Meet our new member: VAMK Vaasa University of Applied Sciences – Interview with Hanna-Kaisa Pernaa

July 23, 2026

As part of our commitment to fostering strong regional health collaboration, we are delighted to introduce VAMK – Vaasa University of Applied Sciences one of EUREGHA’s associate members!

In a special welcome interview, we had the pleasure of speaking with Hanna-Kaisa Pernaa, Director of the School of Health Care and Social Services, to learn more about VAMK’s expertise, priorities and vision, as well as how the university will contribute to the EUREGHA network. You can find the full interview below!

EUREGHA continues to grow, and we look forward to introducing more new members to our expanding community in the coming months. Stay tuned for further updates!

What is VAMK’s role in the healthcare sector, and what specific contributions are you making?

VAMK (Vaasa University of Applied Sciences) educates healthcare and social services professionals in Vaasa, on Finland’s west coast, in the Ostrobothnia region. Our activities and expertise also include research, development, and innovation in these fields. The Finnish healthcare system has undergone a major structural transformation by merging the social and healthcare sectors, and this is also a key feature of our own operations, both in teaching and in our research and development activities. In addition to the social and health care sectors, we are happy to incorporate expertise in technology and business administration—which are also fields of study at our university—into our development work.

Hanna-Kaisa

What are the primary areas of interest for VAMK in terms of healthcare policies?

VAMK is particularly interested in researching and developing activities that bring together and transcend different fields. Social and health care client relationships are generally closely intertwined; in addition to the proximity of these themes, various technological developments are becoming an increasingly important part of the services provided in our fields. For this reason, we also view the use of artificial intelligence as part of the development of both health care and social services.

The opportunities and regulations related to artificial intelligence are a major focus of our interest when considering policies related to health care and social services.Our population is aging rapidly, and social and health care services are increasingly being provided in clients’ homes. We are interested in all topics related to home care, the safety of care, and the promotion of public well-being.

We are also taking the first steps toward a new form of educational collaboration between police officers and social workers, focusing on challenging client interactions. In this area, our areas of special expertise are juvenile delinquency and neurodiversity.Starting in 2027, we will offer a Master’s program in Crisis Leadership and Innovation. The core of the program will focus on the themes of dual-use and systems thinking (Strategic leadership in multi-actor ecosystems; AI & data-driven decision-making; Responsible innovation & dual-use). This leads to the conclusion that we are very interested in all topics related to resilience and preparedness, particularly in the context of interdisciplinary collaboration.

Hanna-Kaisa

In what ways do you believe that collaboration with EUREGHA will enhance VAMK’s impact on the healthcare sector?

I believe that true impact will emerge through new opportunities for EUREGHA collaboration in research, development and innovation. Our society—including the healthcare sector—face increasingly complex challenges and to address them we need a variety of perspectives, diverse expertise and knowledge with a wide range of experience. Through collaboration we have a better chance of understanding and tackling complex problems that cannot be approached from a narrow perspective. This collaboration is also linked to education: using the insights gained through research and development, we also enhance educational programs and the expertise of new professionals and leaders in the field.

Hanna-Kaisa

Which of VAMK’s research projects or educational initiatives do you think will offer the most value to the EUREGHA network?

Our experience with research collaboration on the use of artificial intelligence in the social sector could be of interest to many members. On the education front, I hope our new master’s program—which focuses on resilience and leadership in times of crisis—will attract interest: the topic brings together students from the social and health care fields, as well as those from the fields of technology and business, into a joint program. Our shared, global experiences with pandemics, increasing environmental crises, and the current geopolitical situation underscore the importance of education on this topic, and we are more than happy to collaborate on developing educational programs in this area.

Hanna-Kaisa

Which of VAMK’s research projects or educational initiatives do you think will offer the most value to the EUREGHA network?

VAMK School of Health Care and Social services goals include increasing research and development collaboration with health and social services providers in the Ostrobothnia region, as well as with national and international partners. In addition, our goals include launching a new, international nursing education program, launching and further developing a new master’s program in Crisis Leadership and Innovation, and increasing interdisciplinary educational collaboration (e.g., the previously mentioned collaboration in police and social work education.