# Savonia Article: Developing Future of Remote Therapy in Finland and Singapore

> The FUGA, Future of Remote Therapy project was a project coordinated by Turku University of Applied Sciences, and it was financed by the Asia program managed by the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Board of Education.

## Project Overview
The FUGA (Future of Remote Therapy) project was coordinated by Turku University of Applied Sciences and financed by the Asia program managed by the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Board of Education. The project ran from October 5, 2020, to the end of 2022.

The project partners included:
* Turku University of Applied Sciences
* Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences (JAMK)
* Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)
* Savonia University of Applied Sciences

The primary goal was to develop a virtual course focused on remote therapy in rehabilitation. The project team consisted of physiotherapy and occupational therapy professionals, as well as experts in project management.

## International Visits and Collaboration
In October 2022, representatives from the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) visited Turku UAS and JAMK in Finland to learn about Finnish higher education institutions and social and health care services. Savonia representatives participated in parts of the program implemented by JAMK.

The final project meeting took place in Singapore from November 19–27, 2022. During this visit, the team evaluated the project's implementation and results, drafted the final report, and discussed future cooperation strategies.

## Future Cooperation and Development
The project partners identified several avenues for continued collaboration:

* **Student Exchange:** Plans are underway for a Master’s level exchange. Approximately 10–15 students from Singapore are expected to visit Finland in autumn 2023, with five students from each Finnish university of applied sciences planning to visit Singapore in spring 2024.
* **Funding:** Institutions are currently exploring funding opportunities such as ERASMUS Global mobility.
* **Institutional Agreements:** Savonia and SIT are preparing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize their partnership.
* **Virtual Teaching:** The partners plan to integrate virtual teaching, starting with the neurological rehabilitation Blended Intensive Programme in spring 2023.
* **Research:** The Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore (RRIS) was identified as a potential future research partner.
* **New Projects:** The team met with Anna Korpi, Team Finland Knowledge expert at the Finnish embassy, to discuss future financing. Savonia intends to coordinate a new TFK-project with Turku UAS, JAMK, and SIT to build upon the work initiated by FUGA.

## Authors
* **Marja Äijö**, Principal Lecturer in Gerontology and Rehabilitation, Savonia UAS
* **Virpi Laukkanen**, Director of Internationality, Savonia UAS