Professor
Markus Holopainen: The aim is to create a programme where top expertise in sustainable management of natural resources meets cutting-edge technology. Establishing work-life connections during the study phase is important. Such education is not currently available in Finland, at least.
Xiang Su: Courses and projects are key teaching methods. Students will gain hands-on experience and building their professional network from the master’s programme. And in research-centered courses, teaching is delivered by our active scientists, and students are immersed from early on in ongoing projects, such as from digital twins to AI-enabled techniques, and sustainable production modelling.
Xiang Su: I see the opportunities from both student and teacher perspectives. The programme offers cutting-edge education. Courses teach basic and advanced knowledge about sustainability, AI, data analysis, remote sensing, automation, etc. All teachers have relevant background and expertise. This ensures students working with the latest technologies and findings.
Master’s thesis can be completed within the faculty's research projects or as an assignment with the programme's partners, such as research institutes or companies. These employers might become future job contacts. The programme provides versatile career options. Graduates can become technology and sustainability experts working in AI, automation, and sustainable supply chains in sectors like agri-food, forestry, research institutes, or academia.
Markus Holopainen: Finland has been the leading country in sustainable development five times worldwide. At the same time, our economy is struggling, and unemployment has risen to the highest levels in Europe. Particularly concerning is the rapid increase in unemployment among educated young people.
There are several reasons behind the negative employment development. However, it can be stated that we have not been able to utilise the implementation of sustainable development goals from the perspective of Finnish employment.
I believe that the new master's programme could provide the tools to tackle this significant challenge; by combining expertise in sustainable development with technological skills, it should be possible to create new innovations, jobs, and well-being in Finland.
Markus Holopainen: In the programme's common studies, the focus is on key themes, namely sustainability aspects, and the technological tools essential for all, such as artificial intelligence and data analysis. The programme's three alternative modules allow for specialisation in automation technology, measurement and monitoring technologies for resource management, or innovations in the sustainable use of natural resources, economics, and production management.
Xiang Su: Technical and analytical skills, such as food/crop system modelling & simulation. Students also gain skills in energy systems, industrial automation, and process control, utilizing tools like MATLAB, Python, and PLC systems. Moreover, students learn data-driven decision making, sustainable resource management, environmental impact assessment, collaborative and interdisciplinary skills, and research collaboration to address sustainability challenges.
Xiang Su: The Master’s Programme in Technologies of Sustainable Use of Renewable Resources is an important program as it lies at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and their applications in agriculture, forestry, and food. It addresses global sustainability challenges and bridge the gap of science and practical application domains. It equips students with practical skills such as AI, automation, remote sensing, data analysis, and grounding them in agriculture, forestry, and food. And the strong links with industry, research institutes, and government agencies mean graduates potentially can actively contribute to solving real-world sustainability problems.
Markus Holopainen: Technologies related to the sustainable use of natural resources are linked to global trends such as the advancement of digitalisation, the role and utilisation of artificial intelligence, the data economy, and energy sufficiency. The question is whether we can provide education that equips individuals with the tools to address these significant future challenges.