From August 1 to 12, faculty and students from the Business School of the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology(USST) visited Finland, Estonia, and Sweden for overseas study exchanges. The delegation was led by Professor Qian Ying from the Department of Systems Science and Zhang Wei, a student affairs counselor from the Professional Degree Education Center(PDEC). With the theme “Nordic Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” the visit used thematic lectures, visits to innovation institutions, and urban cultural experiences to help participants observe AI-driven innovation practices in the Nordic region and explore new paths for the coordinated development of technology, industry, and society.
Group Photo at the University of Oulu
During the visit, faculty and students attended several thematic lectures. Mr. Julius Francis Gomes from the Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, delivered sessions on large model applications, startup planning, and compliance and ethics, helping students understand the logic of innovation and entrepreneurship in the AI era. He also exchanged views with students on issues such as content distortion and deepfakes arising from AI applications. At the University of Tartu, Dr. Mark Kantšukov gave courses on Estonia's entrepreneurial environment, digital governance, and artificial intelligence strategy. Drawing on Estonia's digital government practices, he introduced the country's proactive government service system, e-Residency program, and AI strategy layout, and analyzed how digital infrastructure supports the formation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem and how small economies can participate in global innovation competition through digital capabilities.
Thematic Lectures
The delegation also visited urban service agencies and innovation and entrepreneurship platforms in the Nordic region to learn about the operating mechanisms of local innovation and entrepreneurship systems. At Business Oulu, a municipal agency of the City of Oulu, staff introduced Oulu’s urban innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. The local government offers public services such as startup planning, financial consulting, and international market expansion to job seekers and entrepreneurs, and promotes Oulu’s science and technology innovation resources through official platforms. Universities, research institutions, government departments, and enterprises work together to provide entrepreneurs with support ranging from idea cultivation and team building to business validation. At the Maria 01 startup campus, faculty and students visited the shared workspace for entrepreneurs and learned about the development of Finland's startup ecosystem, the campus's construction and operation, and its experience in cultivating early-stage companies. Finland's innovation and entrepreneurship system is closely related to its local industrial heritage, university innovation education, and government policy support. Today, the campus brings together startups, investment institutions, industry service providers, and university entrepreneurs. Through shared office spaces, investment and financing matchmaking, and professional services, it provides resource support for early-stage companies.
Innovation Institution Visits
During the study tour, the faculty and student also visited a number of Nordic cultural spaces and city landmarks, experiencing the integration of innovation and urban life. In Santa Claus Village in Finnish Lapland, the study group focused on cultural tourism IP operation, observing how the local area develops IPs around cultural symbols. At the Finnish Architecture and Design Museum, the faculty and students gained insights into human-centered design, functional aesthetics, and sustainable development concepts through architectural models, industrial design, and cultural creative cases. In Estonia and Sweden, the group visited the KUMU Art Museum, the Nobel Prize Museum, and the Vasa Museum, learning about the social and cultural context of the Nordic region and appreciating social responsibility.
Cultural Experience
This study visit provided students with new experiences across different industries and social cultures. Internationalization is an important feature of the professional degree education at the Business School, and also a key component of its talent cultivation system. In the future, the School will continue to expand exchanges and cooperation with overseas universities, enterprises, and related institutions, providing students with more opportunities to engage with different industries, management models, and cultural environments. This will enable students to step out of campus, deepen their learning in real scenarios, and broaden their horizons through open exchanges.
[Related]
The University of Oulu, founded in 1958, is located in Oulu, an important science and technology innovation city in northern Finland. It is one of the largest higher education institutions in Finland, with strong research capabilities in information technology, artificial intelligence, and other fields, providing important support for regional innovation and development.
Translated by Wei Xin
Reviewed by Liu Weiwei
