A new publication on “Developing internationalisation competencies in Higher Education” was released in Finland (so far only in Finnish) in August 2024. The report is based on an evaluation of the status and reform of higher education pedagogy in 2022-2023, which was carried out by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) – an independent authority responsible for the national evaluation of education, and covering the entire education system, from early childhood education to higher education.  

The initial data was further analysed to delve into the topic of internationalisation competences. The ensuing publication explores the perspectives of students, pedagogical leaders, teaching staff and higher education institutions on internationalisation and these competences, outlining development recommendations. 

The publication reveals significant room for improvement in internationalisation competences in Finnish higher education, characterised by large variations across institutions and study fields. Based on the responses, participation in internationalisation activities is assessed as very low. Only 7% of respondents had participated in student mobility and 4% had taken part in an internship abroad. Moreover, while more than half (53%) of university students do not intend to take part in international student exchange programmes in the future, the percentage is even higher for students at universities of applied sciences (66%). A significant number of students (26%) were unsure about their future intentions.  

The publication highlights students’ lack of awareness regarding internationalisation opportunities and emphasises the need for more information in various forms, such as providing opportunities for learning from other students, alumni or professionals about international work and study experiences. Additionally, the results revealed surprisingly low levels of international cooperation in teaching. The data and findings are particularly useful for gaining a comparative perspective on the level of awareness on the topic across various countries.  

Counsellor of Evaluation Mira Huusko from FINEEC emphasised the importance of acquiring internationalisation, language awareness, multicultural and diversity competences for every higher education student, considering the international and multicultural labour market and society today and in the future. Moreover, Niina Nurkka, Senior Evaluation Advisor from FINEEC stated that teaching staff should engage more in international cooperation in teaching and that it is also easier for students to gain internationalisation competences when higher education staff are international and have a positive attitude towards internationalisation.  

Read more in English.

The evaluation report in Finnish.