Institutionalizing Co-operative Education in Universities - the Case of the Co-op Network Studies Program in Finland

  • Pekka Hytinkoski University of Helsinki, Finland
  • Tytti Klén University of Helsinki, Finland
  • Taneli Vaskelainen University of Helsinki, Finland
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18543/dec.2885
Keywords: co-operatives, co-operative education, network studies

Abstract

In this article we study the understudied topic of the institutionalization of co-operative education with an illustrative case study of Co-op network studies (CNS) program – a Finnish university network providing a curriculum on co-operative studies. We cover the network´s history, curriculum, structure, funding, and factors motivating student participation and finally discuss how CNS has succeeded in its mission: to establish co-operative education in the curricula of different Finnish universities. The results are two-fold. On the one hand, the network has successfully operated for almost 20 years, provided 16.000 credit points, and worked as an important mutual learning hub for scholars providing teaching on co-operatives. On the other hand, CNS has not managed to institutionalize cooperative education in university curriculum outside of the studies provided in the network as has been its goal, and thus, the continuity of the network is vital. We deduce that the low level of institutionalization can probably be attributed to poor coverage of co-operatives in university level education in general and in university structures that does not favor network studies.

Received: 28 April 2023
Accepted: 02 October 2023

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Author Biographies

Pekka Hytinkoski, University of Helsinki, Finland

Master in education and has worked for more than 17 years as a coordinator of the Finnish Co-op Network Studies Program (CNS-network) where he is responsible for the production, development and coordination of the program. The CNS-network is an online study program in which seven Finnish universities participate; its base is at the Ruralia Institute of the University of Helsinki. Pekka Hytinkoski is a doctoral student at the University of Turku/Finland (topic: Teachers’ experiences on student enterprises). His other professional interests relate to mainstreaming co-operative education, entrepreneurship education and pedagogical elements of digital games.

Tytti Klén, University of Helsinki, Finland

She holds a Master in communications and has worked for 10 years as an Education Planning Officer of the Finnish Co-op Network Studies Program (CNS-network). The CNS-network is an online study program in which seven Finnish universities participate; its base is at the Ruralia Institute of the University of Helsinki.

Taneli Vaskelainen, University of Helsinki, Finland

University researcher on sustainable economy and cooperatives at the Ruralia Institute of the University of Helsinki. His research interests lie in the emergence dynamics of (allegedly) pro-social and pro-environmental industries and in community-based organizing. His work has been published in top journals in the fields of management and sustainability, such as Academy of Management Discoveries and Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. He works as the academic head of the Finnish Co-op Network Studies Program (CNS-network), which entails teaching courses and participating in administering and promoting the program. The CNS-network is an online study program in which seven Finnish universities participate; its base is at the Ruralia Institute of the University of Helsinki.

Published
2024-01-30
How to Cite
Hytinkoski, Pekka, Tytti Klén, and Taneli Vaskelainen. 2024. “Institutionalizing Co-Operative Education in Universities - the Case of the Co-Op Network Studies Program in Finland”. Deusto Estudios Cooperativos, no. 23 (January), 59-73. https://doi.org/10.18543/dec.2885.
Issue
No. 23 (2023): Cooperatives in Finland
Section
Articles

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