HEI ICI partnerships revised higher education in the global south – nearly 40 study programmes and 300 courses
The most notable achievement of the HEI ICI (Higher Education Institutions Institutional Cooperation Instrument) partnerships in 2020–2024 was to strengthen the quality of education, especially in higher education institutions in Africa and Asia. A total of 45 higher education institutions from partner countries participated in the cooperation, 14 of which were from Asia and 31 from Africa. The number of Finnish higher education institutions involved in the programme was 11.
During the programme period, nearly 40 study programmes and over 300 individual courses in different fields of study were revised in collaboration with Finnish and partner countries' higher education institutions. In addition to this, more than 18,000 staff members from partner higher education institutions were provided with training to support their professional development.
Project themes tackled global challenges
The themes of the projects implemented under the programme were related to global challenges such as the learning crisis, climate change and the promotion of innovation and employment. Practical measures implemented in the projects included the construction of digital learning environments, the strengthening of the pedagogical competence of teachers and the enhancement of connections between higher education institutions and employers.
Many of the projects were directly linked to national-level education policies, such as the reform of teacher education and the digitalisation of higher education. The projects also involved extensive cooperation with various stakeholders, such as state authorities, companies and non-governmental organisations.
The HEI ICI programme had a budget of EUR 10.8 million and implemented nine projects in eight countries. The projects focused especially on strengthening the capacity of digital education, developing opportunities for distance learning and improving the accessibility of higher education.
The HEI ICI programme was funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs from Finland's development cooperation appropriations and administered by the Finnish National Agency for Education. The programme's successor, the Higher Education Partnership (HEP) programme, will continue in 2024–2026.
More information about the results of HEI ICI partnerships: