A great day of strategic networking on and off football pitch
Three universities of applied sciences – Centria, SeAMK and SAMK – organized their first football tournament and networking event in Kokkola on 9 November 2024. The tournament featured matches of competitive teams and amateur teams. Once the Coppa West championship was settled, the day was topped off with an afterparty at West Coast Billiards of music and socializing.
Centria, SAMK and SeAMK work closely together to promote education, research and regional development on the West Coast. In February, the three universities signed a strategic cooperation agreement to promote the sharing of knowledge and resources and to develop common approaches. Ensuring the availability of a workforce is a key factor in the vitality of higher education areas. Promoting the recruitment, integration and employment of international students is an important objective to ensure the vitality of the regions.
– Football clearly brings people together and our idea was to show the skills and community spirit of our international and exchange students in a fun way to strengthen our society. Personnel from all three UASs also really put themselves into the games and the partner companies were also happy to take up the challenge. It has already been agreed that next year we will play in Seinäjoki, hosted by SeAMK, says Francesca Cucinotta, Director of International Affairs at Centria.
– We took a bus with a total of 70 participants to Kokkola, both players and supporters. I think we made a good impression there, and what’s most important, had a lot of fun, tells Andres Mendez, International Facilitator from SeAMK International Education Services.
The Coppa West tournament provides an opportunity to increase interaction between students and personnel in the higher education institutions and international students in particular are involved in the tournament. As a whole, the event represents the institutions’ aim to promote regional community and cohesion – this time by the means of sports!