,
• can apply theoretical knowledge in observing the learners' cultural diversity from different perspectives,
• can recognize and value cultural diversity and its significance in education, training, pedagogical activities, human encounters in work communities, as well as in individuals and their behaviours,
• can distinguish the factors that transmit and create culture in education and training,
• recognizes the significance of pedagogical activity for developing the cooperation and mutual understanding between the individuals,
• can evaluate the significance of shared expertise in operational environments of education.

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School of Theology:

Wisdom of Silence: Peace and Wellbeing in Global Crises

Course dates: 7-18 August 2023 (2 weeks)
Course extent: 5 ECTS
Course coordinator: Harri Huovinen (harri.huovinen@uef.fi)
Course description in Peppi: FT00DG23
See also: Promotional video (in Youtube)

The curriculum introduces silence as an ambivalent concept: both as a global social and ecological challenge and ancient wisdom rooted in early Christianity, providing alternatives to modern-day human struggles. The course offers deep insights into silence in early Christian communities and scriptures as well as addresses their relevance to contemporary religiosity and spirituality. Based on recent theological research, the course also takes a multifaceted approach to modern-day geopolitical, ecological and social issues and considers silence as a source of wellbeing in times of global, societal and individual crises and suffering. Silence is also examined as an especially Finnish phenomenon. Furthermore, the course provides students with ideas of how to consider the challenges and potential of silence in one’s personal life (e.g., educational or pastoral work). The course includes an excursion to a local Orthodox monastery and the surrounding peaceful North-Karelian nature, wherein the student is able to gain hands-on experiences of practicing silence.

Please note that these courses have been organised in 2023. Courses for 2024 have not yet been selected.

Information for 2024 will be updated at a later date.

Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences:

Resilience of Forest to Climate Change

Course dates: 7-18 August 2023 ( 2 weeks)
Course extent: 5 ECTS
Course coordinator: Frank Berninger (frank.berninger@uef.fi)
Course description in Peppi: LY00DE69

Effect of climate change on northern ecosystems, carbon balances of forest soils, remote sensing of ecosystem change, modelling of climate change responses using empirical models, field measurements of forest stands, open data resources for climate change, spectral responses of plants in response to stress. The course is an international collaboration arising from the Eco2adapt EU project. 

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School of Computing:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Computer Games

Course dates: 7-11 August 2023 (1 week)
Course extent: 3-5 ECTS
Course coordinator: Ville Hautamäki (ville.hautamaki@uef.fi)
Course description in Peppi: LT00DG54

• Basics of machine learning (one day + practical component)

What is a machine learning model? Differences between supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning modes of learning. Focus is on deep learning models, the basics of it will be quickly revised. Recently introduced self-supervised deep learning models will be introduced.

• AI agents (two days of lectures + practical component)

The course introduces the basics of reinforcement learning and how autonomous systems can be implemented and trained. In the course we learn how to train software agents (such as playing games, dialog systems, etc.) and how to train physical agents such as robots through simulations. Some of the lectures in this section will be given by Dr. Andrew Melnik from Bielefeld University and Dr. Anssi Kanervisto from Microsoft Research, Cambridge.

• Practice component (two days)

During the section, students implement a software agent that can play a computer game by programming (Python). An agent is a statistical model whose parameters are then learned by playing the game. There are many different models and training algorithms, and it is expected that advanced students will be able to try several of these during these two days. During the final day, students’ agents are pitted against each other in a tournament and we will recognize three best performing agents.

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Introduction to Speech and Machine Learning

Course dates: 14-18 August 2023 (1 week)
Course extent: 3 ECTS
Course coordinator: Tomi Kinnunen (tomi.kinnunen@uef.fi)
Course description in Peppi: LT00DG43

Introductory machine learning contains self-contained introduction to elementary supervised and unsupervised learning. Evaluation of binary classifiers (e.g. type-I/II errors, ROC analysis). Introduction to modern deep learning approaches (feedforward, convolutive, recurrent). Basic idea of graph neural networks. Introductory speech processing will include speech as a carrier of linguistic information; basics of speech analysis and feature extraction, and statistical modeling. We will illustrate these ideas through application examples ranging from gender recognition, to voice biometrics (speaker recognition), speech recognition, and detection of spoofing attacks (such as audio-based deepfakes).  The course contains also topics that introduce the student to research in this field, stemming from research done at the Computational Speech Group at UEF.

While no prior knowledge of speech processing or machine learning will be assumed, the participant should have sufficient programming skills. We will be working on Python code examples in the Google Colab environment.

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Learning Analytics (LA)

Course dates: 7-18 August 2023 (2 weeks)
Course extent: 5 ECTS
Course coordinator: Mohammed Saqr (mohammed.saqr@uef.fi)
Course description in Peppi: 3621691

Learning analytics (LA) is an interdisciplinary field that lies at the intersection of data science, computer science, education technology, pedagogy, and statistics. Since the field has emerged in 2011, it has exponentially grown to include a vast array of applications, and methods.

This Learning Analytics Course will provide a framework for the understanding of the field and how data has been used in education. The course will address the principles of learning analytics, discuss the theoretical background behind learning analytics and the concepts of the big data. The learning analytics main steps and procedures will be covered in detail, including data gathering, analysis, generation of insights and reporting. The main ethical and privacy issues will also be discussed. 

The practical section of the course will enable attendees to practice the basics methods of analysis of educational data using real-life examples and authentic datasets. These methods include social network analysis, mixture modeling, sequence mining, process mining, predictive analytics, and machine learning.

No matter your background, you are welcome in our course. The course does not require prior programming or coding skills and uses accessible tools that can be used by everyone.

Why attend the course at University of Eastern Finland (UEF)
Our group has been among the most productive in the world in the last two years, and the most productive in Europe in 2021 and 2022. The lectures of the course have diverse analytical, methodological, pedagogical expertise.

The maximum number of participants is 30.

Please note that these courses have been organised in 2023. Courses for 2024 have not yet been selected.

Information for 2024 will be updated at a later date.

Department of Geographical and Historical Studies:

Borderland Security in Uncertain Times: post-Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

Course dates: 7-18 August 2023 (2 weeks)
Course extent: 5 ECTS
Course coordinator: Paul Fryer (paul.fryer@uef.fi) and Henrik Nielsen (henrik.nielsen@uef.fi)
Course description in Peppi: YH00DH04

This course examines the new geopolitical reality in borderland regions created by Russia’s attack on Ukraine and asks the questions, “How do borderlands perceive and respond to the new security situation?” and “What happens after the war ends?” Personal, professional, and official tries with Russia are under immense strain, which is impacting relations negatively. Thus, by looking through multiple lenses at actors such as local non-governmental organisations, media outlets, local environmentalists, and ordinary citizens, the present situation is explored with reference to borderland security and the future paths forward for (renewing) relations once the war ends.

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Department of Social Sciences:

Sustainable Wellbeing & Global Perspectives

Course dates: 7-11 August 2023 (1 week)
Course extent: 5 ECTS, with option for 3 ECTS
Course coordinator: Janet Anand and Natalie Joubert (natalie.joubert@uef.fi)
Course description in Peppi: YY00DH07

Social sciences, including Social Work, Social Psychology, Social Policy, Public Policy, and Health, play a critical role in promoting global development goals (SDG) encompassing human rights, sustainable livelihoods, relationships, as well as combating injustice and poverty. The concern of sustainable wellbeing involves improving individual wellbeing by improving the wellbeing of other members of society and the natural environment. Exposure to diverse global perspectives and case studies will allow students and academics to consider new insights as to the interdependence of social wellbeing, sustainability, and social justice.

The course program is delivered by a UEF based team of Social Work and Social Science educators and researchers and associated Erasmus scholars from Jordan, Malaysia, Namibia, Mongolia, South Africa, and Australia. Students will explore the critical conditions for promoting wellbeing through human rights, environmental, crisis preparedness and social health interventions, together with and innovations in social research and pedagogy.  The course targets the learning needs of an international and Finnish students from a Social Science and Social Work background and is provided at an advanced level of studies (MA, PHD).

This 5-day intensive program will be delivered as part of the University of Eastern Finland Summer School, from 7th to 11th August 2023, held at Joensuu, Finland.

No courses in August 2023.

NB! The following events were organised during Summer School 2023. The Social Programme for 2024 will be confirmed at a later date.

Monday 7 August

• General orientation 9-10 AM
• Welcome dinner 6-8 PM

Tuesday 8 August

• Walking tour of Joensuu starting at 6 PM

Thursday 10 August

• Board game and hangout evening 6-10 PM

Saturday 12 August

• Day trip to Kuopio: visit to Puijo Peak and Kuopio campus

Monday 14 August

• Sauna evening 5-9 PM

Wednesday 16 August

• Baking Karelian pasties with Joensuun Martat, two groups: 5-7 PM and 7-9 PM
• Punch needling workshop from 5-8 PM

Friday 18 August

• Farewell dinner starting at 6 PM