International Week 23-27 November: Taste, Build, Wear, Explore

Volume 29, Issue 08, 06 November 2026

This November, the Kouvola campus is going global. International Week brings five days of talks, workshops, and plenty of fun, and you’re invited to it all.

Start with a challenge on Tuesday:

On the 24th, the Paja Gallery will turn into a competitive hub. Test your knowledge at the International & Pop Quizzes (13.00-14.00) and win some fun prizes, then stay for the Lego Building Competition (14.00-15.00). Bring a team, or come solo! You can also add to our collaborative International Art Piece, available in Paja Gallery until Thursday.

Come hungry on Wednesday:

The International Food Tasting takes over the first-floor lobby on 25.11 from 12.00 to 13.00. Students from all over the world will share dishes from home, so you can try new flavours from countries such as Bangladesh, Cameroon, and Hungary – with the full list of nationalities listed below. Afterwards, head to the Paja Gallery for the International Games (13.30-15.00) and a Henna Tattoo Workshop (14.00-15.00).

Try something new on Thursday:

At 9.00 on 26.11, the Saree Workshop in the Paja Gallery will introduce you to one of the world’s most iconic garments. Later, from 14.00 to 16.00, the Study Abroad Fair is where you can ask about exchange opportunities, meet people who have already gone abroad, and start planning your own adventure.

Feed your mind:

Alongside the social programme, International Week features guest lecturers from universities across Europe. This year’s theme is how AI is changing decision-making, recruitment, finance, sustainability and even the way we think. Highlights include the Tuesday keynote Can Human Thinking Be Automated? (11.00, Auditorium) and the workshop Are You Using AI, or is AI Using You? (13.00, room 357).

Everything takes place on the Kouvola campus and is open to all. Drop in for an hour, or plan your whole week.

See you at International Week!

INTERNATIONAL WEEK SCHEDULE 23-27. November 2026

23.11. Monday

12.00-15.00 AI in Financial Decision-Making: Can Machines Replace Human Judgment? by Tram Hong Dang (Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France) – in 329A

24.11. Tuesday

8.30-10.30 Challenges of Applying New Technologies in the Recruitment Process by Zijada Rahimić (University of Sarajevo) – in 329A

10.00-10.30 Welcome Words by Petteri Ikonen and Olli Ervaala – in the Auditorium

11.00-12.00 Can Human Thinking Be Automated? Wisdom in the Age of Easy Answers – keynote speech by Pinja Valkonen – in the Auditorium

13.00-15.30 Are You Using AI, or is AI Using You? Workshop by Irene van der Marel and Natalia Kuznetsova (Saxion University of Applied Sciences) – in 357

13.00-14.00 International & Pop Quizzes (win some fun prizes!) – in Paja Gallery

13.00-15.00 Create an International Art Piece – in Paja Gallery (open until Thursday)

14.00-15.00 Lego Building Competition – in Paja Gallery

25.11. Wednesday

8.30-12.00 Evaluating LLM-Based Positive Mental Health Interventions – Current State and Future Directions by Gerrit Hirschfeld (Bielefeld UAS) – in 329A

12.00-13.00 International Food Tasting – in the First-Floor Lobby

13.00-16.00 Applied AI to the Railway Sector by Pablo Garrido (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) – in 329A

13.30-15.00 International Games – in Paja Gallery

14.00-15.00 Henna Tattoo Workshop – in Paja Gallery

26.11. Thursday

9.00-11.00 Saree Workshop – in Paja Gallery

8.30-12.30 AI-Based Decision Making in International Trade and Finance by Cumhur Coskun (Izmir University of Economics) – in K219

12.30-16.00 Negotiation Workshop: Artificial vs. Emotional Intelligence by José-Antonio Corral-Marfil (University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia) – in 142

13.00-16.00 ESG (Sustainability) Requirements for Business – Where AI Can Be Used by Joanna Próchniak (University of Gdansk) – in 329A

13.00-15.30 Transformative Technology Usage in the Age of Generative AI – A Balancing Act by Karsten Böhm (FH Kufstein Tirol – University of Applied Sciences) – in 357

14.00-16.00 Study Abroad Fair – in Paja Gallery

27.11. Friday

10.00-14.30 Patterns, P-values, and Pitfalls: When AI-Assisted Analytics Masks Statistical Illiteracy by Ayla Ogus Binatli (Izmir University of Economics) – in 329A

Expected Countries at the Food Tasting Event:

• Bangladesh
• Cameroon
• France
• Germany
• Hungary
• Iran
• Nepal
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Spain
• Sri Lanka
• Thailand
• Turkey
• United Kingdom