NORTH–SOUTH–SOUTH 10 YEARS: A DECADE OF …€“south–south 10 years: a decade of supporting...

NORTH–SOUTH–SOUTH 10 YEARS:

A DECADE OF SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT

THROUGH ACADEMIC MOBILITY

ISBN 978-951-805-649-5 (print) 978-951-805-650-1 (pdf)Editor: Ian CowieEditorial board: Maija Airas, Ian Cowie, Vilja Liikanen, Annika Sundbäck, Virve ZenknerLayout: Satu SalmivalliInfographics: Liisa ValtonenPhotos: Ian Cowie, Meeri Koutaniemi, Vilja Liikanen, Vesa Nuorva, Jani VehviläinenPrint: Lönnberg Print & PromoCentre for International Mobility CIMO2015

The North–South–South Higher Education Institution Network Programme supports thematic

networks between higher education instututions in Finland and in developing countries. The

main focus is on reciprocal student and teacher exchange and joint intensive courses arranged

in the South.

The purpose of the programme is to enhance human capacity in all participating countries

through interaction and mobility. The aim is also to generate and disseminate knowledge and

to create sustainable partnerships between higher education institutions in Finland and in the

partner countries.

The programme is funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and administered by the

Centre for Intenational Mobility CIMO.

www.cimo.fi | Programmes | North–South–South

SUPPORTED BY OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT AID

FROM THE MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF FINLAND

Greeting from the Minister for International Development

Introduction

The Finnish education system

Development cooperation and higher education

International student mobility in Finland

Exploring the world with a strong moral compass

Amazing Alumni: Meeri Koutaniemi

One man´s dream for development

Amazing Alumni: Miguel Marrengula

Collaborating on climate change

Education for all: The academic contribution to teacher education in Ethiopia

The impact of human rights-based projects in Zanzibar

Journalism for change: From government run newspapers to guerilla bloggers

Empowering communities through NSS partnerships

Testimonials

Key figures

CONTENTS

4

6

6

7

9

10

10

13

13

16

19

22

24

28

31

34

North–South–South 10 Years4

GREETING FROM THE MINISTER FOR

Education is a human right with

immense power to transform.

On its foundation rest the

cornerstones of freedom,

democracy and sustainable

human development.”

– Kofi Annan

Strengthening human capital through investments

in higher education is strongly needed to create

growth and socio-economic development in any

country. Globally speaking, there has been an in-

crease in funding for higher education during the

last decade, however, this trend is geographically

imbalanced.

While there are over 7 000 researchers per one mil-

lion inhabitants in Finland, they amount to only 4–5

in some least developed countries. While over 40%

of the secondary-level students continue into high-

er education in Finland, the similar figure in Sub-

Saharan Africa is only around 6%. Mozambique, a

country with a population of 24 million, produces

around 10 000 higher education graduates annually,

as compared to over 50 000 in Finland (UNESCO

statistics).

Higher education plays a key role in efforts to attain

the Millennium Development Goals, including

primary education, the eradication of poverty and

hunger, maternal and child health, gender equality

and the empowerment of women as well as in the

combat against pandemic diseases and in ensuring

environmental sustainability.

”

North–South–South 10 Years 5

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Finland’s Development Policy Programme 2012

emphasises four areas: a democratic and accounta-

ble society that promotes human rights, an inclusive

green economy that promotes employment, sustain-

able natural resources management and environ-

mental protection, and human development. Edu-

cation is vital in order to make people aware of their

own rights, and equally academic learning is needed

to fulfil objectives such as inclusive green economy

and sustainable growth.

Finland has actively supported academic mobility

through the North–South–South programme since

2004. All kind of international cooperation and

common activities start by meetings between indi-

viduals, and these encounters may have a distinc-

tive impact on the future choices of the persons

involved. Moreover, the cases presented in this pub-

lication provide examples on how academic mobility

has eventually contributed in capacity building be-

yond the individual level.

The North–South–South programme was, togeth-

er with the Higher education Institution Institution-

al Cooperation Instrument HEI ICI submitted to a

joint international evaluation in spring 2014. The

evaluation report recommends a continuation of the

support to capacity building of higher education in

developing countries, highlighting a future, continu-

ous commitment by the Finnish Ministry for For-

eign Affairs to development cooperation within the

higher education sector.

Sirpa Paatero

Minister for International Development


INTRODUCTION

Since 2004, the North–South–South programme

has supported student and staff mobility between

higher education institutions in Finland and in de-

veloping countries, reaching out to more than 5 800

individuals.

The decade has been a fruitful period, during which

impressive results have been gained.

The programme has granted 15.9 million euros to

248 higher education institution networks during

2004–2014. A total of 1 755 student exchanges and

1 185 teacher exchanges have been implemented, as

well as 118 intensive courses.

Qualitative results include for example new teach-

ing material, student-centered and interactive teach-

ing methods integrated into curricula, joint teaching

modules or joint e-learning opportunities offered

to students and research-based knowledge dissemi-

nated to local communities through cooperation

with non-governmental organizations.

The aim of this publication is to highlight and

demonstrate the impact of the activities funded

through this programme.

The Finnish education system

The Finnish higher education system consists of

two complementary sectors: universities of applied

sciences (also known as polytechics) and universi-

ties. There are 14 universities and 24 universities of

applied sciences under the the Ministry of Educa-

tion and Culture.

Universities conduct scientific research and pro-

vide instruction and postgraduate education based

on it. Universities confer Bachelor’s and Mas-

ter’s degrees, and postgraduate licentiate and doc-

toral degrees. They work in cooperation with the

suspending society and promote the social im-

pact of research findings. Universities of applied

sciences train professionals in multiple fields in re-

sponse to labour market needs and conduct applied

research promoting regional development. As pro-

fessional development, the university of applied sci-

ence in Finland is also entitled to award Master’s

Degrees. The language of teaching is either Finnish

or Swedish as Finland is officially a bilingual coun-

try. Additionally the Finnish higher educational in-

stitutions provide close to 500 degree and non-de-

gree programmes in English.


Prior to the higher education level the Finnish ed-

ucational system consists of one year of voluntary

pre-primary education, nine years of primary ed-

ucation (comprehensive school), upper secondary

education, which consists of vocational or general

education.

Education is primarily co-financed by the govern-

ment and local authorities. One of the basic princi-

ples of the Finnish education system is that all peo-

ple must have equal access to high-quality education

and training: there are no tuition fees in any level.

The Finnish education policy aims to quality, effi-

ciency, equity – and internationalization.

Development cooperation

and higher education

The Strategy for the internationalization of

higher education in Finland 2009–2015 men-

tions global responsibility is as one of strategic pri-

orities. To operationalize and support this objective,

the Ministry for Foreign Affairs funds two develop-

ment cooperation programmes: the North–South–

South and the Higher Education Institutions Insti-

tutional Cooperation Instrument (HEI ICI). The

HEI ICI supports collaboration projects between

higher education institutions in Finland and devel-

oping countries and seeks to enhance higher edu-

cation capacity in the developing world. Further-

more, the Academy of Finland funds research

links between Finnish universities and developing

countries research cooperation.

The Finnish official development aid to basic edu-

cation has been significantly supported through the

Education for all agenda. There is, nevertheless,

weak focus on the much needed capacity building

within higher education. Finland’s support to the

higher education sector in developing countries is

remarkably low compared to other similar-minded

and -sized countries such as Austria, Belgium, The

Netherlands, Norway and Portugal as shown by the

following comparison.


Development aid to post-secondary education (USD millions)

Source: OECD

Austria

Belgium

Finland

The Netherlands

Norway

Portugal

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0


International student mobility in Finland

In 2013, there were 10 189 incoming and 9 739

outgoing exchange students in Finnish higher ed-

ucation institutions. The African continent counted

only for 1.4% of the incoming exchange students,

and respectively 3.6% of the outgoing Finnish ex-

change students. In general, the Finnish student mo-

bility activities are highly Europe-centered, due to

the financial support available through the EU pro-

gramme Erasmus.

On the contrary, and despite of the fact that Finnish

government does not offer scholarship programs to

degree students, the Finnish long-term development

cooperation partner countries are clearly among the

top home countries of the 19 886 international de-

gree students in higher education (2013). Within the

top 20 home countries, 9 are developing countries,

out of which 4 Finnish long-term development co-

operation partner countries (Vietnam, Nepal, Ethio-

pia and Kenya). The most common home countries

are China and Russia, but Vietnam and Nepal stand

3rd and 4th.

Despite the fact that the focus in this publication

is on voices of individuals, the articles reflect the

broader consequences of the programme, both on

institutional and societal level.

We hope that the stories will bring enthousiasm and

motivation for future work on the relevant theme of

higher education and global responsibility.


EXPLORING THE WORLD WITH A STRONG MORAL COMPASS

Amazing Alumni: Meeri Koutaniemi

Meeri Koutaniemi has always had a strong moral

compass. Whether investigating female genital mu-

tilated in Kenya, illuminating the gross injustices of

preventable diseases in Ethiopia, or journeying on

North–South–South student exchange, her com-

pass has always stayed true.

Koutaniemi is an award-winning Finnish photo-

journalist who has lived and worked in more than

30 countries around the world. Through her vivid

photographs, thought-provoking articles and jaw-

dropping films, Koutaniemi has been able to give

dignity and justice to marginalized people through-

out the world.

While studying photojournalism at the University of

Tampere in 2011, Koutaniemi was presented with

a unique opportunity. She had the chance to spend

an entire semester working at a local TV station in

the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation. Through

the NSS programme, Koutaniemi was able build the

foundation for what has become a stalwart career in

journalism.

Discovering the past and present

of the Herero tribe

During her student exchange in Namibia, Kouta-

niemi was presented with a paradox. While walking

along the slums of Katutura, she noticed a group of

exotically dressed women that she later discovered

to be members of the Herero tribe.

“I came across the Herero tribe just by seeing them

passing by in the streets and started asking from

my local friends what was the story behind of their

dresses,” says Koutaniemi. “I started to investigate

their recent past, and came across the horrors done

to them in concentration camps 100 years ago.”

Throughout the early 20th century, the Herero

tribes of southern Africa were under constant threat

from German colonists. During this time, more than

80,000 Hereros were killed in German concentra-

tion camps, which wiped out nearly 80 per cent of

the population. This tumultuous period of time has

left an indelible mark on the Herero people, which

can be witnessed nowadays in everything from local

traditions and customs, right down to the clothing

and appearance of modern day tribes.

Despite this painful history, the Herero’s have em-

braced colonial styles, and in a way “de-colonized


themselves from their previous conquerors by tak-

ing the style of the Germans, and re-customizing it

into their own.”

Koutaniemi and her friend Elisa Rimaila were

able to elegantly capture this contradiction through

a collection of photographs. In 2011, the project

won Portrait of the Year in Finland, and has since

been showcased throughout Finland, Denmark and

the United States.

“We just did the project by knocking on doors in

the slum of Katutura – and we never felt threatened,

just the opposite, we were delightfully welcomed to

many homes,” Koutaniemi said.

She said the NSS exchange was “a great opportuni-

ty to stay longer in one African country and have a

wider perspective to the culture by working there as

an intern and a freelancer.”

A student becomes the teacher

Since completing the exchange, Koutaniemi has

been left with a powerful feeling to continue her

work with the Herero. Last year she was afforded

that chance when she was given the opportunity to

teach a course in photojournalism at the Univer-

sity of Namibia through an NSS grant.


”It is an experience that you will not regret.

The amount of surprises, and the amount

of knowledge you will learn from another

culture, and eventually about yourself, will

be remarkable. And don’t forget, that every-

thing depends on your own activity, the

best things are hidden, so be curious and

explore them with open eyes!”

Top 3 of NSS student and teacher exchanges

1. South Africa: 431

2. Tanzania: 354

3. Namibia: 298

“That was a deepening experience that really grew

my desire to do participatory teaching in the future.”

Later that year, Koutaniemi and her colleague Lea

Pakkanen completed a project about a group of

women who have been systematically oppressed

for decades. The Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar

have been the target for ethnic cleansing since 2012,

and Koutaniemi and Pakkanen were able to expose

this injustice through a series of provocative photo-

graphs.

Koutaniemi is currently living in Rio de Janeiro,

Brazil, where she is working on a project about the

effects of the World Cup on local families living in

favelas.

Koutaniemi is the perfect embodiment of the tow-

ering possibilities that are made possible through

NSS programmes. She recommends the experience

to any student or teacher seeking to broaden their

worldview and advises: “Don’t hesitate, and apply!”


ONE MAN´S DREAM FOR DEVELOPMENT

Amazing Alumni: Miguel Marrengula

When Miguel Marrengula arrived in Finland for the

first time in 2007, he never imagined how much the

small Nordic country would impact his life and oth-

ers in his community. In seven short years, Marren-

gula went from being an undergraduate exchange

student, to being one of only two people from Mo-

zambique to attain a PhD in Social Work.

He now lives and works back in his home city

of Maputo where he tries to give others the same

opportunity of higher education that he received in

Finland. Last year, Marrengula founded ISEDEL

(Instituto Superior de estudos de Desenvolvimento

Local), the first higher education institution (HEI)

in Mozambique that focuses specifically on devel-

opment issues from local perspectives.

“I dream very big,” says Marrengula. “My dream is

that one day I will run one of the best institutions for

development studies in sub-Saharan Africa – best in

terms of quality of education, best in terms of quali-

ty of research and best in terms of social provisions.”

A dream begins to take shape

Marrengula´s dream came to fruition in February of

2013 when ISEDEL opened its doors to the public

for the first time. The institution´s aim is to promote

development, empower communities and stimulate

participation through local perspectives.

“We wanted to create our own place to create jobs

and entrepreneurship opportunities.”

Being the first NSS exchange student from Mozam-

bique, Marrengula was one of the early pioneers of

the programme. While in his final year of studies at

Eduardo Mondlane University in Maputo, the head

of the Social Work department asked him and his

colleague if they would be interested in going on an

“exchange” to Finland.

“We had never had exchange studies before at my

university, so this was something totally new for us,”

recalls Marrengula.


Planting roots in Finland

As the plane soared over the snow-covered land-

scape, Marrengula began to contemplate what life

might be like in this exciting new place. What are the

people like, will I learn the language and what will

the winters be like?

“When I left Mozambique it was 31 degrees,” says

Marrengula with a chuckle. “When I looked out the

window of the plane, all I could see was white. It was

minus 23 degrees, and I thought it was too cold for

anyone to survive in this place.”

Winter was not the only surprise awaiting Marren-

gula. As he waited for his bus outside the airport

terminal, wearing only a sweater and jeans, Marren-

gula was about to have his first experience with cul-

ture shock.

“At the very beginning I thought that Finns were

very difficult to deal with,” explains Marrengula.

“For example, in Mozambique you say hi and talk

to people if you share a bus or an elevator, but in

Finland nobody was willing to talk to anybody. It

was like being in a funeral.”

Marrengula started to doubt whether this “stu-

dent exchange” was a good idea after all. Although

he was grateful to be studying at the University of

Tampere, he was far away from everything he knew

and loved. Like many students who venture aboard,

Marrengula began to feel trapped and isolated.

But as winter changed to spring, so did Marrengula´s

impression of Finland. Equipped with a new outlook

on life, Marrengula began to make the most of his

time. He started to learn the language, make friends

and build a social network.

“I said to myself then that, I have come this far; I will

not give up now.”

By the end of his exchange, Marrengula had almost

as many friends as university credits. In fact, he had

amassed so many credits that he had all but finished

the requirements for a Master’s degree.

Advice for future NSS projects

“I feel fortunate, and I think that the North–South–

South programme should continue and take a step

forward. I would suggest funding more long-term

projects such as master and doctorate exchange

programmes. I am a living example of what is

possible with a little help.”


Dr. Miguel Marrengula (right) standing in front of the newly created

ISEDEL, March 2014.

Social work

and health care

is the best represented

subject field.


COLLABORATING ON CLIMATE CHANGE

As global temperatures continue to rise and threat-

en ecosystems we all depend on for life, one thing is

clear: We must work together if we want our grand-

children to inherit the same world as us.

One network that has done well in adopting this co-

operative approach to climate change is the Finnish–

African Exchange Network for Higher Edu-

cation in Environmental Sciences, or simply

put, FANHEES. Through the knowledge triangle of

students, teachers and researchers, experts from

municipalities and industry and local citizens, the

network has been able to draw from a large pool

of forward thinkers that are developing innovative

solutions to deal with climate change.

Jani Mikael Vehviläinen is one of these forward

thinking individuals who are looking to reshape how

we look at the world. A glass-half-full kind of guy,

Vehviläinen is not one to pass up on an opportunity

to sharpen his skills and knowledgebase, so when he

was asked to go on NSS exchange to Botswana last

year, it was a no-brainer. Although it wasn´t easy to

leave his friends and family behind, Vehviläinen said

he had no regrets when reflexing on his journey.

“My self-confidence grew a lot during my stay in

Botswana,” said Vehviläinen. “Before my exchange

period, I used to question my capabilities a lot, but

now I am more aware of them. I also feel that I am

more prepared to confront new challenges in both

professional and personal levels.”

Addressing common challenges

After getting settled in what would be his new home

for the next five months, Vehviläinen had the op-

portunity to participate in an intensive course about

how climate change is affecting people living in the

Kalahari Desert.

“The course for me was an eye-opener because it

gave me a chance to see how the locals are adapt-

ing to the causes of climate change,” he continued.

“I really would hope that everyone could have the

opportunity to see what I saw during the course;

maybe then people would consider their role in all

of this a little more.”

Now more than ever, we are living in an intercon-

nected world where any two people can meet at the

click of a mouse. Vehviläinen says the North–South–

South network gives students and teachers the op-

portunity to see the world through new eyes, the

kind of eyes that see how much we are alike rather

than focusing on the few ways we are different.


37% of the 1 755 North–South–South

exchange students were male.

North–South–South 10 Years

“We are living in a time where we are just starting

to understand the importance of global awareness.

We need these modern day explorers (exchange

students) who are willing to throw themselves into

an adventure, so we can expand our global know-

ledge of different cultures.”

With reports of sea levels rising up to four metres in

the next two century, the future can at times seem

bleak. But if more people like Vehviläinen and the

FANHEES network become aware of the issues and

start thinking of solutions, who knows what future

innovation might be in store.

18

Other universities that have

participated in the FANHEES

programme so far including:

NorthWest University (South

Africa), University of Botswana,

Helsinki Metropolia University

of Applied Sciences (Finland)

and HAMK University of

Applied Sciences (Finland).


EDUCATION FOR ALL: THE ACADEMIC CONTRIBUTION TO TEACHER EDUCATION IN ETHIOPIA

Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have made

significant progress in education development dur-

ing recent years. Nevertheless, a quarter of children

who reached grade four in primary school did

not learn the basics and over a third dropped out

before completing grade four, states the Education

For All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report 2013/14.

UNESCO refers to the challenging situation as a

crisis of learning and teaching.

Finland’s long-term collaboration partner country

Ethiopia has shown a strong commitment to pro-

vide universal primary education, thereby achieving

the Millennium Development Goal two by 2015.

The bilateral education cooperation has focused on

teacher education and inclusive education1,

first started as special education teacher training al-

ready in the 1980s.

Three million children out of school

in Ethiopia

In September 2013 the Ministry of Education in

Ethiopia launched a campaign with the aim to create

awareness about the importance of schooling for all

and to achieve the goal of universal primary educa-

tion2. Teacher education institutions can hardly re-

spond to the increasing demand for training teach-

ing staff. Lack of qualified teachers adds to another

current concern, the overall poor quality of educa-

tion. Here is how the numbers breakdown:

Net enrolment rates3 for lower primary school

(grades 1–4) have reached 98.2% for boys and

92.8% for girls in 2012/20134.

Average enrolment rate in Saharan Africa was 77%

in 20115.

Only 40% of children completed primary education

and 52% of youth were literate in 2011, while the

primary education completion rate in sub-Saharan

Africa was 56%.

Three million children were out-of-school in 2011.

Considering the serious challenges in education

development, what is, and should be, the contribu-

tion of academic North–South–South collabora-

tion?

I asked the views of our colleagues in Ethiopia.

Academic collaboration for capacity development of

both junior and senior university staff was the first

issue mentioned.


The doctoral students were able to touch base

with recent literatures in inclusive education and

prominent professors in the field. They have ben-

efitted from the consultations for instance enriching

their dissertation research and getting new insights

and understanding in inclusive education. Senior

staffs have also benefitted a lot through sharing of

experience with Finnish Scholars in the field of in-

clusive education. Tirussew Teferra

Professor & Laureate in Education,

Dean, College of Education and Behavioral Studies,

Addis Ababa University

The academic collaboration has a positive contri-

bution in building the capacity of students and staff

through the exchange program. Many of us have

benefited from the CIMO exchange in Finland. All

seven PhD candidates, who took part in exchange

activities, have benefited from the collaboration and

six of them are now PhD holders.

Belay Hagos Hailu

PhD, Assistant Professor, Addis Ababa University

The collaboration has helped us to transfer our

knowledge and experience to the local schools and

colleges who are running inclusive education pro-

grams…Addis Ababa University as the main insti-

tution in the country with its Department of Special

Needs Education contributes to the success of EFA

and inclusive education.

Yirgashewa Bekele Abdi

PhD, Assistant Professor, Addis Ababa University

There is a lot of work to do in light of the re-

maining challenges in education development

in Ethiopia and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.

Therefore, critical questions are how we togeth-

er further develop our academic collaboration and

what we can do better.

Differences in approaches to education that may

risk our collaboration should not go unrecognized.

One example is that partners of the global EFA pro-

cess, including Finland, define education as a basic

human right, while in Ethiopia priority is given to

the instrumental value of education in socio-eco-

nomic development. Civil society organizations

which receive funding from abroad are not allowed

to advocate for human rights, especially concerning

women, children and persons with disabilities. In

Finland, where we have a long tradition of dialogue

between the government and civil society, it may be

”

“

”

“

”

“


difficult to understand the societal context and lim-

ited space for dialogue in Ethiopia. There is, howev-

er, room for academic collaboration and demand for

educational development.

Finally, what we need is longer term commit-

ments. In Finland, it has taken us a century ‘to

build the house’, i.e. to include all and produce high

learning achievements with respect to gender and

regional equality and equity – and the work contin-

ues as ‘the house’ requires maintenance and repairs.

The critical ‘foundation stones’ have been political

will and funding, public interest in learning, teach-

er education responsive to societal changes and re-

search-based education development. All these ele-

ments and more are necessary in Ethiopia, where

as Dean Tirussew Teferra emphasizes, “above all,

along with the academic component, the social and

cultural dimensions need to be also underscored.”

Elina Lehtomäki

Adjunct Professor, PhD, Senior researcher

at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland

Former adviser to the Ethiopian Federal Ministry

of Education chez Opifer Ltd/Ministry for

Foreign Affairs of Finland (2004–2007)

1 Inclusive education refers to the broad definition by UNESCO

according to which education is a fundamental basic right,

enabling participation and learning for all, including girls and

women, disadvantaged groups, children with disabilities and out-

of-school children and youth.

2 UNICEF Ethiopia, http://unicefethiopia.wordpress.com/2013/09/

18/ministry-of-education-in-ethiopia-launches-awareness-cam-

paign-on-back-to-school/

3 Net enrolment rate refers to school-age students enrolled in a given

level of education expressed as a percentage of the corresponding

school-age population.

4 Ministry of Education (MoE) of Ethiopia (2013) Education Statistics

Annual Abstract: November 2005 EC. [2012/13 GC]. Ministry

of Education, Addis Ababa.

http://www.moe.gov.et/English/Resources/Documents/eab05.pdf

5 UNESCO (2014). Teaching and learning: achieving quality for all.

Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2013/14,

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-

international-agenda/efareport/reports/2013


Waves of change are sweeping over the picturesque

island of Zanzibar.

Situated 25 kilometers off the coast of East Africa,

Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous island in Tanzania.

In recent years, a fierce political debate has been

stirring as Tanzanians decide whether Zanzibar

should become a fully autonomous state and sever

half-century-long ties with mainland Tanzania.

While many people visit the island to enjoy water

sports, dolphin watching and the vast sandy beach-

es, there are others who come to the island on more

serious matters.

Markku Suksi is a professor of Public Law at Åbo

Akademi in Turku who is well versed in Zanzibar´s

current political struggles. In 2010, Suksi taught an

intensive course at Zanzibar University, focusing

on elections, referendums and the public’s right to

know. One year later he published his results in a

book focusing on territorial autonomy, and how it

is used to resolve conflict disputes involving minori-

ties.

“I have always been interested in these particular ar-

eas of human rights issues, so it was very fruitful

for me to be a part of this programme,” says Suksi.

Since 2008, five African and two Finnish universi-

ties have collaborated through the North–South–

South Sustainable Development and Human Rights

project. The goal is to advance the understanding

of complex relationship between human rights and

sustainable development through a multidiscipli-

nary approach.

Having the opportunity to conduct field research in

Zanzibar was “absolutely essential,” says Suksi, as it

allowed him to access the required documents and

human resources needed for his research.

“I benefitted tremendously from the research

that I was able to carry out there. It would have been

very difficult to access information about Zanzibar

without this possibility to visit Zanzibar.”

However, Suksi was not the only one who benefit-

ted from the visit. The lecture could not have hap-

pened at a better time. As students geared-up for

the upcoming elections, having the chance to engage

THE IMPACT OF HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED PROJECTS IN ZANZIBAR


1 185 teachers have participated

in the North–South–South exchanges.

with an internationally renowned expert in public

law was too good an opportunity to pass up. Suksi´s

lecture filled the large auditorium at Zanzibar Uni-

versity.

“I have a feeling that this is something the students

could benefit from; not only in their studies, but

also in their understanding of different political pro-

cesses leading up to elections, and how the right to

participation is to be implemented at the nation-

al, sub-state, or even individual level such as in the

voter booths.”


JOURNALISM FOR CHANGE: FROM GOVERNMENT RUN NEWSPAPERS TO GUERILLA BLOGGERS

Ullamaija Kivikuru is a Finnish journalist, re-

searcher and lecturer with more than 30 years of ex-

perience teaching, writing and living in Africa. On

March 20, 2014, I had the pleasure to pick her brain

about the evolution of African journalism, discuss

some of the challenges moving forward, and learn

more about her newest venture, the Journalism for

Change project, funded by the NSS programme.

Cowie: What is the Journalism for Change project,

and how does it contribute to Finland’s new human

rights based approach to Development Policy Goals?

Kivikuru: The Journalism for Change project is a

student and teacher exchange programme that aims

to prepare young journalists from Finland, Zambia,

Tanzania and Namibia to meet the complex social

problems facing their countries.

The media have a say in the weakening of inequality

between the urban/rural contradiction and the so-

called digital divide, existing inside these societies,

and that is what our project is focusing on. In an in-

direct way, journalism is also considered as being a

crucial element in the promotion of equality in

general and gender equality in particular. Profes-

sionalization of journalism has in Africa meant an

expansion in numbers of woman journalists.

The phase of the project starting next August espe-

cially focuses on the ‘eternal values’ of journalism,

media ethics and quality. We – all the six part-

ners – try to develop joint courses, partly online,

partly face-to-face education to prepare students

for Master-level studies. We see it as an important

goal. Africa has today fairly well operating Bache-

lor programmes, but the Master programmes need

strengthening, also in Finland where the university

system has changed markedly in recent years.

I think the NSS mobility projects are a great tool

for making Finnish academic life more internation-

al. When you talk about the development goals, I

think because all the projects go through such keen

scrutiny, they have to be in harmony with the Finn-

ish development goals.

Cowie: How has African journalism evolved over the

past two decades?

Kivikuru: African journalism has quite a lot of con-

tradictions involved. It changed radically in the be-


ginning of the 1990s when a lot of newspaper and

TV channels began to appear. Of course, you can

say that democracy expanded and more voices were

heard, but quite a few of the voices were commer-

cial, which I´m not sure had too much to do with de-

mocracy. In principal, it was a very good, but dras-

tic change.

However, during that time, the level of journal-

ism education went down, especially in countries

like Tanzania. The media began to rapidly expand

and add more channels, but the educational institu-

tions’ were the same as before. So what happened

was quite a lot of these [journalism] crash courses

were put up by international organizations which

claimed to educate journalists in two weeks, or two

months, or something like that. But actually, the

people didn´t know too much about journalism, and

in many of the African countries there was a peri-

od of scandal journalism or sensational journalism

at the end of the 1990s. It was quite a messy period.

Now things have calmed down. The media field is

much more varied, but still there is this phenom-

enon where the media come and go. A newspaper

might be very good for two years and then it disap-

pears when the money is out. Those kinds of things

happen on a continuous basis.

Cowie: What are some of the challenges facing Afri-

can journalists´ today?

Kivikuru: There are three main challenges. Mon-

ey is the biggest constraint. They call it the “brown

envelope phenomenon,” where you have a PR con-

ference, and towards the end of the conference,

the ones who are organizing the conference dish

out brown envelopes, either with money or mem-

ory sticks in them. Of course, if the level of pay is

very low for journalists, it is very difficult to fight

the temptation. Some people take the envelopes and

write favorable stories.

The second constraint is the legal system. For ex-

ample, in South Africa there has been a very diffi-

cult process of changing the legal system concern-

ing the media. In Zambia, they have been expecting

a new law which they feel will open up the situation

to make the role of private and public broadcasting

more clear. But there is always someone who is try-

ing to resist change and it has been in the pipeline

for six or seven years now.


The third factor is the fact that the role of me-

dia (in Africa) is not the same as in industrialized

countries. People are not as used to having the me-

dia with them. This is a learning period as more and

more media becomes available and people start us-

ing them. For example, if you have dozens of news-

papers, all of which cost money, and people have

hardly enough money for their daily basic needs,

then they cannot buy all the newspapers. They buy

one, and it might not be the best one.

Cowie: How is the landscape of old vs new media

taking shape in Africa?

Kivikuru: One could say that online media and new

technologies offers a cheap means of producing me-

dia, and one could think that media in Africa would

jump all over this new medium. Partly it´s true, but

partly it is not. The internet system in Africa is very

limited. It is usually under government control ei-

ther directly or by government run universities and

so on.

What has begun to start happening is much of

the political debates have switch to online media

through blogs. The conventional media are pretty

much unanimous in terms of political moves, while

there are very vivid and fierce debates going on

online. Take what has happened in Zambia for ex-

ample. After the government shut down one of the

most popular sites for political debate in the coun-

try, the site was able to keep up and running by

moving to Malawi. Online media do not recognize

any national borders.


Journalism is considered

a crucial element

in promoting of equality.””


EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH NSS PARTNERSHIPS

On the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu,

Nepal, lies a community stricken by poverty. You

won´t find hot showers, indoor heating or plumbing

in any of the small tin shanties that line the river, but

what you will find is HOPE.

The Holistic Partnership in Social Work and

Health Care Education, otherwise known as

HOPE, is a network project that combines the re-

sources and knowhow of seven universities through-

out Finland, Vietnam and Nepal. Started in 2007,

the project fosters joint learning, cultural compe-

tence and professional skills for working with vul-

nerable groups such as street children and female

drug users. Coordinated by Diaconia University

of Applied Sciences (Diak), the project is financed

and supported by CIMO. Elsa Keskitalo, a Senior

Lecturer at Diak, knows firsthand the importance of

international collaboration when working with

vulnerable groups. Keskitalo has been researching

global perspectives on social work and social policy

for more than a decade, and in 2011 she joined 15

senior lecturers from Finland, Nepal and Vietnam in

bilateral teacher exchanges.

“The exchange was an eye-opening experience in

many ways,” says Keskitalo. “To see the circum-

stances there (in Nepal) first-hand, and to work with

local colleagues, students and social service provid-

ers was important.”

In November 2011, more than 70 students and

teachers from the three countries came together for

an intensive course. The course explored communi-

ty based approaches to social work and health care

studies by providing students with practical hands-

on experiences in research and development work.

“The intensive course promoted a joint learning en-

vironment and was a good basis for future co-oper-

ation,” Keskitalo added.

Facilitating South–South Collaborations

One of the ways NSS works to support develop-

ment is by creating sustainable partnerships be-

tween HEIs, especially in impoverished countries

that normally would not have the opportunity to

collaborate. The HOPE project is a perfect exam-

ple of this as it brought together two HEIs that had

never worked together before – St. Xavier´s College

in Nepal and Hue College of Medicine and Pharma-

cy in Vietnam. It also marked the first time a social

work and nursing college had partnered in Nepal.


During the week-long course, students and teach-

ers carried out small-scale surveys in the riverside

slums of Kathmandu. The project highlights the

benefits of community centered research projects,

and gives us a blueprint for future partnerships be-

tween NGOs, HEIs and vulnerable groups.

A path to deeper cooperation

The HOPE project also included a seminar and

workshop hosted by Diak. The seminar brought to-

gether more than 100 teachers, students and pro-

fessionals involved in the HOPE project, includ-

ing Riikka Hälikkä, Head of International Affairs at

Diak.

“Over the past few years, HOPE has developed and

grown, and I think today we can say that the HOPE

partnership is one of the key strategic partnerships

of Diak,” Hälikkä said.

Hälikkä has made a point to emphasize the impor-

tance of NSS intensive courses in enhancing coop-

eration between universities in developing countries.

“The NSS intensive courses have been a real plat-

form of innovation. The courses have created spin-

offs in research, community development and in

other ways. For example, as a spin-off of HOPE in-

tensive courses in Nepal three years ago, we are

now in a process of running a project in Nepal in

collaboration with two local NGOs.”

118 intensive courses

reached out to 3 838

students and teachers.

Intensive courses are always

organized in the South.


A Diak student visiting one of the riverside slums in Kathmandu, Nepal.


TESTIMONIALS

“The impact that NSS has had on my

life is deeper than anyone can imagine,

and this impact, this great contribution is

unique for my country. If I did not have

the chance to do my masters, I would

not have done my doctorate, and maybe

I would not be running the higher insti-

tute of social development studies. CIMO

has contributed largely to my personal life

and in my community.”

Miguel Marrengula, founder of the Higher

Institute of Social Development Studies in

Mozambique (ISEDEL)

“The NSS collaboration has offered us

the possibility to explore and further de-

velop the role of higher education institu-

tions in development cooperation. We are

really enriched by the links this project

has made with NGOs and other working

life partners in both Asian and African

countries where we work.”

Riikka Hälikkä, Head of International

Affairs at Diak

“The North–South exchange allows staff

and students an opportunity to re-eval-

uate their professional practice and per-

sonal views, to expand their knowledge

and develop greater empathy and toler-

ance. The main challenges I have encoun-

tered have been operational. Institutional

deadlines, processes and academic dates

at my institution (Cape Peninsula Uni-

versity of Technology) vary greatly from

those at Finnish institutions. These chal-

lenges and problems have been overcome

by passionate and dedicated staff at both

my own institution and Aalto.”

Vikki Du Preez, Lecturer at Cape Penin-

sula University of Technology, exchange

teacher in UFISA project””


“My time in Finland has been an adventurous one. I have experienced many new things and I

have learnt a great deal. The memories and friends made here I will cherish forever. I was quite

fortunate to study at two different universities, Aalto University and Laurea University of Applied

Sciences. They both offered a vastly different teaching method and style, however, what they have

both in common is that they enable and push the student to learn by themselves. This challenged

me to be more diligent and thorough with my research capabilities. Courses that really stood out

for me were the Internet Computing Forum at Aalto and Creative Innovation through Service

Design at Laurea. They opened my eyes to a whole new world in terms of business, customer val-

ue and idea generation. They showed me a new horizon of business and technical knowledge that

broadens my career to new peaks. This experience has given me a competitive edge over my peers.

It has equipped me with an understanding that nothing is impossible and imagination is the only

limitation to any dream.”

Enkosi Xalisa, South African Exchange Student in the UFISA project

“Besides the academic benefits, going

on exchange gives you the opportunity

to meet and network with other students

and exchange not only academic experi-

ence, but also social experience.”

Cintia Marisa, exchange student from

Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (UEM),

Maputo, Mozambique

“I would like send my encouragement to

all those students who might not have yet

thought of going to study abroad. Do not

fear the unknown and try to find inter-

ests of your own of why to participate to

an exchange program. I will promise that

if you are willing to take this step, a step

that takes you over the borders (on a ge-

ographical and mental level), it will be a

step you will not regret.”

Jani Mikael Vehviläinen, FANHEES

exchange student from Lahti University

of Applied Sciences

”

”


“After evaluating the program, it was

clear that the project had been a success.

Teachers learned new pedagogical meth-

ods, students learned new qualitative re-

search methods, and both students and

teachers became more familiar with com-

munity based methods in social work and

nursing, not to mention the added bene-

fit of learning in a multicultural environ-

ment.”

Sami Kivelä, Diak Lecturer, in reference to

the NSS HOPE project

“I think it´s been an enriching experience

on many levels. I´ve really benefitted from

my discussions with colleagues in Afri-

ca. It´s the talk’s we´ve had outside of the

classrooms that have sometimes been the

most beneficial.”

Ullamaija Kivikuru, a Finnish journalist,

researcher and lecturer from the University

of Helsinki

“The academic collaboration between

the University of Dar es Salaam and

(UDSM) and Finnish universities con-

tributes to overall goals of inclusive ed-

ucation development as we get opportu-

nities to get qualified professionals in the

area of inclusive education who in turn

help us improve our education systems

and quality of education to be more inclu-

sive in terms of more people being edu-

cated. We have given female students pri-

ority and hence more female students get

more access to education as a right. Stu-

dents who have received an opportunity

in this programme are mostly those from

disadvantaged groups that will rarely get

such an opportunity to get such educa-

tion. Hence, this programme is very ben-

eficial to our institution as most of the stu-

dents attending AFINITE programs are

members of staff of our School of educa-

tion and therefore it is beneficial in terms

of capacity building for our institution.”

Dean Hillary Dachi, Vice Dean, Dr. Aneth

Komba and Senior Lecturer, Dr. Vuzo

Mwajuma from the School of Education,

University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

”


KEY FIGURES

Student and teacher mobility 2004–2014

Teachers

Students

Total

515

From Finland

670

To Finland

1 185

760 995 1 755

Total

1 275 1 665 2 940

North–South–South funding 2004–2014

Total number of networks funded

Funding granted, euros

Average / network, euros

248

15 883 969

64 048

Intensive courses 2007–2014

1 086

Participatingteachers

Intensive coursestotal number

Participatingstudents

2 752118


Mobility to Finland

200

150

100

50

02004–2005 2005–2006 2006–2007 2007–2008 2008–2009 2009–2010 2010–2011 2011–2012 2012–2013* 2013–2014

personsStudents

Teachers

44 4670 76 73

104 100117

97

126

45 5567 61 69

115

78

40

94

188

Mobility from Finland

*The main reason for the increase of the figures during the academic year 2012–2013 is the large number of simultaneously running networks funded in 2011 and 2012.

200

150

100

50

02004–2005 2005–2006 2006–2007 2007–2008 2008–2009 2009–2010 2010–2011 2011–2012 2012–2013* 2013–2014

personsStudents

Teachers

5073 68 58

7462

77

3047 51 49

68

103

48

85 81

132

36 41 42


9. Ethiopia

4. Kenya

7. Mozambique

14. Nepal

2. Tanzania

11. Vietnam

5. Zambia

3. Namibia

1. South Africa

6. Uganda

8. Malawi

10. Botswana

12. Peru

13. Ghana

15. Sudan

16. Swaziland

17. Nigeria

18. Rwanda

19. Georgia

20. Egypt

21. Madagascar

22. Senegal

23. Belarus

24. Croatia

25. Kyrgyz Rep.

26. Zimbabwe

27. Liberia

28. Bosniaand Herzegovina

29. Mali

30. Montenegro

31. Malaysia

32. Mauritius

33. Thailand

North–South–South on the map 2004–2014

Finland’s primary development cooperation partner countriesare Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal, Tanzania, Vietnamand Zambia, previously also Namibia.

North–South–South on the map 2004–2014


1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

Country Studentsfrom Finland

Studentsto Finland

Teachersfrom Finland

Teachersto Finland

Total numberof exchanges

South Africa

Tanzania

Namibia

Kenya

Zambia

Uganda

Mozambique

Malawi

Ethiopia

Botswana

Vietnam

Peru

Ghana

Nepal

Sudan

Swaziland

Nigeria

Rwanda

Georgia

Egypt

Madagascar

Senegal

Belarus

Croatia

Kyrgyz Rep.

Zimbabwe

Liberia

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Mali

Montenegro

Malaysia

Mauritius

Thailand

Total

93

93

71

79

57

77

39

46

31

32

27

26

21

21

7

12

6

0

7

1

4

3

2

1

1

0

0

0

1

0

0

1

1

140

105

102

119

80

58

52

41

31

38

32

39

37

20

10

9

10

12

10

5

6

1

4

5

4

2

2

3

3

2

3

0

0

77

76

54

39

31

25

41

19

32

36

26

13

10

11

12

10

4

2

1

1

0

2

1

0

2

1

2

0

0

0

1

1

0

121

80

71

69

47

26

40

25

21

18

29

14

22

15

10

7

6

11

5

7

1

3

2

0

2

3

1

1

2

1

1

2

1

431

354

298

306

215

186

172

131

115

124

114

92

90

67

39

38

26

25

23

14

11

9

9

6

9

6

5

4

6

3

5

4

2

2 939664530985760


Mobility according to gender

Students from Finland Students to Finland Total

Teachers from Finland Teachers to Finland Total

527579 181 468 6491 106

264270 245 406 651534

North–South–South 10 Years


Centre for International Mobility CIMO

P.O. Box 343 (Hakaniemenranta 6)

FI-00531 Helsinki, Finland

Tel. +358 (0)295 338 500

www.cimo.fi

www.studyinfinland.fi

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