Organisation/Company:
Lifelong Learning Institute Dipoli of Helsinki University of Technology

Position:
Director

Markku Markkula, MSc. (Tech) is the Director of the Lifelong Learning Institute Dipoli of Helsinki University of Technology TKK, in its field one of the largest continuing education providers among universities in Europe. He is Chairman of the Board of Directors of EuroPACE, European Professional Association for Collaboration in eLearning; Chairman of the Board of the Finnish Information Society Development Centre TIEKE and Chairman of the Continuing Education Working Group of the European Society for Engineering Education SEFI (a position he already held from 1987-1992).

From 1989 till 2001 Mr. Markkula worked as a part-time Secretary General of IACEE, the International Association for Continuing Engineering Education. During the years 1992-2005 he served as the Chairman of the Board of the Finnish Association of Graduate Engineers TEK (60,000 members). Markku Markkula was 8 years Member of the Finnish Parliament (1995-2003) where he was an active member in the permanent Committee for Science, Education and Culture, and the Committee for the Future. In 1996 Mr. Markkula took up chairmanship of the national campaign committee for the European Year of Lifelong Learning. In addition, he represented Finland in the EU Lifelong Learning ad-hoc committee. In 2001 he served as the President of EPTA Council, European Parliamentary Technology Assessment Network. In 2001-2002 he also contributed as a member to the EU High Level Expert group on Technology Foresight. In 2002 he was appointed by the Finnish Ministry of Education to operate as a One-Man-Committee to make recommendations for the Finnish eLearning policy. This work was completed in 2003 and the report published in 2004.

Markku Markkula is specialised in professional development, knowledge management, learning organization, lifelong learning, e-learning, regional policy, national innovation systems. He has published several books and given hundreds of conference presentations, as well as written numerous articles on these issues. In his work he has a strong international dimension on global value networks, new job opportunities and employability.