Minister of Education and Culture Sunni Grahn-Laasonen and
Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lenity Toivakka last week submitted
a proposal to parliament to remove legal barriers to the export of Finnish
educational products and expertise.
"There is a huge export potential for education from Finland, but today matters block these. We are currently taking steps to remove these barriers," says Grahn-Laasonen. "The goal is to create more sales opportunities to study abroad and thus improving the resource base for research."
Several projects have been undertaken in Finland since 2009, to prepare strategies for the export of Finnish education, including elaboration of a definition. It was agreed that the term "export education expert" did not adequately cover the Finnish plans that include consulting services and technology solutions to facilitate the learning process.
"There is a huge export potential for education from Finland, but today matters block these. We are currently taking steps to remove these barriers," says Grahn-Laasonen. "The goal is to create more sales opportunities to study abroad and thus improving the resource base for research."
Several projects have been undertaken in Finland since 2009, to prepare strategies for the export of Finnish education, including elaboration of a definition. It was agreed that the term "export education expert" did not adequately cover the Finnish plans that include consulting services and technology solutions to facilitate the learning process.
Several business areas in exporting Finnish education have been developed, such as further education for public services using multi-mode teaching methods including virtual training; learning games (eg product Rovno’s "Angry Birds"), as well as a platform for training "Skills to build your dreams - delivered to your mobile phone" Fungi; and other life style products, such as language learning products SANAKO him.
Grahn-Laasonen presented a study by universities and private companies identify the factors that currently impede expansion of education export - as this legal blockade of charging tuition fees and the opportunity to have flexible contracts into joint agreements with institutions and organizations, including private companies abroad.
She said that information on survey will be used for "production roadmap for removing barriers and increasing the export of education, not only in higher education but also in professional and vocational training."
The roadmap is to be completed by January 2016 and Finland Network Team - whose principal members include ministries of education and culture, employment and the economy and foreign affairs as well as public authorities operating under their leadership - will coordinate activities between public actors that will offer educational exports and also provide support services.
"Companies will be encouraged to create plans for the sale of education abroad and it is estimated that 560 people will be employed in this sector in the near future," added Minister Toivakka.
A program of educational growth for exports "Future Learning Finland" was established in the autumn, funded by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy and is administered by the Finer.
The plan shall be submitted at the same time as the proposal to introduce tuition fees for students who do not teach in Finnish or Swedish from countries outside Europe, as reported by University World News last week.
In the area of great potential interest to export education is about Gulf ministers Grahn-Laasonen and Toivakka said in Helsinki.
Interest Gulf
Toivakka minister led a delegation of nearly 40 business and university and polytechnic representatives of Team Finland mission in the United Arab Emirates, from October 31 to November 2 and Saudi Arabia 2-4 November. The delegation included representatives from the health, education and "clean tech" business.
Representatives from the University of Helsinki, Lappeenranta University of Technology and several Polytechnics (Kabana University of Applied Sciences, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Helsinki Metropolitan University of Applied Sciences and JAMK University of Applied Sciences) are participating.
The visit provided an "excellent opportunity for us to introduce leading edge Finnish experience in several sectors in the Gulf region, which is investing heavily in development," said Toivakka.
The sector of education and training is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. The size of the market is estimated globally to be around 3.3 € trillion (US $ 3600 billion), with an expected annual growth of 7% is expected in 2017. In addition, expect the fastest growth areas in Finland high achievements that is, learning games (30% growth) and training solutions for the Internet (23%).
Finnish education expertise has raised great interest internationally, but the total value of exports to education is difficult to assess because of inconsistent statistics. However, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation, or Takes, the appraised value in 2014 was about € 268 million in research undertaken for business.
Meeting, initiated by Takes this summer attracted a large number of stakeholders and companies. "Exports worth hundreds of millions waiting to be found at the micro level," Suva Sundquist, Programmed Manager Takes ", said the meeting.
"Micro-enterprises are most eager to grow. They are also numerous."
According to a recent study commissioned by Takes reveals that education export start-ups will need € 26 million in capital investments over the next two years, and export hundred experts said Sundquist. "But Finnish education system for the challenge to become the engine of renewal?" She asked.
Losing ground
Groan Melina, lead author of the report of the Techno polis Group, commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture for the implementation of the Finnish higher education, said the government plans to remove legal obstacles to the fees, tuition fees for students from outside the European Union is a step in the right direction given economic constraints.
"In addition, Finnish higher education is of a high standard and if marketed well and show a good schemes for the care of foreign students, this could be a business opportunity. Finland potentially have a lot to sell here," he told University World News.
He said that the Finnish higher education and research system in need of increased internationalization of all levels. But raising tuition can not make it easier to attract foreign students.
"Charging tuition fees should be an opportunity for higher education institutions, rather than on a regulated requirement," he said.
Chairman of the Helsinki University, Professor Juke Kola, told University World News, that his university sees great potential in the export of education.
"We are actively seeking new ways to sell our educational and research experience abroad. We are also looking for new partnerships with international industry.
"We see a lot of potential in, for example, education, law, health sector as well as agriculture and forestry and climate change. At the same time, these activities offer career opportunities to graduates and post-docs," he said.
Petri Koikkalainen, chairman of the Finnish Union of University Researchers and teachers said selling courses abroad or in the country is not the solution to massive cuts in the budget that the government has introduced in the universities nor the charging of tuition fees for students from outside the European Union ,
"These proposals look like small fixes to a problem, and they can be a step towards the commercialization of our public higher education system," he said.
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