Three of Finland's biggest universities of applied sciences are forming an educational alliance and are teaming up to market themselves internationally.
Students at the three institutions in the Helsinki region – Metropolia, Haaga-Helia and Laurea – will be able to take courses at any location by the year 2020.
Altogether they have nearly 36,000 students. Metropolia is by far the nation's largest with more than 16,000 students, followed by Haaga-Helia with just under 11,000. Laurea is further down the list with less than 8,000.
The three schools are also setting up a joint firm to market educational exports. Jouni Koski, president of Laurea, says that there is great interest abroad in Finland's universities of applied sciences.
The three institutions are signing an alliance agreement on Friday afternoon.
Free movement
"This will significantly expand students' opportunities," says Haaga-Helia President Teemu Kokko. "The aim is to have completely free movement within the three institutions by the year 2020."
Appearing with the other university presidents on Yle TV1's Friday morning chat show, Kokko said that students will be able to choose freely among courses at all three schools.
He says the move is not costs-driven.
"This is unique in that most of the ongoing [higher education] ventures are moving ahead driven from the savings and administrative point of view, whereas we've decided to put our results and operations to the fore," Kokko says.
The partnership will also help the three universities of applied sciences to compete internationally.
"In educational exports, the biggest challenge is certainly that Finland is an extremely player in global terms," notes Kokko. "That's why we're teaming up and moving forward together. That will give us a bit more effectiveness abroad."
Metropolia President Riitta Konkola says that there is international demand for Haaga-Helia's teacher education programme and Metropolia's know-how in the social and health care sector, for instance. She says there has recently been interest from Arab and Asian countries as well as South America.
"Of course there will be savings"
While Haaga-Helia, Laurea and Metropolia have some overlapping operations, Kokko reiterates that the main point is not cost-cutting.
"Of course there will be savings based on economy of scale, though," he adds. Kokko says that student groups and corporate partners have welcomed the move. So has the Ministry of Education, which has helped to move the process forward.