Finland Times

 

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has invited 19 young foreign journalists and journalism students to attend the 21st Foreign Correspondents' Programme (FCP) scheduled for August 5 to August 30 in Finland, said an official press release.

 

The training programme provides an opportunity for these young professionals to learn more about Finland and Finnish society.

 

The participants of the programme will come from Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, the United States and Vietnam.

 

The aim of the FCP is to provide the participants with a broad knowledge and understanding of Finland. In the longer term the programme can be seen as an investment in future media relations and as an integral part of the Ministry's efforts in the field of public diplomacy.

 

The cross-cutting theme of this year's FCP is "How does Finland work?" The purpose is to use real-life examples to explain why Finland keeps appearing at the top of various ranking lists measuring the functioning of societies.

 

During the programme, the FCP participants will meet with the country's political leadership, including Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen, Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb. They will also meet former President Tarja Halonen.

 

The FCP includes visits to various Finnish organisations and business companies and trips in Helsinki region, Turku and Rovaniemi. The participants will also spend a weekend with a Finnish family.