Reflecting on values and co-creating inspiration – three University of Oulu students learned about sustainable leadership in Cork

The participants from the University of Oulu were Hilla Vaattovaara, a master’s student in the Degree Programme in Psychology; Minna Mäki-Asiala, a doctoral researcher in the Unit of Civil Engineering; and Antti Keskitalo, a doctoral researcher at the Oulu Business School. Each participant had their own motivation for applying to the Autumn School. Antti wanted to deepen his understanding of responsible leadership in a multidisciplinary and international environment. Minna felt that responsible leadership is a key element in building sustainable cities:

“Without ethical and ecological dimensions in leadership, it is difficult to imagine cities that can respond to future challenges. The programme was not just about acquiring knowledge – it was also an opportunity to reflect on my role as a researcher and teacher, and to strengthen my commitment to responsible, values-based development.” For Hilla, sustainable leadership felt like a topic that is beneficial for everyone, regardless of their professional background.

Figure 1. The Sustainable Leadership Autumn School in Cork brought together students from all UNIC partner universities. Hilla Vaattovaara, Minna Mäki-Asiala and Antti Keskitalo described collaborative group work and discussions with participants from diverse backgrounds as the highlight of the short-term mobility period. Photo: Nicole Flemming

In addition to academic motivation, the short-term mobility offered by the Autumn School suited Hilla’s and Minna’s life situations particularly well. Hilla, who is completing her master’s degree, had previously wanted to go on exchange but had been unable to do so due to various constraints. During her doctoral studies, Minna had been encouraged to undertake an exchange period, but her personal circumstances had not allowed for a longer stay abroad. For her, a blended mobility programme like the Autumn School felt like exactly the right opportunity.

New perspectives on sustainability and responsible leadership through online lectures

Each participant had different expectations for the programme, but all three – Hilla, Minna and Antti – had high hopes due to the diverse backgrounds of the lecturers. They also looked forward to co-creation projects and interaction with participants from different disciplines.

The online lecture series was divided into four themes: understanding, value, imagination, and collaboration and action. Antti’s favourite sessions were the first ones, which focused on systems thinking and responsible leadership. He appreciated their interactive nature and the way they addressed complex sustainability challenges. According to Antti, systems thinking helps to understand sustainability issues as interconnected wholes, where environmental, social and economic factors are deeply intertwined.

Minna found the second online session, which focused on values, particularly meaningful. During the lecture, she realised that her own understanding of values had been rather superficial. The session encouraged her to explore the topic more deeply: “After the lecture, I spent a lot of time reading about values in different publications, and each text opened up a new perspective on how values shape decision-making, interaction and leadership.”

For Hilla, a psychology student, the most engaging lecture was Imagining and Co-creating Futures, as it connected closely with psychology while offering new viewpoints. She was especially intrigued by the possible consequences and alternatives arising from sustainability thinking: “Could I eat lab-grown meat if it was more sustainable than meat produced from animals?”

The lecture on imagining futures also prompted Hilla to reflect on her own values and what a sustainable future life might look like.

Professional inspiration in the charming city of Cork

During the one-week on-site period in Cork, participants deepened the theories learned online and worked on projects in small groups. For Antti and Minna, the most rewarding part of the week was the CityLabs co-creation project. Antti describes it as follows: “We worked in multidisciplinary international learning teams, combining research methods, design thinking and practical application to develop solutions for sustainable urban development.”

Figure 2. The on-site phase of the Sustainable Leadership Autumn School was held on the University College Cork campus and in the city of Cork.

For Hilla, the most memorable session in Cork was a lecture by sports psychologist Adam Green on values and how they are reflected in individual sustainability-related behaviour. The lecture and its interactive elements made her reflect on whether she truly lives in accordance with her own values in everyday life.

Minna, who also works as a teacher in the Unit of Civil Engineering, gained inspiration for developing her own teaching. She found Professor Edmond Byrne’s lecture on complexity and problem framing particularly engaging:“After the lecture, I found myself thinking that I could even start studying chemical engineering if it meant access to teaching like this. This kind of enthusiasm doesn’t happen by accident – it is the result of deep expertise, strong pedagogical skills and the ability to spark curiosity.”

Figure 3. As part of their project work, students collaborated in groups to design ideas for making the city of Cork more walkable. The on-site programme also included exploring the city.

An autumn full of new insights and strengthened perspectives

After the Sustainable Leadership Autumn School, all participants were impressed by the power of co-creation and participatory urban development. Hilla was surprised by how impressive the results were when people from different disciplines and countries came together to solve a shared challenge. For Minna, the programme reinforced her belief in the importance of participation and community in urban development. Antti’s key takeaway was that sustainable leadership is fundamentally a collective process, where systems thinking, reflection on values and purposeful interaction between different disciplines and actors play a crucial role in enabling success.

The mission of the European University alliance UNIC is to increase mobility among students and staff between partner universities. Mobility activities are mainly funded through Erasmus+ grants. If you are interested in student or staff mobility, please explore the guidelines provided by the University of Oulu’s mobility services. For participation in events outside UNIC, students and staff can also apply for the UNIC Expert Voice Fund travel grant, which is available until the end of 2026. More information about the application criteria can be found on Patio or local websites. In addition, the University of Oulu’s UNIC team supports experts in finding suitable destinations for peer learning and staff exchange. The UNIC team can be contacted by email at unic@oulu.fi.