In our MEGA project team, we have wide range of expertise from Europe, South Africa and Zambia. Turku University of Applied Science, the leading partner, has shown great expertise in running EU-funded projects and developing mental health education and services. Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) is a multidisciplinary educational community of around 9000 students and 700 staff members. It is located in Southwest Finland but nowadays we operate globally in various development activities. It offers Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs in the faculty of Health and Well-being.
TUAS is investing in pedagogical modernization of higher education. It develops and implements multi-field innovation pedagogy with a focus on Research, Development and Innovation (RDI), flexible curricula, entrepreneurship and internationality. When students actively participate in applied RDI activities during their studies, it increases their readiness to operate successfully in working life. Thus, TUAS is experienced in mental health nursing education on BA and MA levels. Master-level studies are focused on Advanced Nurse Practioner (ANP) training. Mental Health Nursing studies are following the idea of innovation pedagogy. Co-operation with service user organizations and experts by experience are highlighted in the studies.
Mari Lahti, PhD, Post Doc., is a research leader in the Health Promotion research group and an active member of the research group aimed at Empowering Children and Young People of TUAS. She has done her academic dissertation in the faculty of medicine at Turku University, department of nursing science. The title of her academic dissertation was “Evaluation of an e-learning course: Coercion practices in psychiatric nursing”. Her research interests are in mental health nursing education, mental health promotion, and youth mental health.
Heikki Ellilä, MN.Sc, PhD, is a registered general and mental health nurse. He currently works as a principal lecturer in post-graduate studies in the Department of Health and Wellbeing in Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) and as a clinical teacher in the Psychiatric Clinic of the Hospital District of Southwest Finland. He is one of the founders of the first Master’s level programme (Advanced Nurse Practitioner) in mental health nursing in Finland. He is a founding member of the Horatio- European Association for Psychiatric Nurses and was a member of the board of the Co-operation of psychiatric nurses in Nordic Countries (PSSN) for 7 years. He is chair of the Finnish Association for Mental Health Research and Development.
Joonas Korhonen, RN, MNSc, is a Full-Time Lecturer at Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS). He has started his scientific career in the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Nursing Science in Turku. He has a strong clinical background in mental health care. His special knowledge and skills are related to nursing education, psychiatric care and substance abuse. He has extensive work experience in psychiatric care, including psychosis care and substance abuse in acute and rehabilitation settings. He has been a member of Executive Board of Department of Nursing Science and a member of the Board of Faculty of Medicine of the University of Turku.
Anita Narbro is IPMA certified project manager with experience working in international projects. In MEGA project her role is to support the project manager with project management tasks. She assists within the coordination of the project consortium, planning activities of the project, negotiations with financier as well as budgetary issues.
Arina Kiseleva works as a project controller in TUAS. She is working as controller and coordinator in different international and national research and development projects in Finland. In this project, she is responsible for financial reporting and provides administrative support inside the organization and between partners.
