Review team for the accreditation of the Degree Programme in Mechanical Engineering selected

The review team that will conduct the accreditation of our Degree Programme in Mechanical Engineering has been selected. The team will visit Oamk on May 14-15, 2025, during which the members will thoroughly review our operations and interview various stakeholders.

Prior to the visit, the team will familiarize themselves with the ongoing self-assessment report and other evaluation materials. The accreditation of the Degree Programme in Mechanical Engineering is part of our development actions aimed at continuously improving the quality of education by identifying both areas for improvement and strengths.

The four-member review team includes representatives from both higher education sectors, as well as from the engineering industry and students. Additionally, the project manager Kati Isoaho from the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (Karvi) will participate in the visit.

During the evaluation visit, the team aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of the quality and functionality of the Degree Programme in Mechanical Engineering. Interviews will cover a wide range of stakeholders, including students, teachers, administrative and support staff, and industry representatives. Teaching demonstrations will provide practical examples of teaching methods and content. Moreover, visits to laboratories and other teaching facilities will offer a concrete understanding of the learning environments and the opportunities they provide.

Team Chair, Prof. Dr. Silvia Schintke, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (Switzerland)

Silvia Schintke is a renowned expert in the field of material sciences and has extensive experience in higher education. She has previously served as the chair of accreditation panels.

Quality Lead Antti Huttunen, AGCO Power Ltd.

Antti Huttunen works in quality management and has a strong background in industrial production and quality control.

D.Sc. (Tech.) Mika Lohtander, Turku University of Applied Sciences

Mika Lohtander is an expert in mechanical engineering with extensive experience in teaching and research.

Student Margot Winters, TU Delft (Belgium/Netherlands)

Margot Winters represents students and brings a fresh perspective to the evaluation. Margot holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and mathematics and is currently studying aerospace engineering.

Oamk’s project team spent the autumn semester gathering the background information on mechanical engineering, interviewing specialists, and writing the self-assessment report. In December, we began recruiting interviewees and planning the May visit.

During the spring semester, we will continue refining the report text collaboratively to ensure clarity and consistency. In March, we will meet with the evaluation team via Teams to discuss the Degree Programme in Mechanical Engineering.

The self-assessment report shall be submitted to the review team in April, so there will be plenty of work to be done in the spring as well.