Our Team

Nordic Quest College works in close collaboration with various Finnish educational institutions and EdTech partners, including Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences. The University of Helsinki Teacher Training Schools and Firstbeat Technologies are our major collaboration partners along with Opintiet Oy Education Finland. Nordic Quest College is also an approved Quality Mark Center from Crossfields Institute, the United Kingdom. 

We also invite guest professors, industry experts and business leaders to teach in our programmes. All our course instructors are university teachers or other professionals with equivalent or higher level of academic and pedagogical competencies. The core faculty team of our college comprises the individuals listed below.  

Tapio Lahtero (PhD.)

Collaboration Partner & Course Leader

Tapio Lahtero (Ph.D.) has done his career both in the Finnish municipal education system and in Finnish universities. He graduated with a M.A. in teacher education from the University of Turku in 1993 and defended his doctoral thesis at the University of Jyväskylä in 2011 on the leadership culture of educational organizations. His eMBA degree in leadership of public administration is from the University of Tampere in 2015.

He has been employed as a headmaster, district headmaster and Director of Education in Vantaa City over ten years and since 2015 as Administrative Headmaster of the University of Helsinki’s Viikki and Helsinki Normal Lyceum Teacher Training Schools.

He has been engaged in leadership training of school heads and directors of education offices in the Universities of Jyväskylä, Turku and Helsinki and has published several research articles on leadership culture and strategic as well as pedagogical leadership. He also works as a consultant and has consulted educational organizations on their change and development processes both in Finland and abroad.

Sami Kivela

Collaboration Partner & Course Leader

The Founder and CEO of Global Innerworld Oy (Ltd.), Mr. Sami Kivela has nearly 15 years of professional experience in international Higher Education. As Senior Lecturer in a Finnish University of Applied Sciences, he has taught ethics, sustainable development, personal and professional growth, research methodology and intercultural education among other subjects.

He has supervised dozens of practical placements and thesis processes, coordinated and managed global cooperation projects and introduced innovative digital technologies to educational contexts. Currently he designs blended learning solutions as an independent expert.

Mr. Kivela has a Post Graduate Degree in Teacher Education, Master’s Degree in Theology and ongoing PhD studies in Education. He is passionate about making the world more equitable and thrilled to engage in dialogue with learners from around the world. In 2017, he was awarded the title Sustainable Citizen of the Year by the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development.

Dr. Tapani Kaartinen

Collaboration Partner 

The founder of Opintiet Education Finland, Tapani Kaartinen (Doctor of Education) has worked as a teacher and teacher trainer in various international educational settings; including for 32 years as a lecturer in The University Practice School of Tampere (1984-2016). Founded by Tapani Kaartinen in 1995 as a teacher training and adventure education providing company; Opintiet Oy is now an official member of Education Finland. 

The core expertise of Opintiet Oy Education Finland is in tailored teacher training, arranging adventure pedagogy field trips, outdoor education and camp schools in Finland, Sweden & Estonia. Nordic Quest College works in close cooperation with Dr. Kaartinen & his company, particularly in arranging EduTour Packages & Forestry Education.