The HMAK community is international. Our students and staff come from different countries and continents. We hear Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian, and English in the hallways daily.
We see internationality as a richness and offer encounters for all members of our community. Helsinki’s Vocational Painter School is an Erasmus+ accredited organization. Accreditation ensures that Erasmus+ activities at our school are of high quality. Erasmus+ consists of program periods. In the current period (2021-2027), the main themes are inclusion, digitalization, and environmental responsibility. It is easy to commit to these values and themes as they are also part of our school’s own strategy.
You can get involved in internationality through Erasmus+ activities as well as other school visits. In addition to Erasmus mobility, we have other international visitors coming to familiarize themselves with the school’s activities. Opportunities for internships arise both in our own institution and through mobility and project trips across Europe.
The goals of the mobility funding received in 2024 are related to getting to know nearby educational institutions, but through accreditation (starting from February 1, 2025), the entire Erasmus+ world is open to us!
We have permanent cooperative relationships with the following educational institutions:
- Latvia:
- Lithuania:
- Sweden:
- France:
Partners can also be found in Austria, Italy and Turkey.
In addition to these, it is possible to prepare mobilities to other educational institutions and companies around Europe.
We are supported by Finnish National Agency for Education international staff.
In all our mobilities, you get to take action!
All mobility periods include familiarization with a Finnish workplace, work at the educational institution or its project, and cultural events.
All visits must be arranged separately with our international team.
For students
We accept individual students to complete 15 competence points worth of a degree part from one month to two months.
We accept small student groups (less than 10 students) for a cultural and field familiarization period lasting from one week to two weeks. In these cases, we hope for the presence of their own teacher during the exchange.
For staff
We can accept individual teachers for job shadowing periods throughout the year. Teacher exchanges are also possible by agreement.
Other groups
We accept larger student or teacher groups for half-day visits. These are arranged separately, and for commercial entities, the half-day presentation is chargeable.
International team consist these people (2025-2026):
Elise Nyyssönen, vice-principal, team leader
Sari Pesonen, coordinator, responsibility: students
Pauli Raivio, coordinator, responsibility: projects, staff mobilities
Marika Raike, teacher, vocational branch
Merja Outinen, teacher, common studies
in August 2026 there will be also 2 student members of the team.
You may contact us by email: (firstname.lastname@hmak.com).
