Towards a new model of education cooperation with China

--A solution by the Finn-Sino Education Cooperation Network

Yuzhuo CaiCEREC, University of Tampere

25.4.2014

What is the network? How can the network help overcome the

current challenges faced by Finnish educational institutions in cooperation with China?

Main topics

Open platform initiated by CEREC and FERC Governing/advisory board Executive body Operational units Public/free service Public funding, sponsorship, project funding Ambition to become Nordic-Sino Education

Cooperation Network

What is Finn-Sino Education Cooperation Network?

To provide knowledge and information about both countries’ education practices and policy development

To analyse the relevance of one's education system and education practices on the other

To facilitate and support dialogues between key actors in both field

To establish a database and network of key actors and resources in the field

To educate Finnish Chinese education expert and Chinese Finnish education expert

To team up interesting actors and apply external funding for ad hoc projects

To provide tailor-made services To monitor the cooperation and develop quality assurance

standards

Aims of the network

Little knowledge about Chinese higher education Ineffective approaches to promoting Finnish higher education Lack of trust building with Chinese partners Lack of successful experiences of developing joint degree

programmes with Chinese partners and particularly education export

Lack of coordination between Finnish higher education institutions

Insufficient motivation and commitment (especially on education export)

Unclear vision on international cooperation and education export

Challenges in Finland’s education coopeartion with China

Lack of cooperation and coordination among Finnish educational institutions at the national level

The most essential problem

Problems caused by the ineffective cooperation

Repetition in gaining basic knowledge about Chinese education

Ineffective market approaches and unaffordable marketing costs

Lack of information sharing and network building

Slow learning process in education cooperation with China

Solutions by the network

High quality research in the field by highly competent teams

Promotion of one Finnish brand and development of quality assurance system

Network building mechanisms and information sharing channels.

Studying existing cooperation cases

Stimulating national coordination trough quality assurance development: This is Finnish Education

Capacity development trough training local experts.

Two examples

A quality assurance system for training Chinese educational professionals.

Capacity building for Finnish training providers Based on the understanding of both Finnish and Chinese education

system as well as training practices, we will help Finnish education providers to develop their capacity and skills for training Chinese professional learners and list them as qualified operators under the “This is Finnish Education Training Series”.

Promote one brand and provide one stop shopping for Chinese clients Meanwhile, we will promote the training series in China as a symbol

for high quality education training programmes in Finland for Chinese customers.

So the benefits for Finnish training providers: instead of hunting for clients, the Chinese clients will find you.

”This is Finnish Education”

Capacity building: Training more and more Finns to become Chinese education experts Seminars/short term training Research projects MA and PhD education

Sustainable solution by the network

We are now more confident as FERC (Finnish Education Research Centre) is joining the network!