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An international peer review examined how the Finnish National Agency for Education uses the feedback received from customers in the development of the qualification requirements and in ensuring their high quality. The transparency and participatory nature of the processes was considered a strength of the Finnish system. There is room for improvement in the systematic utilisation of feedback data and communication about the different stages of the qualification requirements work.

The number of students with an immigrant or foreign background studying at Finnish higher education institutions has increased significantly, having more than doubled between 2010 and 2020. The customer numbers of guidance services intended to support the higher education and employment of people born outside of Finland have also increased significantly in recent years, reveals a newly published report by the Finnish National Agency for Education.

Recent statistics in Vipunen – Education Statistic Finland show an increase in the number of mobility periods Finnish higher education students completed abroad in 2022. However, the figures are still far from the pre-pandemic levels. Especially the mobility of students of universities of applied sciences (UAS) seems to be recovering slowly.

The e-mail address info(a)oph.fi, which at the Finnish National Agency for Education was used for inquiries related to the exceptional times in recent years, has been deactivated. The centralized advisory address has been used for issues related to education, training and teaching during the corona pandemic and after the start of Russia's attack on Ukraine. We continue to serve at our regular advisory mail addresses, which are monitored by experts in our subject areas.

Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) and the UNICEF Office of Innovation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday 20 March 2023 to deepen cooperation on innovations in education. The MoU will pave the way for EDUFI’s Finnish Centre of Expertise in Education and Development (FinCEED) to work closely with UNICEF’s Global Learning Innovation Hub based in Helsinki. The two organizations aim to collaborate at strategic and technical levels to accelerate innovative solutions in learning that promote inclusive, quality education for all children and young people. Yhteisymmärryspöytäkirja tiivistää yhteistyötä Opetushallituksen alla toimivan Opetusalan kehitysyhteistyön osaamiskeskus FinCEEDin ja UNICEFin Helsingissä sijaitsevan Global Learning Innovation Hubin välillä. Organisaatioiden tavoitteena on tehdä yhteistyötä strategisella ja teknisellä tasolla kehittääkseen innovatiivisia oppimisratkaisuja, jotka edistävät inklusiivista ja laadukasta koulutusta kaikille lapsille ja nuorille.

The new Higher Education Partnership development cooperation programme emphasises equal partnerships between higher education institutions, increases mobility and promotes closer collaboration between administrative staff, teachers and students.

The Finnish National Agency for Education maintains a register of authorised translators. The register has now been renewed, enabling the authorised translator and the customer looking for a translator to meet even more seamlessly. The customer can use the search engine of the register to find a suitable translator and contact the translator directly by submitting a contact form.

Finnish National Agency for Education has published material targeted at Ukrainians on how applying for and getting a municipality of residence affects the rights and responsibilities of children and young people with regard to education. The material has been published in Ukrainian, English, Finnish and Swedish.

A series of videos produced by the Finnish National Agency for Education for guardians and professionals in the field of education helps to recognise bullying, harassment, discrimination and violence experienced by children and young people and to intervene in it in ways that promote safety and health.

The Suomi.fi Web Service provides comprehensive instructions for different life events and for dealing with public administration. It is an excellent source of information for students as it is. Now the Suomi.fi Web Service also provides ready-made material for schools with exercises. The material has been produced jointly by lower secondary school teachers and the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV).

The European Commission decided that the new SALTO Digital Resource Centre will be established at the Finnish National Agency for Education, which is the Erasmus+ National Agency in Finland. SALTO Digital is the first resource centre to operate in all educational sectors and also in the field of youth.

The amount of sexual harassment and violence that young people experience, for example in public places and online, has increased in a worrying degree. The Finnish National Agency for Education has published a poster and a brochure containing instructions for students on how to recognise, prevent and intervene in sexual harassment and violence.

The Finnish National Agency for Education has launched a website that compiles information on study and research opportunities offered by Finnish higher education institutions for people whose studies or academic work in Ukraine has been disrupted by the war. The page can be found at www.studyinfinland.fi/ukraine.

The European Union enables Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps project beneficiaries to support Ukrainians currently fleeing and affected by the war.

Events like the Ukraine crisis shock us all. The media reporting about the matter can confuse and frighten children and young people in particular. Early childhood education and care, schools and educational institutions play a crucial role alongside homes in restoring the feeling of safety and security of children and young people. Children and young people should also be protected from the flood of war news – events that are happening far away, but nevertheless shock us as well.

Due to the crisis in Ukraine, the force majeure clause can be applied to ongoing projects and mobility activities funded by the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to restrict student mobility in higher education as the number of outgoing and incoming students in Finland remained clearly lower than normal in autumn 2021. The spring term is anticipated to be slightly better.

The European Commission opened the calls for proposals under the Erasmus+ programme on 24 November 2021. In addition to the usual actions, the programme offers interesting new possibilities such as virtual exchanges in higher education and in the field of youth and DiscoverEU inclusion action which enables more and more youths to get to know Europe by train. The calls for proposals for the European Solidarity Corps programme was opened on 17 November 2021.

The development cooperation programme HEI ICI (Higher Education Institutions Institutional Cooperation Instrument ) supports cooperation projects between HEIs in Finland and HEIs in developing...

Supporting the integration of immigrants, developing the teaching and education of learners with an immigrant background and building a diverse society play an important role in reaching these goals...