In Hancock, Mich., snow is measured in feet and weathering economic woes is an art form. But it’s there that Finlandia University nurtures the health of both local artists and the economy with a bustling student-business partnership.
In a former hospital, the ELCA-related university and its global partners started a business incubator that weaves artists’ creativity and vision with entrepreneurial wisdom and synergy. It’s patterned after Finland’s education system, which sends students into businesses for hands-on experience before graduation. Through a faculty exchange program with the Kuopio Academy of Design in Finland, one Finnish professor became a Finlandia dean and helped design the business incubator.
From product design to interior design for companies and homes, Finlandia students receive a wide range of classroom and practical experience.
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© 2013 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
