I have had a quiet period with my blog for reasons that need not be discussed here - nothing dramatic but very practical ones. I am afraid that I will not find much time for writing blogs in the coming weeks either. So, let me start this year with some brief remarks.
Looking back at the year 2021
Last year was the one when I have been fully retired. When entering this phase I made the point that I have to rediscover myself as a blogger. By the end of the year 2020 I had had quite a lot to write on my projects that were coming to an end. But then, when the projects were finished, there were no longer current issues to address. Also, as a retired person and during the corona pandemic I had nothing to do with conferences - most of them becoming online events. So, no more 'business as usual'. The best I have been able to do was to celebrate colleagues who have reached round years or who have also entered the phase of retirement. And, sadly enough, there have been cases when the sad news of the death of a colleague has reached me with some delay. So, with blog entries of this kind I have wanted keep the memory of our work during the past years - in particular in European cooperation and in the field of vocational education and training (VET) - visible for current readers.
Here a photo of my workplace at Insitut Technik & Bildung (ITB) before my return to Finland (October 2020)
Looking ahead with the year 2022
This brings me to thoughts on my role as a blogger during this year. I guess that it will be something similar - but with some specific accents. Firstly, there will be some anniversaries in the European research in vocational education and training (shortly: European VET research) to be notified in due time. Also, I want to keep an eye what my former colleagues are achieving with themes that are important to me. And there may be some other thoughts to be shared when I find more time. So, let us keep this blog up!
More blogs to come (but on different topics) ...
Hi Pekka. How are you? Missing your blog!