Courses in Managing Complexity will be available during the academic year 2024–2025.
The YUFE Alliance (Young Universities for the Future of Europe) offers possibilities of lifelong learning for all citizens.
As the YUFE Alliance was born in 2019, it focused on providing flexible and international educational offers for the students and staff of its partner universities in Europe. In 2023, the alliance started building learning possibilities available for all.
“In May 2024 the free YUFE Academy lectures were opened also for citizens. Now we are launching a brand new YUFE offer, the Skills of the Future Programme. It is designed for Lifelong learners, who want to keep developing their skills and know-how with a European twist,” summarizes Katinka Käyhkö, the Coordinator for YUFE Lifelong Learning from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF).
The first set of courses available is called Managing Complexity. During the academic year 2024-2025 the offer consists of 16 courses from 7 of the 10 YUFE partner universities. Most of the courses are paid, academic and credit-bearing online courses, and the course language is English.
“The courses will provide the learners with a certificate from the host university. By creating a YUFE account the learners will be able to follow and demonstrate the whole scope of their learning in YUFE,” explains Käyhkö.
Let’s meet some of the masterminds behind these courses.
Sanna Iskanius, the Director of Training from the Centre for Continuous Learning of the UEF, leads the task-group in charge of the Skills of the Future Programme especially for professionals.
“In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, continuous development is essential for leaders and lifelong learners to effectively navigate change and complexity. The YUFE Skills of the Future Programme offers a unique gateway to professional development opportunities across Europe, empowering individuals to stay ahead in an ever-changing landscape,” states Iskanius.
The OECD has emphasized that traditional degree education often falls short in addressing the urgent need for reskilling and upskilling. As the world evolves at an unprecedented pace, acquiring new skills quickly and efficiently has become a necessity. The YUFE Skills of the Future Programme responds with a flexible, learner-centric approach: participants can gain new skills through focused, modular courses and seamlessly combine them into tailored, comprehensive skill sets.
Petra Boxler, the Director of the Academy of Continuing Education of the University of Bremen, was responsible in coordinating the first set of courses and came up with the overarching theme of Managing Complexity. According to Boxler, modern professionals are encountering a multitude of challenges: from grappling with the impacts of globalization and navigating digital transformation to addressing sustainability concerns. The sheer diversity of perspectives renders decision-making increasingly complex. Consequently, developing the ability to manage complexity and devise effective solutions in such situations is becoming a crucial future skill – that’s why Boxler suggested starting with courses to equip participants with the essential tools to master these challenges.
For years, the University of Bremen has been offering a Master's programme in Decision Making for professionals. Recognizing that not everyone requires a full Master's degree, the university now also offers individual modules from the Master's programme, known as Microcredentials. Several of these modules contribute to the Managing Complexity programme. Through the addition of modules from various YUFE partners, participants now have unprecedented opportunities. They can tailor their skillset to meet their specific needs, all while incorporating a European perspective. Boxler finds this development fascinating and is excited to see where this journey will take us at the YUFE.
For the YUFE Alliance, the Managing Complexity courses offer opportunities to share resources of the partner universities and grant learners unparalleled access to a diverse European educational ecosystem – conveniently unified on a single platform.
“This is more than education. It’s a transformative journey to meet the demands of the future in an international setting,” reminds Iskanius.
For further information, please contact:
Katinka Käyhkö, Coordinator for YUFE Lifelong Learning, University of Eastern Finland, katinka.kayhko@uef.fi
Sanna Iskanius, Director of Training, Centre for Continuous Learning, University of Eastern Finland, sanna.iskanius@uef.fi
