Finland Times

 

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb. Photo - Lehtikuva.

Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb has opined that Finland currently fails to take advantage of the export opportunities offered by the Finnish educational system.

 

"Our school system always comes up in discussions abroad. I support the working group's proposal that higher education institutions could establish service points abroad and turn their operations into a profitable business," Stubb said.

 

He considered as excellent, the report on education and training-related exports submitted by the working group. Minister of Education Krista  Kiuru set up the group, said a press release of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued on Monday.

 

Stubb commended Minister Kiuru for addressing the issue so rapidly. During autumn, Kiuru has made trade missions to promote education and training-related exports. 

He suggested that legal obstacles limiting education exports should be eliminated as soon as possible.

 

"At the same time, as the structures are being geared up, Team Finland is adjusting its own services. The network must be able to give a push and provide services for higher education institutions. Higher education institutions could, for example, be given access to the premises of Finland's foreign missions and Team Finland databases," Stubb suggested.

 

The work of the working group is based on the Team Finland Strategy adopted by the government. 

 

In the strategy, the Ministry of Education and Culture was tasked with drafting an action plan for education and training-related exports by the end of this year, according to the release.