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Contents3 For the reader by Marita Mattila

4 Guidelines for Entrepreneurship training in rural areas by Camilla Broms Descriptions of the best practices by Marita Mattila

6 Entrepreneurship training for children from 7 to 12 years Childrens Rural Parliament Me & MyCity

8 Entrepreneurship training for young people over 13 years Junior Achievement – Young Enterprise Do it yourself Young role model

10 Entrepreneurship for higher education students Zibens Bizness MikkeliES•Innopaja

13 Entrepreneurship training for professionals Altum•Businessbasics

15 Tiimiakatemia

ISBN:978-951-588-538-8ISBN:978-951-588-539-5(PDF)ISSN:1458-7629

SURE − Sustainable rural development through entrepreneurship education

Project period: 3 June 2013–31 December 2015

Funding: Nordic Council of MinistersMain administrator: Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in EducationProgramme: Nordplus Horizontal

Budget: EUR 95 000Grant: EUR 47 500Partners’ own contribution: EUR 47 500

Partners:Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences (coordinating institution) (FI)Student Union of Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences (FI)Latvian Rural Advisory and Training Centre (LV)The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SE)Coompanion Kalmar (SE)

Publisher:MikkeliUniversityofAppliedSciencesPublicationserie:Free-formpublicationsDEditor:MaritaMattilaPictureincover:ManuEloahoPictures:MaritaMattila,iStock,YrityskyläLayoutandprinting: iapu/BusinessprintOy,Helsinki

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For the reader The partners in the European Flagship project called Sustainablerural development through youth participation, innovation and en-trepreneurship2012-2015identifiedalackofcommonknowledgeofefficienteducationandresearchonentrepreneurshipandoninvolv-ingtheyouth.Asaresult,aNordplusHorizontalproject,SURE,waslaunched and conductedwithin the Flagship network. This projectaimedatdevelopingaframeworkforentrepreneurialeducation,andthus enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth.

The followingpages introducethe resultsof theSUREproject.Theworkstartedwithcreatinganevaluationmethodinadesktopstudy.It includeda literaturereviewofcurrentresearchonentrepreneur-shipeducationandtrainingaswellasevaluation.Itformedthetheo-reticalbasisfortheproject’sevaluationmethod:aquestionnairethatreflectedandreferencedtothereview.Itservedasatoolforthesur-vey of different entrepreneurship education and training methods.

ThesurveywasconductedintheseminarsandeventsoftheSUREandFlagshipprojectsaswellasotheractorsinthefield.Altogether19entrepreneurshipeducationmethodswereevaluatedaccordingtothequestionsdefinedinthedesktopstudy.Bycomparingdifferentmethods,practicesandresearch theguidelines forefficiententre-preneurshipeducationespeciallyinruralcontextwerecreated.

Amodelforevaluatingentrepreneurshipeducationmethodswasdis-seminatedwithintheBalticSearegionincooperationwiththeFlag-shipproject.InthefuturetheprojectpartnersandtheYoungambas-sadorsofdemocracy,anewprojectstartedin2015,willdisseminateinEuropethegoodexamplesresultingfromtheSUREproject.SUREsupportedthegoalsofthepartnernetworkandtheEuropeanUnionStrategyofBalticSeaRegionaswellastheNordplusprogram.

Mikkeli18.12.2015MaritaMattila

Process of the project:Kick-offseminarheldinMikkeliinFebruary2014Desktop study & evaluation method by Sonja Miettinen, ThomasNorrbyandMimmiLilleSkareliusMid-termseminarheldinJurmalainOctober2014SurveybythewholepartnernetworkGuidelinesbyCamillaBroms,LivagroPublicationbyMaritaMattila,MamkDisseminationseminarheldinUppsalainOctober2015References:www.mamk.fi/sure

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Entrepreneurship training guidelinesTheseguidelinesintroduceentrepreneurshiptraininginruralareas.Theguidelinesaregeneral,butwillalsospecifyhowtosupportruralentrepre-neurshipinsomespecificagegroups.Theyweredevelopedthroughadesktopstudyontheavailableresearchinthisfieldandbydescribinggoodexamplesfromalltheparticipatingcountries.AlsoaworkshopwithparticipantsfromuniversitiesinSweden,FinlandandLatviawasarranged.

Informal,formalandpracticaltraining

Entrepreneurshiptrainingcanbedividedintoinformal,formalandpracticaltraining.Thedifferencecanbeseeninthepedagogicapproach.Formallearningiscontrolledbyteachers,andinformaltrainingismoredemocraticandledbystudents.Practicaltrainingislearningbydoing.Entrepreneurshiptrainingcanbeoneoftheseoramixtureofthemall,anditisimpossibletosaywhichkindisthebest.Italldependsontheprocess,locationandsetting,purposeandthecontentsofthetraining.

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Support

To develop their entrepreneurial skills entrepreneurs need support thatencouragesthem,helpsthemandshowsthattheyaretrusted.

Trust

It is importantforthestudents inentrepreneurshiptrainingtofeelthat they can trust the community, and that the surrounding com-munity trusts them. Without a high level of trust it is hard to take the steptobecomeanentrepreneur,becreativeandbelieveinsuccessdespite failures.

Failure

Students in entrepreneurship training must be able to fail. There are alotofrisksinvolvedinbeinganentrepreneur,andwithoutbeingca-pableoffailing,apersonisnotwillingtotaketherisksthatcomewithit. There has to be such trust around the students that they feel that failingisallowedandthattheycanmanagetogetbackontheirfeetafter a failure.

Creativity

When setting up entrepreneurship training one of the main things is topromotecreativity.Anentrepreneurisacreativepersonwhocanuse existing resources and develop them into something new thatcanbenefitthecommunity,anindividualorboth.

Passion

Entrepreneurship builds on passion. Whether it is passion for the community,a service,goodsor formoneydoesn’tmatter. Ifpeopledon’thavepassionforwhattheydo,theywillnotsucceedasentre-preneurs. Entrepreneurship training should cater for people’s pas-sion by inspiring them and by making their passions visible.

Marketing−spreadingthewordthroughpeople

The best way to market training in entrepreneurship is to spreadthe word through people. If the training is good, the participantswillspreadthewordthroughtheirsocialnetworks.Thebestwayofspreadingtheworkofentrepreneursworksinthesameway:Goodsand services on offer can be marketed through the existing social networksandfrommouthtomouth.

Main focus areasWhiledevelopingtheguidelinescertainwordswereconstantlymentionedasthemostimportantfocusforentrepreneurialeducationandthede-velopmentofentrepreneurialskills.Thefocusofallentrepreneurshiptrainingshouldbesupport,trust,failure,creativity,passionandmarketing.

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Entrepreneurship training for this age group should focus on crea-tiveness through playing. Children learn by doing. They spy on their surroundings, parents, teachers and friends and do what every-onearoundthemdoes.Thisistheagetostartincreasingchildren’sproudness for their local area to promote rural entrepreneurship and to lay the foundation for the youth to see that they can have a suc-cessful future in rural areas.

Age groups in entrepreneurship training

Goodexample:

Children’sRuralParliament(Fin),Me&MyCity(Fin)

Children’s Rural Parliament (Fin) Children’sRuralParliamentisamethodforpromotingentrepreneur-ial thinking and mindset. Children learn that their ideas are valuable forthecommunitywheretheylive.Theirself-esteemgrows,andtheyareabletoconsiderdifferentoptionswhensolvingproblems.Chil-drenalso learnabouttheassociations, rural livelihoodsandentre-preneursoftheirhomevillage.Inaddition,theylearnthebasicskillsofparticipationinworkshopsandintheRuralParliamentmeeting.

Thismethod includesa roadshowtour in ruralschoolsduringonemonthfollowedbyaworkshoptourinthesameschoolstoworkouttheirmaindevelopmentsuggestionsforthechildren’sownsurround-ings.Finally,aParliamentMeetingisarrangedtopublishallthede-velopmentsuggestions.TheresultswillbeconsideredatalllevelsofruraldevelopmentworkintheSouth-Savoregion.

INFO

Promoting the sense of community and democracy skills as thefirststepsofanentrepreneurialmindset

Ageofparticipants:7to12years

OrganisedbyCentre forEconomicDevelopment,Transportand the Environment, Department of Rural Economics, incooperatiinwithMikkeliUniversityofAppliedSciencesandvarious rural associations and rural schools

More information at

www.maaseutukuriiri.fi/maaseutuparlamentti

Ages between 7 and 12 years

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Me & MyCity (Fin) Me & MyCity is an education innovation based on the Finnish primary schoolcurriculum.Itisastudymodulewithalearningenvironmentthat focuses on entrepreneurship, economy and society for sixth-gradestudentsagedbetween12and13.TheMe&MyCitylearningenvironmentisaminiaturetownwherestudentsworkinprofessionsand function as consumers and citizens as parts of the society. The Me&MyCitystudymoduleincludesatrainingdayforteachers,learn-ing materials based on the Finnish national curriculum and a visit to the Me & MyCity learning environment.

ThedayinMe&MyCitybasesonapre-plannedscriptandeachstu-dent’sprofessionhasitsownjobdescriptioncreatedtogetherwithcooperationcompanies.Thepedagogicalroleplayisalwaysadaptedtoreflectthelocalbusinesslife.Forcompanies,Me&MyCityisawaytobeinvolvedinschoolsystemdevelopmentandaconcretewaytodemonstrate social corporate responsibility. Me & MyCity enables the companies tobuildpositive company image through their ownminiature company in the learning environment.

In2014,Me&MyCityreceivedanawardfromtheWorld InnovationSummitforEducationinDoha,Qatar.In November 2013, Me &MyCity was recognized by the EuropeanCommission.

INFO

Pre-plannedliveroleplayinaspeciallearningenvironment

Ageofparticipants:12to13years

OrganisedbyEconomicInformationOffice(TAT)

Moreinformationatyrityskyla.fi/en/

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INFO

Oneyearprogramforentrepreneurship,involvinglearningbydoing and training for teachers to execute the program

Ageofparticipants:15to19years

Organised by Junior Achievement

More information at

www.ungforetagsamhet.se/uf-foretagandenuoriyrittajyys.fi/ohjelmat/ny-vuosi-yrittajana-9-lk-2-aste/

Goodexample:

JA-YE(Fin,Swe),Doityourself(Swe),Youngrolemodel(Swe)

The youth in this age group need to feel that they are trusted and en-couraged topursueandcreatenew ideas.Adultsand teachersaresupposedtobetheretosupport,respectandtolovetheyouth.Theyarenotsupposedtotelltheyouthwhattodo,butrathertohelpthemtopursuetheirownthoughts,ideasanddreams.

Thisisagoodagetostartwithsocialentrepreneurshipandtoteachentrepreneurship skills. This can be done by introducing the youth to differentvolunteerworksothattheygetafeelingthattheyareabletoaccomplishthingstogetherinagroupaswellasontheirown.

Ages between 13 and 19 yearsJunior Achievement-Young Enterprise (Fin, Swe)Teachers of secondary schools receive training in the process model of Junior Achievement where students interested in starting theirownbusinessesgetaninspirationalkick-off.Afterthattheystartanewbusinessoftheirownchoiceanddeveloptheirdifferentareasof responsibility in that business. They also create a business plan bythemselves,carryoutmarketresearchandfindstartupfundingbyselling venture capital shares. Students run the business for one year managingalltheoperationsinvolved.Afterayeartheywinduptheoperationsandliquidatethecompany

Thismodelprovidestheyouthwithanopportunitytopracticetheirabilities to cooperate, solveproblems,makedecisions and to takeresponsibility. The different steps the students manage in their busi-nessesinvolveproductionandservicedevelopment,marketing,sell-ingandfinancialaccounting.Theyalsohavethepossibilitytopartici-pateindifferentlocal,regionalandnationalevents.

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Do it yourself camp (Swe)Thecampissituatedinaniceenvironmentwheretheyouthcanswim,hikeandenjoytheviews.Thecampdaysarefilledwithactivitiesandeventsthatinspireandchallengetheyouthtofollowtheirdreamsandideasofwhat theycandofor their localcommunity.After returninghomethecampparticipantsaresupposedtoimplementtheprojectthey planned during the camp.

Thefive-daycampgivestheyouththeinspirationandtoolsforcreat-ingtheirproject.Theycanalsocontactamentorandtherestofthecampparticipantstogethelpintheprojectimplementation.Thisfol-lowupbythementorsisgoodsupportandhelpstoguaranteethepar-ticipantscanreallyimplementandachievewhattheyplanned.

INFO

Fromanideatoaneventorenterpriseonafive-daycamp,involvingamentor’shelpintheimplementation

Ageofparticipants:16to20years

OrganisedbyViUnga−Wearetheyoungyouthorganization

More information at viunga.se/

Young role model (Swe)Youngrolemodelisaprojectwiththeaimtopromoteandencouragetheyouth increativity,entrepreneurshipand inthebelief thattheycanmaketheirdreamsandideascometrue.Theprojectconsistsofthreeparts,withoneworkshopprocesscalledReadySetGoandtwocompetitionscalledGretaGFameandUnstarted.

ReadySetGo is aworkshopof oneor twodayswhere thepartici-pantslearntogetheraboutentrepreneurshipinafunway.Theycre-ate business ideas based on the resources that exist in their group withthehelpofanexperiencedprocessleader,energeticexercises,explorationswithinthemselvesandteambuilding.TheReadySetGoworkshophelpstheyouthtodevelopleadershipskills,groupdynam-ics and to identify business potentials as groups.

GretaGFameisamodelingcompetitionwhereyoungpeoplegetthepossibilitytomaketheirdreamscometruewiththehelpofexperi-enced people from the fashion industry. Since the modeling compe-titionismarketedwithvideosinsocialmedia,thecompetitionalsoworksasasteppingstoneforcreativeentrepreneurshipin,forexam-ple,film,webTV,photography,fashion,designandculture.Unstarted,inturn, isacompetitionwherethenewlystartedcooperativebusi-nesses get an opportunity to present their business ideas in front of ajuryandtowinmoney.

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Differentapproachesoffindingrolemodelsandthepossi-bilitytopromotetheyouthviafilmsandsocialmedia

Ageofparticipants:13to25years

Organised by Coompanion

More information at

kalmar.coompanion.se/ung-forebild/

ostartat.se/

www.gretag.se/

goteborgsregionen.coompanion.se/ready-set-go-affarside-byggarworkshop

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Atuniversity it is timetofindthepassion,andstudentsshouldbeencouragedtofollowtheirdreamsandideas.Examplesforachievingthisinvolvestartingsupportgroupswherestudents,teachers,busi-nesses and entrepreneurs can get together and exchange ideas and experiences during meetings, discussions, events and excursions.Students can get inspiration from both each other and from other parties involvedandtocarryoutprojects together todeveloptheirentrepreneurialskillsinanenvironmentwithahighleveloftrustandencouragement.

Goodexample:

ZibensBizness(Lat),MikkeliES(Fin),Innopaja(Fin)

Zibens Bizness (Lat)EntrepreneurshipcompetitioncalledZibensBizness(Lightningbusi-ness)hasbeenmodifiedfromacompetitionintheUnitedKingdom.Themaingoalofthisthree-daycompetitionistoteststudents’skillsinbusiness.Thecompetitorsareworking in teamsandtheycreatea real business going through all the following phases: idea, teambuilding, production, implementation, selling and marketing. Withthis practical training students can experience different business planningstages,withoutfearandconsequencesof failure.Theen-terprise is only set up for this learning process. The competition has been arranged in Latvia for three years.

INFO

An opportunity to go through all the stages of business in theshortestpossibleway,involvingcompetitiontomotivatethe youth

Ageofparticipants:Adults

OrganisedbyLatvianUniversitybusinessincubatortogetherwithRigaTechnicalUniversitybusinessincubator,UniversityTuriba business incubator and University Riseba creativebusiness incubator

More information at

www.biznesainkubators.lu.lv/zinas/t/32900/

Higher education students

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Mikkeli etrepreneurshipsociety (Fin) Startup ideology is worldwide and can be implemented anywhere.At the moment there are more than 10 entrepreneurship societies in Finland.Someofthemareregional,andsomeareownedbyhighereducation institutions. Entrepreneurial thinking is fashionable at the moment and everybody is talking about it.

MikkeliES arranges for entrepreneurs one night events and work-shops with different themes, such as marketing, or more specificthemes,suchasLinkedInofself-branding.AhjoAcceleratorisapro-gramwherenewstartupsgetacoachtohelpthemwiththeirbusi-nessmodel validation, product development and fund raising. Theoutcomemightbethefirstcustomer,fundingoraproductwithvali-dated value to customers.

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Eventsandtrainingsessionstohelpnewstartupstotakethenextstepwiththeirbusiness

Ageofparticipants:Adults

Organised by Mikkeli Innovation and technology centerMiktechOy,aProjectofMiktechOy

More information at

mikkelies.fi/mikkelies/

ahjoaccelerator.fi/

startupnation.fi/

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Innopaja (Fin)INNOpajaisamethodwhichMikkeliUniversityofAppliedSciences(Mamk) uses to combine the master school students of differentfieldsofstudy,Mamkstaffandworkinglifestakeholders.Thetargetistodevelopsolutionsfortheworkinglifestakeholders’challenges.INNOpajaencouragesparticipantstoinnovateandcrossboundariesandithelpsthestudentstounderstandtheimportanceofcross-sec-toralcooperation.Studentsadoptanentrepreneurialmind-setandtrytodevelopsolutionsforworkinglifeproblems.

INNOpajaprogram

- One-hourspeechofbeinginnovative,idea-richanddeveloping enthusiastically–THEWHOLEGROUP

- dividingtheparticipantsintosmallergroups

- presentingthedevelopmentbackgroundbyaworking-lifestake- holder–SMALLERGROUPS

- makingamindmapofproblemsgivenbygroupmembers,choos- ingcertainideasforfurtherdevelopment,developingtheideas individually and in the smaller groups

- writingaprojectorbusinessplanbasedonthedevelopmentideas of the smaller groups

- introducingtheideastootherparticipantsandtheworking-life stakeholders–THEWHOLEGROUP

INFO

Crossing professional boundaries

Ageofparticipants:Adults

Organised by Mikkeli university of applied sciences in coop-erationwithworking-lifestakeholders

More information at

soleops.mamk.fi/opsnet/disp/fi/ops_OpetTapTeks/tab/nop/sea?opettap_id=6847650&kuvkieli=en

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Altum (Lat)Latvian Altum organizes training for young and future entrepreneurs. Theaimistoprovidetheoreticalknowledgeofbusinessprocessesforyoungentrepreneurswhowanttogetaloanforfundingtheirbusinessidea development. The idea for this training resulted from previous Altumexperienceafteranalyzingclients’needsandexperiences.

Thelecturersofthetrainingpayspecialattentiontotopicswherefu-tureentrepreneurslackknowledge.Thetrainingsessionsarefreeofcharge,withusually7−15participants.

INFO

Theoreticalknowledgebeforestartingabusiness

Ageofparticipants:Adults

Organised by Altum – the Latvian Development Financial Institution

More information at

www.hipo.lv/lv/attistibas_programmas/starta_programma

professionalsProfessionalswho already have a job and income canbe afraid ofchangesandthefinanciallossanentrepreneuriallifestylecanbring.They can also be afraid that the time and energy input might be too high.Ifpeopleareafraid,itisgoodtoshowthemthattheydon’thaveto be − that other people have managed and succeeded.

Beinganentrepreneurdoesnothavetobehard.Itcanstartwithahobbyorinalocalorganisationandbyworkingforthechangesthatonewants toachieve.Youngpersonsalreadyworkingasentrepre-neurs can serve as ambassadors that can show and tell how theystartedandhowtheymanagetheirbusinessorprojects.Entrepre-neurshiptrainingshouldbesocial,sothatthestudentsfeelthattheyare not alone. Group pressure is also a good tool to get something go-ing.Incubators,groupsofentrepreneurs,mentorsandpracticalhelpcan be of value for professional entrepreneurs.

Goodexample:

Altum(Lat),Businessbasics(Lat)

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Business basics (Lat)First, State Employment Agency evaluates the unemployed peopleandemployerneeds.Itthencoordinatestheindividuallearningpro-cesses.Businessbasicsareverypopularstudies,andtheygivecom-prehensiveknowledgeofentrepreneurship.Thetargetofthisactionis toprovide themostessential knowledge tohelppeople to starttheirownsmallbusinessandtore-enterthelabormarketthisway,inthe role of employers.

The training can involve a complete course of 24 hours, attendingseparateone-hourlecturesorseminarsoffivehours.

Studiesaremostly theoretical,withusually5−20participantsonacourse.InterestinparticipatingBusinessbasicsinLatviaisveryhigh.

INFO

Program for the unemployed in all age groups

Ageofparticipants:Adults

Organised by State Employment agency

More information at

www.nva.gov.lv/jelgava/LV/par_mums/kontakti

Other methods

TheFinnish4Horganization’syouthentrepreneurshipactionand4Hyouthcompanies(Fin)www.4h.fi/toita/perusta-oma-yritys/

JA-YEFinland’sJA-YEStartupprogramforhighereducationstudents(Fin)nuoriyrittajyys.fi/en/ohjelmat-2/ja-start-up/

NordeaBusinessSchool:ameetingwithaninvestor(Lat)www.nordea.lv/biznesaskola

Promotion of youth entrepreneurship in rural areas by Latvian RuraladvisoryandTrainingcenter(Lat)laukutikls.lv/atbalsts-jauniesiem-uznemejdarbibas-veicina-sana

YouthgrowthforumSolis(Step)(Lat)arturs.katamadze@jzk.lv

EntrepreneurshiptraininginSwedishagriculturalschools(Swe)

YouthcoachesintheLeaderprogramme(Swe)enrd.ec.europa.eu/enrd-static/app_templates/enrd_assets/pdf/youth_and_young_farmers/Country_report_SE.pdf

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INFO

Learning by doing at universities of applied sciences

Ageofparticipants:Adults

OrganisedbyJyväskyläUniversityofAppliedSciences

Moreinformationatwww.tiimiakatemia.fi/en/

Tiimiakatemia (Fin) Tiimiakatemiaisamethodthatgrewalotofinterestinthenetwork,especially among the international partners. It was presented inseveralprojecteventsanddiscussedrepeatedlyduringtheprojectperiod.

TiimiakatemiaisanentrepreneurshipcentreatJyväskyläUniversityof Applied Sciences. The students of Tiimiakatemia run their owncooperativebusinesses,calledteamcompanies,andlearnwithrealmoney and real customers. All teams operate as independent coop-erative companies.

Studentscarryoutreal-lifeprojectswhichtheyfindindependentlybythemselvestocoveralltheexpensesofthecompany.Theseprojectsserve both as learning environments for studies and for developing students’competencesandaswaysofdoingbusinessfortheteamcompanies. Learning is a process that is not divided into modules or subjects,suchasmarketingorleadership.

Tiimiakatemiaisnotfinanciallyliablefortheteamcompanies:Itonlyprovides the coaching for the learning process. The main methods used are learning by doing and team learning. Teams use dialogue asa tool toshareknowledgeandto thinktogether.Thepurposeofdialogueistogobeyondoneindividual’sunderstanding–thewholeorganises the parts, rather than trying to fit the parts together tomakeawhole.Asaresult,moreentrepreneursgraduatefromTiimi-akatemia than from any other place in Europe.