Anna Roikonen, Project Manager and Coordinator
I am the Project Manager of the teacher education development and research community JYU.Edu and the coordinator of the Education for the Future – EDUCA -flagship.
The decision to work at my former place of study, the Ģֱ, was actually a matter of chance. Before joining the university, I worked as an assistant director of a day-care centre and as an early childhood education teacher, and I was on study leave from my job to complete a master’s degree in early childhood education. While on sabbatical, I joined the JYU.edu team - first part-time and then full-time. I joined the EDUCA flagship at its very beginning, in March 2024.
For me, a university is not only a place to work, but also a home for education and knowledge. What I appreciate about a university is its permanence and history. My favourite slogan in the University's marketing is “Sivistys on supervoima”, meaning "Education is a superpower", because it sums up a lot. Being allowed to study means being allowed to think and interpret the world and how it works.
The power of community is found in the workplace
In my university career, I don't think I've ever had two identical days at work. My work is often a matter of replying to emails and I also attend at least one meeting a day. My work also involves preparing for upcoming events and meetings, for example, or project funding.
I work with a very broad range of people. When I started, it was difficult for me to see who all belonged to my own working community. My everyday working community is located in the main building of the Education Sciences, in Ruusupuisto, but my working community is also much broader than that. My network within the university is large, and I appreciate the fact that we can spar with each other. It's a highly mutually supportive, diverse working community where you can always get help.
In my job description, I really appreciate the variety of work. I am also excited to be at the heart of the development of teacher education. It's great to be able to contribute to developments and discuss the development of teacher education. I think it is such an interesting subject that I can say I am in my dream job!
