Staff exchange – Karolinska Institutet

Staff member: Louisa Cheung, Education Coordinator at the Department of Medicine, Solna

This past summer, I participated in the BalticSeaBioMed Summer School on Seili Island, Finland. BalticSeaBioMed is a network of Master’s programmes in Biomedicine in four countries and six universities, financially supported by Nordplus.

Photo 1: Louisa’s quaint accommodations

Seili’s rich human and natural history provided an ideal backdrop for our topic: Human Health and Environment by the Baltic Sea. The week offered numerous learning opportunities to both students and educators, ranging from water sampling aboard Aurelia to lectures on planetary health and biodiversity. What I cherish most was meeting other educators from partner universities. We bonded over forest strolls and shared our passions for education through learning activities. In and around the sauna, we built trust and shared laughter. As we marvelled at the shooting stars, we fostered a sense of unity. This extraordinary astronomical event became the perfect final verse in a symphony of unforgettable moments.

Photo 2: Outdoor group activity

One of my proudest achievements was spearheading the second iteration of our digital educational escape room. This resource was developed collaboratively, with each member of the consortium contributing their unique expertise (be it scientific, pedagogical, or technical). Designed to engage students in a playful yet challenging manner, the escape room garnered enthusiastic feedback, affirming its value, our hard work, and highlighting the impact of interdisciplinary teamwork.

Photo 3: Teamwork from the digital educational escape room

Continuous professional development is essential for university faculty to stay at the forefront of education and research. The BalticSeaBioMed consortium offers internationalisation opportunities for our students and boosts collaboration among biomedical educators in Nordic and Baltic countries. Through these partnerships, we create innovative learning experiences for students, strengthen academic networks, and expand our teaching methods.

Kiitos paljon, Labai ačiū, Mange tak, Tusen tack to Nordplus for funding the consortium, Erasmus+ for the mobility grant and everyone for this meaningful and memorable journey.