This year, the themes of the annual event cover global competence and responsibility, multicultural society, measuring and comparing of internationalization, and professional development in the field.

The programme consists of lectures, information sessions, and discussions. The event also provides a possibility to network with colleagues working in other institutions. This year, there will also be a workshop arranged as a parallel event by the University of the Arctic on marketing and student recruitment. The event will gather together roughly 300 experts from 15 countries, and there will be around 60 presentations.

The opening session takes place on Tuesday 21 May at 9.00 – 10.30. The speakers of the session are Director Alf Rasmussen from the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU) and Director Lars Kullerud from the University of the Arctic. Alf Rasmussen will discuss the role of international cooperation in Norway’s Arctic strategy. Lars Kullerud will reflect on the current topicality of the Arctic and the role of higher education collaboration in the Arctic.

Among the speakers is also Director Bernd Wächter from the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA). In his address on Tuesday 21 May at 15.15 – 16.30 Bernd Wächter focuses on universities’ international comparison and ranking: What is the aim of ranking, what indicators are utilized, how are the materials collected, and how are the results interpreted and presented?

The venue of the event is Levi Summit and Congress Center (Street address: Tunturitie 205, Sirkka). Some of the sessions are arranged at Hotel Hullu Poro (Rakkavaarantie, Levi).

The event is arranged by the University of Lapland, Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences, and Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with the Lapland University Consortium, the Centre for International Mobility (CIMO), and the University of the Arctic.

The programme is available on the event’s web pages.

Further information:
University of Lapland: Harri Malinen, Senior Expert, tel. +358 40 572 0778
CIMO: Juha Ketolainen, Assistant Director, tel. +358 400 247 749

Background: Finnish International Educators' Days

Each spring, higher education institutions and CIMO arrange the Finnish International Educators’ Days for people dealing with international affairs in higher education institutes. The first meeting convened in Saariselkä in autumn 1991. It was attended by roughly 20 people responsible for international affairs at universities. Today, the event takes place in late spring and gathers up to 400 participants from universities and universities of applied sciences to hear about the latest in the international activities of higher education institutions. The programme consists of lectures, information sessions, and discussions. The event also provides a possibility to network with colleagues working in other institutions.

Background: Internationalization of Finnish higher education institutions

Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences have more than 500 English degree programmes and 16,000 foreign degree students. More than 10,000 Finnish students leave annually for foreign exchange and more than 9,000 exchange students arrive in the country. On the other hand, more than 3,500 people leave and more than 2,500 arrive in Finland annually through teacher and student exchange. In personnel exchange, the respective figures are 4,500 and 2,000. Higher education institutes are also engaged in a variety of international cooperation projects.

The significance of internationalization has increased a great deal during the last two decades and it continues to grow. The promotion of internationalization is also written in the Government Programme and in the supplementary Education and Research Development Plan 2011 – 2016.

The Centre for International Mobility (CIMO) is an expert and service organization for international mobility and cooperation functioning under the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. Its purpose is to promote the internationalization of Finnish society in the areas of education, working life, and culture as well as among the youth. CIMO arranges various exchange, trainee, and scholarship programmes and implements the European Union’s education and youth programmes in Finland. It is also a contact point for the EU’s Culture and Europe for Citizens programmes. Cooperation projects between higher education institutions in Finland and developing countries are supported by development cooperation money channeled through CIMO. CIMO also promotes teaching of the Finnish language and culture in universities abroad.

ULapland/Communications/SV