India and Finland Strengthen Educational Ties Through High-Level Dialogue

New Delhi: In a virtual meeting today, Shri K. Sanjay Murthy, Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (India), co-chaired the 1st India-Finland High-Level Dialogue Meeting with Ms. Anita Lehikoinen, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Culture (Finland).

The discussions covered a range of topics, including policies in School Education, Vocational Education, and Higher Education, aiming to explore opportunities for deeper collaboration in these areas. Both sides emphasized the need for concrete proposals and action plans to enhance cooperation, leading to the release of a joint statement on mutual interests. The statement highlighted key areas such as early to senior secondary education, higher education, student mobility, and skill development.

Of particular interest was the collaboration on capacity building for teachers, especially in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, and leveraging digital technology across different educational domains. Research collaborations were also identified as crucial, with a focus on new and emerging technologies, AI, Quantum Tech, sustainability, and climate change. The Indian delegation briefed their Finnish counterparts on the new regulations introduced for the internationalization of higher education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

India and Finland share a long-standing warm and friendly relationship, celebrating 75 years of diplomatic ties this year. The collaboration between the two countries extends to school and higher education, as well as skilling initiatives. Notably, a Migration & Mobility Partnership Agreement was signed in December 2022, facilitating ongoing discussions on the mobility of trained manpower from India.

In the field of school education, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Finnish National Agency of Education (EDUFI) signed a 5-year MoU in March 2022, promoting educational cooperation through information and content sharing in areas of mutual interest. In higher education, various joint initiatives like Finnish Indian Consortium for Research and Education (FICORE), Global Innovation Network for Teaching and Learning (GINTL), Scheme Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC), and Global Initiative of Academic Network (GIAN) continue to drive active collaboration.

Looking ahead, both sides expressed their commitment to exploring the possibility of an overarching MoU to enhance cooperation across various sectors of education.