Savonia’s Teacher of the Year 2026: Jorma Korhonen

The Student Union SAVOTTA has the great pleasure and honor of naming Senior Lecturer Jorma Korhonen from the Tourism and Hospitality Management programme at the Microkatu campus as Savonia University of Applied Science’s Teacher of the Year 2026.

In students’ nominations, he is described as a highly respected and well-liked teacher who has had a significant impact on students’ learning, career paths, and international opportunities. He has a unique ability to encourage students to seize the moment and to dream big. Jorma’s warm personality and sense of humor create a positive atmosphere where students are genuinely seen and heard, and challenges are solved together. Jorma Korhonen is the heart and soul of the hospitality students and an essential pillar of support.

“I am truly happy and grateful for this recognition. The nomination came as a surprise, but this acknowledgment from students is certainly the most valued recognition of my twenty years of teaching. The most rewarding part of my work is working with young people, and the best feedback is seeing their knowledge and skills develop during their studies,” says Teacher of the Year 2026, Jorma Korhonen.

Savonia’s Teacher of the Year has been awarded since 2004, with the aim of recognizing and celebrating excellent teaching and inspiring expertise. This year, the Student Union SAVOTTA received an impressive 641 nominations from students, highlighting 157 teachers across all fields of study and campuses. The Teacher of the Year is presented with a certificate of honor and receives a traveling trophy. The trophy features a log-driving hook, symbolizing the teacher’s role as a guide who inspires and leads students forward on their journey.

“One of the most important roles of the Student Union is to bring forward the student voice within the higher education community. Naming the Teacher of the Year is a valuable way to encourage students to articulate their experiences of everyday student life. The nominations clearly demonstrated the significant impact teachers have on students’ well-being and on building a sense of community. Jorma Korhonen has inspired students to study diligently and has supported them in creating unforgettable and eventful study years. He is a pillar of support not only for hospitality students but for the entire Savonia community,” says Tiina Landén, Chair of the Board of the Student Union SAVOTTA.

The Student Union SAVOTTA congratulates Jorma on behalf of the entire Savonia higher education community.

Here are some highlights from the student nominations:

“Jorma is genuinely present for students, and his interaction is characterized by warmth and helpfulness. He truly cares about how students are doing, and in challenging situations, solutions are sought together. His response time to emails is incredibly fast, and things never get left hanging.”

“Jorma Korhonen has supported me, for example, in a very positive way during my studies. His gentle teaching style and sense of humor are present in everyday learning, making it more enjoyable. His laughter echoes through classrooms and down the aisle of the bus during trips. He has always encouraged us to seize opportunities, such as going to the other side of the world for an internship. Without Jorma, my own studies would have been very one-dimensional, colorless, and monolingual.”

“He has always made his classes engaging and has done tremendous work for Savonia’s internationalisation programme. Jorma continuously encourages and guides students to pursue internships abroad and has been very successful in this. He has actively maintained Savonia’s international partnerships in ways that benefit both students and staff.”

“Jorma is a teacher who genuinely encounters students both in the classroom and beyond. His lessons have an inspiring atmosphere, always with a twinkle in the eye. He is exceptionally interested in how we students are truly doing.”

“In his classes, you always learn something new and fascinating, and they are never boring. As a person, he is warm and approachable—you can talk to him in the corridors about anything. He also remembers people well, so even after graduation, he greets you warmly and takes the time to reconnect.”

“His endless creativity, ability to maintain a positive working atmosphere, and impactful international connections are invaluable intangible assets that the entire Savonia community will miss. Every meeting and class with Jorma inevitably becomes the highlight of the day—and a good mood is guaranteed!”