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

Launched in February 2023, the new HEP programme will further enhance collaboration between higher education institutions in Finland and in developing countries. It will provide financing for projects that develop higher education and share pedagogical and administrative expertise between institutions in partner countries.

The focus areas of the projects include teacher education, climate change, alternative forms of energy, circular economy, food security and sustainable development and they will begin from 2024 onwards.

HEP continues the work of the Higher Education Institutions Institutional Cooperation Instrument (HEI ICI), which will end in 2024. Compared to its predecessor, the HEP Programme has an even stronger focus on building equal partnerships between higher education institutions in Finland and developing countries, with an additional aim to increase learning between institutions in developing countries.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs finances HEP from Finland’s development cooperation funds, while, ACA's Member, the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI), is in charge of programme administration and providing support to higher education institutions.

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