News

The selection of North-South-South networks is characterized by experience and quality

Mon, 06 May 2013 13:11:51 GMT

The first selection of North-South-South networks for the 4th programme period characterized by experience and high quality

Changes introduced by the 4^th Programme period

In December 2012 the decision regarding funding for a 4th Programme period covering the period 20013-2015 of the North-South-South network programme was taken by the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The first Call with a budget of €2.15 MIL was opened in January with a deadline of March 7^th. The focus of the NSS programme remains on student and teacher mobility, however, a larger share of the overall budget will be allocated to intensive course activities (shift from earlier 15% to current 20%). A new activity related to dissemination of results obtained within network activities and intensive courses was also added. Scholarship amounts were increased to answer changed requirements related to obtaining visas and residence permits.

To support transparency of the evaluation process selection criteria and their relative weight were implemented during the spring application round. As a result of the selection process proposals were ranked according to three categories; highly recommended, recommended and not recommended. The quality of the proposals was highlighted through the relatively very high number of 20 highly recommended proposals (55%). These proposals were in line with Finnish development policy goals, target country and HEI strategies, they presented sound management of activities, reflected southern ownership and wide impact.

Further information about the selection process can be found in the Guidelines for applicants.

Balanced interest among Universities and Universities of Applied Science

A total of 36 proposals were received, out of which 11 were new. There was a slightly bigger interest from the Universities of Applied Sciences with 19 proposals against 17 from the Universities. Proposals were widespread in terms of subject areas, nevertheless, the health care and social work representatives are increasingly active within NSS; a majority of 14 proposals were received within these subject areas (40%). The higher education cooperation is geared mostly towards Eastern African countries, even though proposals also covered Egypt, the Palestinian authority, the Balkans, Asia, Latin-America and Central Asia.

A total of 23 new partner institutions involved in the selected networks

A total of 17 networks were proposed for funding, among them only one entirely new network. However, the long-running networks have included a total of 23 new partner HEIs to broaden the impact of the network activities and previous experience gained.

The budget of €2.15 MIL was allocated to 299 student mobility periods between Finland and developing countries; 172 incoming students and 127 outgoing. 149 teacher mobility periods were supported; 80 incoming and 69 outgoing. Furthermore, 17 intensive courses and 17 dissemination measures, both implemented in the south, were financed.

The group of networks selected for funding cover several subject fields, even though social and health care are still in focus.

The main target countries are in East Africa and naturally consist of Finnish long-term development cooperation partners, but the selected networks also cover for example Peru, Vietnam, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, the Palestinian authority and Mali.

The following call for proposals will be opened in October 2013, with a contract period running from June 2014 to August 2016, with a budget of €2 MIL.

More information:

Results of first Call for proposals within the 4. Programme period of North-South-South

Statistics from the February 2013 application round

Information on the North-South-South programme

More Finns doing higher education degrees abroad

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:43:43 GMT

^{Photo: Finnish Press Agency}

More Finns doing higher education degrees abroad

The number of Finns doing higher education degrees abroad keeps growing, show the statistics on financial aid for students compiled by the Finnish Social Insurance Institution Kela. In the 2011–2012 academic year, 5,848 Finns were doing their entire degree abroad, an increase of almost 400 students from the previous year. Most of the Finnish students abroad, 93%, are in higher education.

The biggest growth is seen in the numbers of higher education students heading to Britain and Estonia: there were almost 200 more Finnish students in British higher education, while over 100 more students opted for Estonia in 2011–2012 than the year before.

The Kela statistics on financial aid for students gives approximate information of how many Finns are doing their entire degrees abroad. The statistics excludes those students who finance their degrees by other means.

Most Finns study in Europe

Finnish students have long favoured certain countries above others. Britain kept its position as by far the most popular destination: 1,961 Finns were doing their degrees in the UK, followed by Sweden (948), Estonia (650), the United States (371), Germany (271) and the Netherlands (245).

Most of the Finnish students are studying in Europe. Among the 40 countries listed in the Kela statistics, only a dozen or so are outside Europe, with about 600 Finnish students in all.

Also, certain fields are more popular than others. Economics, business and social sciences (36.7%) are especially popular, as are the humanities and various fields of the arts (34.5%) and social services and health (9.9%).

Gaining a degree abroad appears to be more popular among women than men. As many as 67.5% of those doing their degrees abroad and in receipt of Kela’s financial aid for students were women.

(3.4.)

Young Ambassadors scholars ready to take off

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:42:58 GMT

^{Photo: Tuomas Hellman, U.S. Embassy Helsinki Press Office}

Young Ambassadors scholars ready to take off

The third term of the Young Ambassadors’ scholarship program begins in June, when 12 Finnish high school students with an interest in environmental issues set off for Washington D.C. and Colorado. The students made their way to the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki from all over Finland to be awarded the scholarships in the embassy’s new innovation centre on 5 April 2013.

The Young Ambassadors’ Program was co-funded by the United States Embassy in Finland and CIMO. Practical arrangements of the program are taken care of by Youth for Understanding (YFU).

“The best way to promote intercultural understanding is to get to know other people’s lives in person. This program gives Finnish youngsters first-hand knowledge about the United States and American lives. The connections between the U.S. and Finland are already strong, and this program is a wonderful opportunity to make them even stronger”, as the U.S. Ambassador to Finland Bruce Oreck summed up the role of the program.

“What CIMO hopes to achieve with the Young Ambassadors’ program is to strengthen the schools’ transatlantic co-operation at a practical level – and to give youngsters the opportunity to gain personal experiences and encounters”, says Director of CIMO Pasi Sahlberg.

(9.4.)

Higher education collaboration promotes development policy goals

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:39:57 GMT

Higher education collaboration promotes development policy goals

Collaboration in the higher education sector helps the goals of Finnish development policy come true in more ways than one. This became evident in an assessment of the outcomes and impact of the North–South–South and HEI-ICI programmes.

Finnish development co-operation appropriations are also used to support higher education. Part of this support is channelled through two programmes managed by CIMO. The HEI-ICI programme supports capacity building of higher education institutions in the South, while the North–South–South programme promotes student and staff mobility between north and south.

In the academic year 2011–2012, there were 15 HEI-ICI projects and 45 North–South–South projects running in almost 30 partner countries.

Human rights, democracy, environmental protection and green economy

Higher education co-operation supports each core area of Finland’s Development Policy Programme. All projects in the education sector promote human development. Many projects also support an inclusive green economy that promotes employment; a democratic and accountable society that advances human rights;and the sustainable management of natural resources and environmental protection.

Of the cross-cutting objectives in the development policy programme, gender equality and the citizens’ equal participation have enjoyed a key role also in higher education collaboration.

Fighting and adapting to climate change has been supported through several higher education projects in the field of natural resources and the environment.

10 million euros for higher education institutions cooperation between Finland and developing countries

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:06:42 GMT

10 million euros for higher education institutions cooperation between Finland and developing countries

By decision of Minister for International Development Heidi Hautala, 9.7 million euros was granted for development cooperation carried out by higher education institutions in 2013–2015. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs supports collaboration projects between Finnish higher education institutions (HEIs) and their partners in developing countries with an aim to enhance higher education capacity in the developing world. The number of supported collaboration projects is 23, and they are being carried out in 19 countries.

The projects chosen this time support, for example, development of the curricula and teaching methods in HEIs and continuing training of teaching staff, and enhance the administrative systems. The projects, representing various sectors, are based on needs specified by the partner HEIs in developing countries and they take advantage of the special competence areas of Finnish HEIs.

18 of the projects are coordinated by a university and five by a polytechnic. In many of the projects, universities and polytechnics collaborate with each other. The duration of these projects is from one to three years. The costs of an individual project range from 300,000 to 500,000 euros, and the assistance covers a maximum of 80 per cent of the total expenses of the project. Cooperation is focused on the least developed countries in Africa and Asia and Finland’s long-term partner countries.

In recent years, Finnish HEIs have shown increasing interest towards developing countries. This time, the financing applications filed concerned a total of 55 projects. 41 of these were coordinated by universities and 14 by polytechnics. A large international group of experts as well as specialists of development cooperation and international HEI cooperation participated in the selection process.The Ministry for Foreign Affairs provides funding for the programme from Finland’s development cooperation appropriations and it is administered by CIMO, the Centre for International Mobility.

Additional information

HEI ICI projects receiving funding 2013–2015 (pdf)

HEI ICI Programme at CIMO’s web service

HEI ICI Programme at Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ web service

Marianne Rönkä, Inspector, Unit for General Development Policy and Planning, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6433

Annica Moore, Senior Programme Adviser, CIMO, the Centre for International Mobility, tel. +358 295 338 574

(7 January 2013)

Nordplus Higher Education programme gives funding to 184 networks

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:14:47 GMT

Nordplus Higher Education programme gives funding to 184 networks

The first application round of the new programme period of Nordplus Higher Education (2012–2016] distributed around 4 million euros among 184 networks, of which 52 coordinated from Finland. Funding was made available to student and staff mobility, development projects, intensive courses, joint study programmes and to create and develop networks. As in previous years, the most active networks came from the fields of health care and teacher education.

Nordplus funding was again much sought after, as is customary in the first round of the programme period. A total of 250 networkssubmitted applications amounting to about 13 million euros, which was 29% more than the funding available.

Student and staff mobility received 70% of the funding. The rest went into intensive courses and joint study programmes. Also, 14 networks were granted development project funding, and 21 networks were successful in winning network support.

The number of applications submitted to the Nordplus Higher Education programme has declined in the past years, but the number of participants has grown. In the year ahead, 1,931 faculties, departments, units or programmes will participate in the programme (1,791 participants in 2011). The growth is attributed to the fact that the expansion of old networks has been prioritised over creating new ones. The Nordic countries are more or less equally active participants in Nordplus Higher Education, while roughly half of the projects have Baltic institutions of higher education as members.

The most applications again came from health care networks, 39 of which were granted support. The largest amount of funding, totalling about 670,000 euros, was given to networks of teacher education. At the other end of the scale, Art and Design networks are few, but they tend to be larger than average.

One of the goals of the new programme period is to improve co-operation with the world of work. This was not very apparent in the first application round, perhaps because such collaboration is far from new in Nordplus Higher Education. Practical training is a long-standing part of the programme, working life features prominently in many intensive courses, and collaboration with the world of work has already been improved in many projects.

(8 August 2012)

Results of Finnish Erasmus Mundus 2012: focus on collaboration with Russia, Eastern neighbourhood and Asia

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:19:06 GMT

Results of Finnish Erasmus Mundus 2012: focus on collaboration with Russia, Eastern neighbourhood and Asia

The Lappeenranta University of Technology is partner in the Joint Master in Pervasive Computing & Communications for sustainable development (PERCOM) selected by the Erasmus Mundus Programme in 2012. The Masters course is co-ordinated by the University of Lorraine in France. Other partners are the Luleå University of Technology (Sweden) and the National Research University of IT Mechanics and Optics (Russian Federation).

Currently running are 138 Mundus Masters courses, 14 of which have Finnish partners. This is a decent contribution in terms of the Finnish share in European higher education. Finland fares less well in Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorates with only 1 partnership from among 43 doctorate programmes.

(1 August 2012)

Heavy metal attracts students of Finnish to intensive language courses in Finland

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:15:44 GMT

Heavy metal attracts students of Finnish to intensive language courses in Finland

More than 500 foreign students have been studying Finnish in Finland during this summer. Just under 200 of them are university students of Finnish around the world, who have a chance to hone their skills in an authentic setting. The rest are Erasmus students on beginners’ courses: they will start their exchange period in Finnish higher education in the autumn. The courses are organised by CIMO in collaboration with Finnish institutions of higher education around the country, the northernmost site being Rovaniemi.

A recent survey by CIMO shows that the greatest motivation behind foreign students’ university-level studies of Finnish is heavy metal music. Other key incentives are friends and family relations, Finnish rally driving, ice hockey and the Moomins.

These fans of Finland were offered five intensive courses of differing levels on Finnish language and culture in Jyväskylä, Oulu, Savonlinna, Tampere and Vaasa. A whole new course was launched in Helsinki on contemporary Finnish literature, which added Finnish culture and literature to the existing syllabus of language practice and grammar revision. The course also provided the students with general Finland-related knowledge.

Finnish is available in around 100 universities in 30 countries. Russia and Germany have the most universities offering Finnish Studies, but university teaching of Finnish has a long tradition in other European countries and the United States too. In addition to intensive summer courses, CIMO promotes Finnish Studies by, for example, sending Finnish teachers to universities abroad.

Language studies boost Erasmus exchange

Erasmus Intensive Language Courses are beginners’ level courses for exchange students in a less widely used and less taught European language. Finnish is one of these languages.

Of the incoming Erasmus students, 352 participated in intensive Finnish courses, while 32 were immersed in Swedish. These courses are arranged in nine Finnish institutions of higher education, in Helsinki, Joensuu, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Tampere, Turku and Vaasa. Joensuu also hosts a course specially designed for Hungarian Erasmus students. Most of the courses are funded by the European Commission and the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, but the Hungarian students’ course is financed by businesses and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Germans top the list of Erasmus students who wish to learn Finnish. They are followed by higher education students from Spain, the Czech Republic, Italy, Poland, France, Austria, Estonia and Hungary.

(4 July 2012)

Annual ACA conference held in Helsinki

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:02:40 GMT

Annual ACA conference held in Helsinki

The 19^th annual conference of the Academic Cooperation Association convened in Helsinki on 10–12 June 2012 under the banner Tying it all together. Internationalisation, excellence, funding and social dimension in higher education.

The conference had almost 300 international delegates – academics and other experts – from around the world, mostly from Europe. CIMO was in charge of the conference arrangements together with ACA. The sessions and working groups tackled the internationalisation, quality, funding and social dimension of higher education, seeking to link all of the dimensions.

Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) was founded in 1993 as a primarily European association, which promotes the internationalisation of higher education and innovations. As a think tank, its activities include
research and analyses, publications, and seminars and conferences. The association is made up of national organisations, which support the internationalisation of higher education in their home countries. ACA’s Secretariat is located in Brussels. CIMO is a founding member of ACA.

(20 June 2012)

Higher education strengthens capacity in developing countries

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:21:55 GMT

^{Annika Sundbäck from CIMO welcomes Alice Lamptey, a keynote speaker of the seminar and Co-ordinator of the ADEA Working Group on Higher Education. Photo: Petra Helenius / CIMO.}

Higher education strengthens capacity in developing countries

A seminar organised by CIMO brought almost 200 participants to the Finlandia Hall to learn more about The Role of Higher Education in Capacity Building in Developing Countries. Among the participants were representatives of higher education institutions and public administration as well as delegates from developing countries and, for the first time, from civil society.

Jorma Julin, Director General of the Department for Development Policy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs talked about the implications for higher education of Finland’s new Development Policy Programme. “There is an increased role for higher education within the programme”, Julin said. “Higher education is involved in creating an information society in the developing countries, too, and it also plays a significant role in building up capacity at other levels of education. What’s more, Finnish higher education institutions have a great deal of expertise in environmental issues. This expertise is much needed.”

The guiding light of Finland’s Development Policy Programme is that ownership in any collaboration is always in the developing country. In the seminar, this was also underlined by the founding member of the International Network for Higher Education in Africa (INHEA) Damtew Teferra.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs supports cooperation between higher education institutions in Finland and developing countries through North–South–South and HEI ICI programmes, both managed by CIMO and funded from Finnish development appropriations.

“A peaceful and prosperous Africa through higher education”

“Higher education in Africa is entering a new phase: while societies develop, higher education becomes more international”, said James Otieno Jowi from the African Network for Internationalization of Education (ANIE).

In her presentation, Alice Sena Lamptey, Co-ordinator of the ADEA Working Group on Higher Education highlighted the current state of higher education in Africa. The Association for Development of Education in Africa acts as a discussion forum, provides information and promotes the sharing of good practice among African nations. Finland’s participation in ADEA working groups is coordinated by CIMO.

“In 2006, the African Union published a continent-wide policy programme on higher education, and in 2009, UNESCO’s World Conference on Higher Education focused on Africa. We strive to build peace and prosperity through higher education”, said Lamptey. The higher education sector in Africa mainly comprises state-funded universities, but the number of private institutions is growing rapidly. Services provided by non-African institutions are also increasing.

“We have a number of concerns, too”, Lamptey added, calling for curricula that are relevant to the world of work and noting the small number of female students in African universities. “While we need significantly more partnerships with the private sector, it is extremely positive that knowledge has taken the place of natural resources as the key to developing Africa further.”

^{The opening words of the seminar were delivered by Juha Ketolainen, Assistant Director at CIMO for Higher Education. Photo: Petra Helenius / CIMO}

“More national and Nordic co-operation”

The greetings of the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture were brought by Counsellor of Education Tiina Vihma-Purovaara, who stressed the role of cooperation. A similar message emerged from the workshops of the seminar: more collaboration is needed on a national level between various actors and sectors; good practice must be shared to a greater extent; networking has to be encouraged; and there is a great need for more discussion forums. Tove Kvil, Senior Adviser from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) spoke warmly of Nordic collaboration.

The audience raised joint degree programmes as a tangible example of successful cooperation. Collaboration is also promoted by the UniPID network of 10 Finnish universities (The Finnish University Partnership for International Development).

The seminar is expected to foster various forms of collaboration. It is also hoped that there will be more involvement in the future by the private sector and the civil society.

(VZ 6/2012)

Statistics show Britain remains favourite of Finnish degree students

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:21:29 GMT

Statistics show Britain remains favourite of Finnish degree students

In 2010–2011, 5,052 students from Finland were doing their entire higher education degree abroad, assisted by student financial aid from the Finnish government. This aid is paid out by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Kela. Also, more than 400 students were studying abroad at other levels of education, mostly (268 students) in vocational education and training. Compared to 2009–2010, there was a rise of almost 500 degree students abroad who were granted student financial aid. Of these, 460 were in higher education.

Most (4,148) of the Finnish students entitled to student financial aid are doing their higher education degree in another EU country. Britain is by far the top destination: 1,727 Finnish students were pursuing a degree in a British institution of higher education in 2010–2011. Next in line were Sweden (with 814 students), Estonia (528), Germany (253), the Netherlands (215) and Denmark (127 Finnish students). Outside Europe, the list was topped by the United States (337) and Australia (126).

Finnish students’ favourite field were the Humanities (with 2,041 students), followed by Business and Economics (953), Social and Behavioural Sciences (733) and advanced studies in the Arts field (516).

The number of Finnish degree students abroad in receipt of student financial aid declined from the early 2000s to the academic year 2006–2007. It has now re-reached the figures of the first years of the millennium.

Britain has remained the Finnish students’ favourite country throughout. A new entry among the top countries is the Netherlands, which has seen a steady increase in the number of Finnish degree students. However, the sharpest growth has taken place in Estonia, where the figures have doubled since 2005.

The Kela statistics on student financial aid give approximate information about the numbers of Finnish degree students abroad. Excluded from these statistics are those students who finance their degrees with other means.

In addition to those doing their entire degrees abroad, thousands of Finnish students also take part in student exchanges. Statistics on them are compiled by CIMO. These statistics show that Finnish institutions of higher education sent 10,123 students on an exchange in 2010. Of the exchange students in 2010–2011, 7,874 were granted student financial aid by Kela.

Eurobarometer

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:20:42 GMT

_{Photo: Esko Koivisto}

Finns trust the quality of vocational education and training, finds Eurobarometer

According to a Eurobarometer survey requested by the European Commission, almost half of Europe’s young people go on to vocational education and training (VET) after finishing compulsory education. The survey shows that most age groups have a positive image of vocational education and training, and think highly both of its quality and employability. Finns appear considerably more positive about vocational education and training than Europeans on average.

The Eurobarometer survey gauged how Europeans felt about vocational education and training in their own countries, interviewing 27,000 persons in the different EU nations.

Of all the respondents, 71% found vocational education and training a positive thing. The image was the most favourable in Malta and Finland: 90% of the Finns and 92% of the Maltese respondents had a positive view about vocational education and training.

Positive image builds on quality

Europeans have confidence in the quality of vocational education and training, as 75% of the respondents regard VET as offering high-quality learning. The positive image is enhanced by the respondents’ faith in competent teachers and trainers (76%) and in VET graduates’ opportunities to go on to university-level studies (68%).

Finns were again more positive than on average, for 88% of the Finnish respondents were convinced of the high quality of VET and 84% were confident about the competence of teachers and trainers. Also, 83% felt that the possibility to continue in higher education is a good thing for vocational education and training.

There is widespread trust in the employability of vocational education and training. Of the respondents, 82% feel that people in VET acquire skills appreciated by employers. Most (73%) believe that VET offers a route to sought-after jobs in the labour market. More than half (55%) said that VET helps to secure a well-paid job. Finns trust their vocational education and training to an even greater extent: 89% of the Finnish respondents are convinced of the employability of VET and feel that it offers skills that employers want. 68% of the Finnish respondents say that VET guarantees good pay.

Not enough awareness of VET opportunities to study abroad

Europeans could be better informed about VET opportunities to study abroad. Of the respondents, 35% thought mistakenly that vocational education and training did not provide opportunities to study abroad, while 22% said that they did not know whether VET provided such opportunities. Only 43% of the European respondents knew that qualifications could be partially acquired abroad.

Finns were better informed, since 69% were aware that VET students, too, could study abroad. At the same time, 23% of the Finnish respondents thought that vocational education and training did not provide such opportunities.

Elsewhere on the web

Eurobarometer survey on attitudes about vocational education and training

(20 October 2011 / TL)

Finland does well in International Student Barometer

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:19:59 GMT

^{Photo: Satu Haavisto}

Finland does well in International Student Barometer

A total of 23 Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences have taken part in a wide-ranging international survey on how satisfied international degree students and exchange students are with their educational experience in Finland. For the first time, the International Student Barometer gives internationally comparable information at national and institutional level about Finland as a study destination for international students. The Finnish section of the survey was co-ordinated and funded by CIMO.

International students happy with Finland and their Finnish institution

According to the survey, 89 per cent of the international students are generally happy or very happy with their Finnish institution of higher education and study in Finland. The happiest students come from India, Slovakia, Lithuania, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Russia, while there is most dissatisfaction among Ukrainian, Mexican, American and Hungarian students.

Of the respondents, 83.9% would recommend their Finnish institution and Finland as a destination of study to other students. This compares well to the average European figure of 80.5%, and even more favourably to the overall average rate of 79.1%.

Student satisfaction was measured in four main areas: learning, living and accommodation, support services, and services at arrival.

Material facilities and stable Finnish society score highly

The students are especially happy with the material facilities of the institutions, such as libraries, lecture rooms, laboratories, computer facilities, IT services and support services. Finland is also identified as a safe and socially stable country.

The Finnish institutions score higher than average for services at arrival and are duly commended for these arrangements. The staff at the international offices as well as the accommodation services are recognised for their excellent levels of service.

Most criticism of careers and recruitment services and living costs

There is clearly room for improvement in employment-related services. Students are also concerned about finding a job after graduation. Similarly, Finland is an expensive country to live in: judging by the international average, this is the single biggest problem for international students.

The results show that many students seek not only a degree or a student exchange in Finland but would also like to find a job here.

– That the students need careers guidance, that they wish to find their place on the Finnish job market and perhaps make their home here is something that the Finnish institutions of higher education and working life in particular should consider, says Pasi Sahlberg, Director General of CIMO.

More than 20,000 international students in Finland

While the Finnish institutions of higher education have made great strides in internationalisation, Finland continues to have fewer international students than OECD countries on average. According to Statistics Finland, the Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences had more than 14,000 international degree students and almost 9,000 exchange students in 2009. China and Russia are the biggest countries of origin for degree students, while Germany, France, Spain and Italy send a large portion of exchange students to Finland.

The students are obviously motivated by gaining a degree but most of all by a chance to find relevant employment either internationally or in Finland.

– This need is perfectly understandable. But in order to be successful, the institutions need business life, industry and the service sector to appreciate one thing: here is a pool of graduates with singularly useful cultural capital, and it would be in the interests of any internationally active business to recruit them, Sahlberg notes.

The survey enables institutions of higher education to improve their teaching and student services

The results of the survey give the participating institutions insights into where they need to improve their teaching and student services. The survey does not produce ranking information of a single country or institution as such.

The survey is based on an online questionnaire carried out in November-December 2010 with students at all levels of study, including Bachelor’s, Master’s and doctoral students. Almost 158,000 international students responded to the questionnaire; of these, 6,441 were students at a university or university of applied sciences in Finland.

Participating in the survey were institutions of higher education from Britain, Canada, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States. Country packs similar to that commissioned by CIMO were compiled by at least Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands.

The survey was conducted by The International Graduate Insight Group, a British consultancy and benchmarking service.

(14th April 2011)

Multilingual school speaks to CIMO Forum

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:45:31 GMT

Multilingual school speaks to CIMO Forum

– The school system has to take responsibility for each and every student. Issues of linguistic and cultural diversity in the classroom are connected to larger issues of race, poverty and prejudice, said Nancy L. Commins, an American specialist in multicultural education, in her guest lecture at CIMO.

Nancy L. Commins is Professor at the University of Colorado, Denver. With 30 years of experience of a multilingual and multicultural school, she has written widely on the subject. Dr Commins is Fulbright Scholar at the University of Turku in 2011–2012.

Commins completed her doctorate on bilingual students in the early 1980s. She collated her data by observing four children in a classroom for six months. These were native speakers of Spanish who attended school in English, their second language. Commins came to realise that it was vitally important to teach that the children’s primary language was also a language of knowledge, although they were being taught entirely through English.

– Learning through a second language is much more than just “learning a second language”. It is more demanding both on the student and on the teacher. Language is a tool of conceptual thinking. The aim is also to support the development of a child’s primary language, to ensure academic competencies in both languages.

The audience raised the question of how meaningful it is to aim at a total bilingualism of immigrant children in Finland, considering that they also have to learn English and Swedish. – I don’t imagine this model would work in Finland as such, but it could be modified. We need to emphasise to students and parents alike that they should use their primary language, that it matters, and to guide them to sources of knowledge in this language, too, even if the textbooks are in Finnish.

(2 March 2012 / VZ & TL, photo: Jaanaliisa Kuoppa)

CIMO opens up opportunities for Finns to do practical training abroad in development co-operation

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:45:07 GMT

CIMO opens up opportunities for Finns to do practical training abroad in development co-operation

CIMO has launched a new training programme for Finnish higher education students. The programme enables international work experience for students who aim to work in development co-operation after graduation.

The new scheme draws on previous CIMO co-operation with the United Nations Development Programme, with eight placements annually to start with. Placements have been provisionally agreed also with the African Development Bank.

The placements are not tied to a particular organisation or country. This is to ensure that placements can be flexibly allocated to key fields of Finnish development co-operation.

CIMO’s strategy emphasises global responsibility in supporting the attainment of overall development goals. Trainee placement programmes promote mobility and co-operation with developing countries.

(2 March 2012 / VZ & TL)

Top critic of American education policy Diane Ravitch gives lecture at CIMO

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:47:31 GMT

^{Photo: Tiina Lehmusvaara}

Top critic of American education policy Diane Ravitch gives lecture at CIMO

Research Professor of Education at New York University Diane Ravitch shared her views with Finnish educationalists in CIMO on September 20, when she expounded on the collapse of the American dream of education. Ravitch is critical of standard testing of pupils, of using private yet publicly financed charter schools to drive educational reform and of the growing influence of philanthropists behind educational policies.

Her critique is all the more interesting in light of her background as Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Education in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, where she contributed to the creation of assessment-based educational policies.

Her book The Death and Life of Great American School System, published in 2010, made Ravitch the best-known critic of American educational policy. She tours the United States to lecture on the detrimental effects that the No Child Left Behind law and the current Race to the Top programme have had on the American education system. She frequently refers to Finland as an example of a public-service model in education, where one of the objectives is also to promote social equality and equal opportunity.

Ravitch became fascinated by the Finnish education system after learning of Finland’s achievements in the PISA surveys (OECD Programme for International Student Assessment). She argues that the Finnish success is rooted in highly educated, highly motivated and highly responsible teachers, whose professionalism engenders respect.

While the United States has lost sight of children learning in diverse and individual ways, such child-centred ideas are the very premises of the Finnish education system, says Ravitch. American teacher training and teachers’ working conditions also leave a lot to be desired, and there is little respect for the teaching profession. In fact, it is widely believed that the job can be done without much in the way of qualifications.

The crux of Ravitch’s criticism is the standard testing system which measures the results of American pupils and schools. School work is driven by success in the tests, and the pupils are coached to do well in the exams while other subjects are being neglected. This narrows education, pupils end up without knowledge and competences required at later stages of education, and there is a heightened risk of marginalisation.

Having to do well in tests also intensifies insecurity felt by teachers, because poor test scores lead to teachers and principals being dismissed. Teachers have even resorted to changing pupils’ test answers for fear of losing their job.

During this first visit to Finland, Diane Ravitch visited several Finnish schools and was able to see in practice how the Finnish education system works. Her lecture was part of a series of CIMO Forum events directed at CIMO’s key interest groups on education, training, work and mobility.

(20 October 2011 / TL)

Finland a popular destination for VET teaching staff mobility

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 08:47:02 GMT

Finland a popular destination for VET teaching staff mobility

A great many teachers and experts in European vocational education and training head for Finland for their exchange abroad. Finland was the sixth most popular destination in Europe, shows a survey requested by the European Commission. This survey measured the impact that the mobility of teaching staff and experts within the Leonardo da Vinci programme has had on the quality of VET systems.

The survey, published in the spring of 2011, highlights the impact of transnational mobility both from the individual perspective of the teachers and experts and from the vantage point of institutions and educational systems. The focus lay on Leonardo-funded teaching and expert exchanges during 2005–2008. The survey covered nearly 6000 people in the whole of Europe.

Only big European countries more popular than Finland

Relative to the size of the population and compared to other countries in Europe, the interest in visiting Finland was as much as five times higher. Only the big EU countries of Germany, Spain, Britain, Italy and France came before Finland.

Finland’s popularity is partly assigned to excellent PISA results. According to the survey answers, Finland would attract even more visitors were it not for the location on the outskirts of Europe and the higher-than-average price levels. Also, yet more teaching staff would opt for a Finnish exchange, if the Finnish institutions were able to receive more visitors.

(20 October 2011 / HL + TP)

News from the Finnish Erasmus Mundus Arena

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 09:41:04 GMT

News from the Finnish Erasmus Mundus Arena:

The first Finnish University participates in a Doctoral programme and the first University of Applied Sciences in a Masters course

Out of 137 proposals, the European Commission has in July 2011 selected 10 new jointly developed Erasmus Mundus Doctoral programmes to start in autumn 2012. The Finnish Aalto University is a degree-awarding partner in an international doctoral programme on Environomical Pathways for Sustainable Energy Services. A Masters course within the same field has already been running for a year, and the newly selected Doctoral programme is a next step for students interested in further studies.

“You rarely get funding for long-term co-operation within such a widespread international network focusing on one specific research field”,says Professor Tapani Vuorinen from the Department of Forest Products Technology at Aalto University. The Mundus Doctoral programme also gives added value through fostering enterprise co-operation, in this case with Stora Enso among others. Erasmus Mundus offers the participating enterprise access to a global expert network of academic and non-academic players.

The doctoral programme is co-ordinated by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. Other partners in this international network are the Technical University of Catalonia, Eindhoven University of Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Ecole des Mines de Nantes, Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza im Stanislawa Staszica and Instituto Superior Técnico.

Metropolia pioneers Erasmus Mundus

Thirty new Erasmus Mundus Masters courses were selected this year, three with Finnish participation. For the first time, a Finnish University of Applied Sciences will be a degree-awarding partner with the launch of an Erasmus Mundus Masters course in Emergency and Critical Care Nursing in the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in the autumn of 2012

The other newly selected Finnish Erasmus Mundus Masters courses are Research and Innovation in Higher Education at the University of Tampere and International Masters in Russian, Central and East European Studies at the University of Turku.

There were 116 Master-level and 13 doctoral level study programmes running in Europe within Erasmus Mundus during the academic year 2010–2011. Finnish students are also invited to apply to Erasmus Mundus programmes.

All Erasmus Mundus programmes offer generous scholarships to highly qualified students. For more information, please contact each study programme directly.

A specific feature for all the newly selected Erasmus Mundus study programmes is the dialogue with relevant socio-economic partners such as enterprises, research centres and non-governmental organisations in an international context. The communication with this large network is to guarantee the quality of the study programmes .

Elsewhere on web

European Commission: More information about the Erasmus Mundus programmes selected to start in autumn 2012

(18 August 2011 / VZ & JLK)

Statistics show, that Finnish women are more mobile than men

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 13:49:28 GMT

Statistics show, that Finnish women are more mobile than men

More than 10,000 Finnish higher education students took up the opportunity of studying or doing a traineeship abroad in 2010. At the same time, Finnish higher education institutions received almost 9,000 international exchange students. All in all, international student mobility has increased in the new millennium: the number of outgoing students in higher education has grown by 50 per cent, and there are now almost twice as many international exchange students coming to Finland than 10 years ago.

Of the students in vocational education and training, 5,491 headed abroad last year, which is 10% less than in 2009. The decline in numbers only applies to short-term mobility (less than 2 weeks), while the long -term mobility increased 12.6%. The number of incoming VET students was 2,749, increase of 13.3% from previous year. The number of incoming students has increased steadily in VET institutions, but the rates are still moderate in comparison to those in higher education.

The student mobility of Finnish educational institutions continues to centre on Europe, especially in VET collaboration. Of the outgoing VET students, 95% headed for Europe, while 98% of the incoming students came from Europe. Finnish students headed abroad most often with funding from their own institutions (40.5%). The most significant mobility programme was the EU’s Leonardo da Vinci, which funded 40% of the outgoing and almost half of the incoming mobility.

Almost two thirds of the Finnish higher education students headed for Europe, and it is from Europe that over 80% of the international exchange students make their way to Finland. However, the share of Asia has grown both for incoming and outgoing students. EU's Erasmus programme is the single biggest student mobility programme, covering almost 50% of the outgoing students and 75% of the incoming students.

Student mobility from Finland is strongly gendered, for the share of women is almost always bigger than their share of the total number of students. Whereas almost half (47%) of the university students are men, their share of the outgoing students remains at 38.5%. The situation is similar in the universities of applied sciences: men account for 45% of all students and 36.5% of the outgoing students. Women are even more mobile in vocational education and training, accounting for 68% of the outgoing students, even if their share of the initial VET students is 47%

CIMO compiles and publishes annual statistics on student mobility in the universities and universities of applied sciences in Finland.

First Young Ambassadors find their feet

Mon, 09 May 2011 13:55:40 GMT

First Young Ambassadors find their feet

The first Finnish students selected for the Finland-US Young Ambassadors’ Program came together in Helsinki in early April to learn more about their forthcoming visit to the United States in the summer. The event was attended by the 15 motivated high school students interested in environmental issues who were selected as the first grantees of the programme from among 200 applicants.

The Finnish students will first take part in a brief orientation in Washington, D.C. before heading for Colorado, where they will stay for five weeks as guests of local families.

The Young Ambassadors’ Program seeks to familiarise the Finnish grantees with the United States and the American way of life. The objective is also to foster the participants’ interest in environmental issues through an extensive programme of visits. The participants’ costs are fully covered by the scholarship.

The Young Ambassadors’ Program is co-funded by the Embassy of the United States in Finland and CIMO. Practical arrangements have been taken care of by Youth for Understanding (YFU) Finland. The programme complements the Finland–US Senate Youth Exchange Program, which brings 14 American high school students to Finland for the summer.

The Finnish grantees – 11 girls and 4 boys from various parts of Finland – spent the weekend in Helsinki getting to know one another and finding out more about the forthcoming programme as part of the YFU’s pre-departure orientation. Their journey begins on 8 June.

(6 April 2011 / TL)

Latin America draws higher education and labour administration to Seinäjoki

Mon, 09 May 2011 13:55:18 GMT

Latin America draws higher education and labour administration to Seinäjoki

A seminar on Finnish–Latin American co-operation in higher education and working life gathered experts of higher education and labour administration in Finland to Seinäjoki on 23–24 March. The seminar was jointly organised by CIMO, the Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences and the University of Tampere.

The speakers included Professor Lillian González from the University of La Frontera, Chile, who has a long experience of collaborating with Finnish educational institutions, and the director of the Finnish Institute in Madrid, Professor Martti Pärssinen, who introduced the institute’s recent projects in Latin America. He pointed out that Finns have for a long time neglected co-operating with Latin America.

– This is a huge area with endless opportunities and so far it has been overlooked in the Finnish plans of co-operation outside Europe, confirms International Relations Manager Kirsti Virtanen at the Turku University of Applied Sciences. Virtanen intends to advance collaboration with Latin America at her own institution and to promote Spanish language courses to students and staff alike.

Ten years of CIMO trainees in Latin America

Finnish students have shown increasing interest in Latin America and other Spanish-speaking countries in recent years. They are clearly curious about studying in Latin America. For example, there are now some 100 Finnish students in Mexico according to the local Finnish Embassy.

For the last ten years, Finnish students and recent graduates have also had a chance to do a traineeship in Latin American countries through CIMO. The popularity of the traineeship scheme has grown steadily: approximately 40 trainees are now annually sent to countries such as Chile, Argentina or Peru.

The traineeships boost relevant work experience, encourage foreign language use in professional contexts and diversify the Finnish youth’s language skills.

(1 April 2011 / TL)

Collaboration between higher education institutions in developing countries and Finland awarded €2.5m

Mon, 09 May 2011 13:54:14 GMT

Collaboration between higher education institutions in developing countries and Finland awarded €2.5m

The North–South–South Programme which promotes co-operation between higher education institutions in the developing countries and Finland has granted funding to 29 networks for 2011–2013. The current selection round underlined the development political impact of the projects, which should enhance permanently the capacity of the higher education institutions in the developing countries.

The programme, funded from the appropriations of development co-operation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, supports the mobility of students and teachers, networking and intensive courses arranged in the higher education institutions of the developing countries. Funding was allocated to 16 networks co-ordinated by universities and 13 networks managed by universities of applied sciences. Of the 29 networks, 7 are new.

Funding was granted to a range of fields, from fine arts to social sciences. Most projects co-ordinated by the universities of applied sciences apply to the health sector. For the first time, applications were now invited from all developing countries eligible to official development assistance (ODA countries).

The North–South–South Programme has partnering institutions of higher education in 26 countries. The most popular countries of co-operation are South Africa, which is a partner in 12 networks and Tanzania,with involvement in 9 networks. Kenya and Namibia are also among the top countries. Of the new countries in the programme, funding was allocated to, for example, a network in the Balkans.

Of the total funding of 2,557,904 euros, about 2m euros are reserved for student and teacher mobility. This will apply to approximately 200 teachers and more than 350 students.

(25 March 2011 / TL)

New blog on life as a Comenius teaching assistant

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:22:46 GMT

New blog on life as a Comenius teaching assistant

You can now share in the experiences of two Comenius assistants in a blog published during March. The bloggers are Annika Lahti from Finland, currently working in a school in Belgium, and Arne Verhaegen, a Belgian student working in Finland.

Annika and Arne have agreed to write on similar themes, which makes it possible to compare schools as working environments and exchange ideas of what it’s like to be a teacher in Finland and Belgium. The themes may be similar, but the two teaching assistants work in different settings. Annika finds herself in a school of 1,600 pupils in Oudenaarden to the west of Brussels, while Arne works in an upper secondary school of 400 pupils in Valkeakoski in southern Finland.

We hope that the blog will inspire more teachers and schools to get involved in the Comenius Assistants programme.

Comenius Assistants will spend a term or a full year in a school abroad, assisting in teaching and other school activities. The idea is to provide the pupils with easy access to internationalisation and to give future teachers insights into the European school. Finnish comprehensives, general upper secondary schools and vocational upper secondary schools annually host 30–40 international assistants, while 25–30 Finns try their wings as teaching assistants abroad.

(10^th March 2011 / TL)

CIMO Winter School brings to Finland talented researchers from Russia and Ukraine

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:22:02 GMT

CIMO Winter School brings to Finland talented researchers from Russia and Ukraine

The CIMO Winter School once again assembles a group of Russian, Ukrainian and Finnish researchers to work with top Finnish teachers. This year, the Winter School explores the communication between cells, humans and the nervous system under the title ‘Chemistry of life: From molecules to mind’.

The Winter School takes place at Tvärminne Zoological Station, University of Helsinki, on 7–12 March, 2011. The participants include 22 postgraduate students from Russia, three from Ukraine and six postgraduates from Finland.

This week-long training session seeksto advance the mobility of young researchers and postgraduate students between the scientific communities in Finland, Russia and Ukraine. The Winter School is also an opportunity for Finnish academics to meet students they may later wish to recruit as researchers in their own teams or departments.

Since 1997, Finnish research teams have recruited around 140 talented postgraduates from various fields thanks to the Winter School. Those invited to Finland have been awarded a CIMO grant, followed, for example, by graduate school funding. Some of the postgraduates who have entered the Finnish labour market through the Winter School have stayed in Finland permanently.

Over the years, the Winter School has hosted some 450 young researchers.

(10th March 2011 / TL)

Tero Saarinen Company and Backlight Photo Festival showcase successful EU cultural cooperation

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:10:04 GMT

Tero Saarinen Company and Backlight Photo Festival showcase successful EU cultural cooperation

Borrowed Light, a dance production by Tero Saarinen Company, and Backlight Photo Festival have been invited to feature in the 2011 Culture in Motion Conference, taking place in Brussels on February 15–16. The conference brings together a selection of cultural cooperation projects promoted by the European Union. Decision-makers, stakeholders and other actors within the sector will be introduced to projects supported by the EU’s Culture Programme and its predecessor Culture 2000.

This year the conference revolves around the concept of continuity, which also sums up the work of the Finnish-led projects. After receiving EU funding in 2004, Tero Saarinen Company’s Borrowed Light has toured nine countries around the world. The Backlight triennial, managed by the photographic centre Nykyaika (Modern Times) in Tampere, first received EU funding in 1999 and has since been planned and staged as a European cooperation project. The latest triennial festival in 2008 ran simultaneously in four different countries, followed by a satellite showing and an exhibition in Poland in 2009 featuring a representative selection of the project.

This is the third in a series of Culture in Motion conferences. It is the European Commision’s single biggest event showcasing supported projects and their results. The conference will feature 28 projects, 17 of which have been funded by the Culture Programme and the Culture 2000 Programme. These two programmes have supported 2300 projects in all. This year’s conference has a strong Finnish presence, as Finns are also involved in projects coordinated from other European countries.

Culture in Motion Conference Brussels, 15–16 February 2011

Culture in Motion (Conference publication; pdf)

(15th February 2011 / TL)

CIMO revises strategy

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:09:45 GMT

CIMO revises strategy

What Finland needs for a thriving future, according to the new CIMO strategy, is a genuinely international society that values skills and knowledge and nurtures the human ability to view the world with open eyes.

CIMO’s main task is unchanged: we continue to make Finnish society more international through mobility and cooperation. But there is a bigger goal in all of this, as we now seek to work for a genuinely broad-minded Finland.

Pasi Sahlberg, Director of CIMO, says that the new goal will mold CIMO’s work and role in society. “CIMO should contribute actively to the public debate and decision-making when a society’s values and structures are being recast in the internationalisation process. As experts and innovators in this field, we need to be increasingly active both on our own and together with our partners. We believe that small deeds, too, can make a big difference.”

Strategy 2020. Towards a global-minded Finland. (e-publication).

Turku launches year as European Capital of Culture 2011

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:18:32 GMT

Turku launches year as European Capital of Culture 2011

As a European Capital of Culture in 2011, Turku put on a spectacular weekend of opening events in mid-January. Events found their way all around the city and the environs.

The opening show was staged by the UK group Walk the Plank together with local artists and community participants. The story, This Side, The Other Side,attracted an audience of 60,000 people on the wintry banks of the River Aura.

The European Capitals of Culture in 2011 are Turku and Tallinn. European Capitals of Culture are part-funded from the EU’s Culture Programme, which has CIMO as its Finnish contact point.

(4th February 2011 / TL)

FIRST Programme gives a boost to Finnish-Russian cooperation in higher education

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:17:35 GMT

FIRST Programme gives a boost to Finnish-Russian cooperation in higher education

The Finnish-Russian Student and Teacher Exchange Programme FIRST has boosted student and teacher mobility numbers. This is clear from the 2009–2010 statistics submitted to CIMO by Finnish higher education institutions.

Finnish and Russian institutions of higher education exchanged almost a hundred more students than the previous academic year. Thanks to the programme, Finnish institutions of higher education received 216 Russian exchange students, and 96 Finnish students headed for Russia.

Teacher mobility has grown steadily for many years. The growth was particularly strong in 2009–2010: 147 teachers took part, as opposed to 91 during the previous academic year.

Now in its 12th year, the FIRST programme promotes the mobility of higher education students and teachers and joint intensive courses between Finland and the northwest of Russia. This nationally funded programme is administered by CIMO.

(4th February 2011 / TL)

Erasmus attractive to Finnish students

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 14:17:09 GMT

Erasmus attractive to Finnish students

Yet more Finnish students take part in Erasmus student exchanges and traineeships, shows preliminary statistics for the academic year 2009–2010.

A total of 3529 Finnish students took part in Erasmus student exchanges in 2009–2010. Erasmus traineeships attracted 1020 students from Finland. From the previous academic year, the figures grew by 2.7% for exchange students and by 4.6% for trainees. Most (74%) of the trainees came from the universities of applied sciences, whereas a slight majority (58%) of the exchange students were enrolled at universities.

Germany remained the top destination for Finnish Erasmus students, while Spain and France tied for second place. The favourite country for Erasmus trainees was Spain.

In the academic year 2009−2010, Finnish institutions of higher education coordinated 22 Erasmus intensive courses. Of these, 18 were coordinated by the universities of applied sciences and the rest by universities. The intensive courses had a total of 822 students, 26% of them enrolled in Finnish institutions of higher education.

The data comes from the statistics supplied by the Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences to CIMO, the national agency in Finland of the Erasmus programme. The conclusive statistics, available closer to summer, includes information also of international Erasmus students in Finland.

Outgoing Erasmus mobility from Finland
	2008–2009	2009–2010	Change
Student exchanges	3436	3529	+93 (+2.7%)
Trainee exchanges	975	1020	+45 (+4.6%)

(4th February 2011 / TL)

Scholarships_Winter School_keskipalsta_copy

1^st call for applications

16^thCIMO WINTER SCHOOL

"Building blocks of life: from biomaterials to living organisms"

12 - 17 March 2012, Finland

The Centre for International Mobility CIMO invites applications from Russian and Ukrainian postgraduate students for participation in the 16^th Winter School organized during 12 - 17 March 2012 at Tvärminne zoological station of the University of Helsinki (http://luoto.tvarminne.helsinki.fi).

The goal of the Winter School is to enhance the mobility of young researchers and postgraduate students between Finland and the participating countries and to increase the cooperation between the universities. Before applying for participation in the 16^th Winter School, the applicants are expected to contact one or more scientists/research group leaders at Finnish universities to discuss a possible project with them. Expression of interest by the Finnish host will be considered an advantage during the selection process.

Those Winter School participants who will be invited to Finland after the Winter School by Finnish research teams will be offered a scholarship from the CIMO Fellowship programme. The invited participants of the Winter School will be expected to come to work or study in Finland for 3 to 18 months. In 2011, the monthly amount of scholarship was 1200 euro.

The 16^th CIMO Winter School is multidisciplinary - not for a particular, narrow field of science, but rather for a scientific topic. This time, the school focuses on biomolecules and biomaterials in their many aspectsembracing topics from biochemistry, structural biology, molecular and cell biology, imaging, neuroscience, medicine and molecular medicine.

Applications from related fields, such as biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, physiology, bioenergetics, mitochondrial functions and diseases, imaging of cells, neuroscience, molecular medicine and medicine, etc. are welcome.

The school tends to stimulate active participation and discussion. The untraditional working method has been specially developed for the Winter School and it aims at enhancing the strength of participants’ own personal expertise, problem-solving capabilities, scientific presentation skills and creative mind.

Tentative themes of the days:

Biomaterials
Mitochondria, mitochondrial function and diseases
Imaging of cells and organs
Epidemiology, pathogenesis and treatment of diabetes

More detailed information about the scientific programme as well as teachers will be published in September.

Applications for participation

Written applications for participation are welcome from Russian and Ukrainian postgraduate students.The applicants must be citizens of Russia or Ukraine and not over 35 years of age. Applications are not accepted from those who have participated in one of the previous Winter Schools.

The application form (doc)

Application deadline

The deadline for applications is 21 October 2011. The complete paper versions of applications should reach CIMO by that date.

Financial assistance/grants

No participation fee is charged from the participants. Accommodation in student halls of residence and meals at course site are covered by CIMO. CIMO will also award a travel grant covering partial expense of the participants’ travel between their home town and Helsinki.

Contact persons at CIMO

Tarja Mäkelä, Programme Coordinator: tarja.makela(at)cimo.fi
Hannele Ahti, Programme Manager>: hannele.ahti(at)cimo.fi

Centre for International Mobility CIMO
P.O. Box 343 (Hakaniemenranta 6)
00531 Helsinki
FINLAND

Phone +358 207 868 500 (switchboard)
Fax +358 207 868 601

News

The selection of North-South-South networks is characterized by experience and quality

The first selection of North-South-South networks for the 4th programme period characterized by experience and high quality

Changes introduced by the 4th Programme period

Balanced interest among Universities and Universities of Applied Science

A total of 23 new partner institutions involved in the selected networks

More Finns doing higher education degrees abroad

More Finns doing higher education degrees abroad

Most Finns study in Europe

Young Ambassadors scholars ready to take off

Young Ambassadors scholars ready to take off

Higher education collaboration promotes development policy goals

Higher education collaboration promotes development policy goals

Human rights, democracy, environmental protection and green economy

See also

10 million euros for higher education institutions cooperation between Finland and developing countries

10 million euros for higher education institutions cooperation between Finland and developing countries

Nordplus Higher Education programme gives funding to 184 networks

Nordplus Higher Education programme gives funding to 184 networks

Results of Finnish Erasmus Mundus 2012: focus on collaboration with Russia, Eastern neighbourhood and Asia

Results of Finnish Erasmus Mundus 2012: focus on collaboration with Russia, Eastern neighbourhood and Asia

Heavy metal attracts students of Finnish to intensive language courses in Finland

Heavy metal attracts students of Finnish to intensive language courses in Finland

Language studies boost Erasmus exchange

Annual ACA conference held in Helsinki

Annual ACA conference held in Helsinki

Higher education strengthens capacity in developing countries

Higher education strengthens capacity in developing countries

“A peaceful and prosperous Africa through higher education”

“More national and Nordic co-operation”

Statistics show Britain remains favourite of Finnish degree students

Statistics show Britain remains favourite of Finnish degree students

Eurobarometer

Finns trust the quality of vocational education and training, finds Eurobarometer

Positive image builds on quality

Not enough awareness of VET opportunities to study abroad

Elsewhere on the web

Finland does well in International Student Barometer

Finland does well in International Student Barometer

International students happy with Finland and their Finnish institution

Material facilities and stable Finnish society score highly

Most criticism of careers and recruitment services and living costs

More than 20,000 international students in Finland

The survey enables institutions of higher education to improve their teaching and student services

Multilingual school speaks to CIMO Forum

Multilingual school speaks to CIMO Forum

CIMO opens up opportunities for Finns to do practical training abroad in development co-operation

CIMO opens up opportunities for Finns to do practical training abroad in development co-operation

Top critic of American education policy Diane Ravitch gives lecture at CIMO

Top critic of American education policy Diane Ravitch gives lecture at CIMO

Finland a popular destination for VET teaching staff mobility

Finland a popular destination for VET teaching staff mobility

Only big European countries more popular than Finland

News from the Finnish Erasmus Mundus Arena

News from the Finnish Erasmus Mundus Arena:

The first Finnish University participates in a Doctoral programme and the first University of Applied Sciences in a Masters course

Metropolia pioneers Erasmus Mundus

Elsewhere on web

Statistics show, that Finnish women are more mobile than men

Statistics show, that Finnish women are more mobile than men

First Young Ambassadors find their feet

First Young Ambassadors find their feet

Latin America draws higher education and labour administration to Seinäjoki

Latin America draws higher education and labour administration to Seinäjoki

Ten years of CIMO trainees in Latin America

Collaboration between higher education institutions in developing countries and Finland awarded €2.5m

Collaboration between higher education institutions in developing countries and Finland awarded €2.5m

New blog on life as a Comenius teaching assistant

CIMO Winter School brings to Finland talented researchers from Russia and Ukraine

CIMO Winter School brings to Finland talented researchers from Russia and Ukraine

Tero Saarinen Company and Backlight Photo Festival showcase successful EU cultural cooperation

Tero Saarinen Company and Backlight Photo Festival showcase successful EU cultural cooperation

CIMO revises strategy

CIMO revises strategy

Read more

Turku launches year as European Capital of Culture 2011

Turku launches year as European Capital of Culture 2011

FIRST Programme gives a boost to Finnish-Russian cooperation in higher education

FIRST Programme gives a boost to Finnish-Russian cooperation in higher education

Erasmus attractive to Finnish students

Changes introduced by the 4^th Programme period

16^thCIMO WINTER SCHOOL