International Organisations

FNBE participates in the activities of the Nordic Council of Ministers as well as the European Union, the Council of Europe, UNESCO, OECD and other international organisations. In agreement with the Ministry of Education, FNBE takes responsibility of the national level implementation of a large number of international projects. FNBE utilises and disseminates the information and insights attained through its international cooperation in order to develop Finnish education.

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Ms Petra Packalén,  
Ms Kristiina Volmari, .

Support for Internationalisation of Education

FNBE supports the internationalisation of both general education and vocational education and training by granting a total of 2 MEUR per year for the international activities of educational institutions through the education providers. Priority is set on nationally or regionally networked development projects.  Some 250 projects receive the internationalisation state grant annually.

FNBE grants a total of EUR 350,000 annually in discretionary state benefits to Finnish language and culture schools (clubs) abroad. There are some 140 Finnish Schools (clubs) globally.

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Ms Paula Mattila,  
Ms Hanna Autere, .

Neighbouring Area Cooperation

By order of the Ministry of Education, FNBE administrates the educational co-operation of Finland and its neighbouring areas. The activity is jointly financed by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The target areas of the Finnish neighbouring area co-operation are in North-West Russia, namely St. Petersburg, the Regions of Leningrad and Murmansk, the Republic of Karelia as well as the Region of Kaliningrad. Projects that are implemented within this programme have to observe Finland's strategy for cooperation in the neighbouring areas and to comply with current regional analyses and programs.

FNBE sets priority on projects that are foreseen to bear sustainable development impacts through facilitating the development of educational structures and establishment of close and continuous contacts with the target regions. The projects should always correspond to local needs with an articulated interest and commitment of the key players.

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Ms Marjut Kuokkanen, 

Bilateral Cooperation

FNBE’s bilateral cooperation aims at reciprocal benefits in educational development. It is implemented through networks of Finnish and foreign educational agencies and institutes and by attaining knowledge and insights of the educational objectives, policies and procedures of the partner countries in question. Significant target areas include the Nordic countries, Germany, Germany, Russia, China.

International Visits

Through Finland’s repeated top positions in the OECD PISA survey, the Finnish education system has turned out to be the target of an increasing number of visits by educators, administrators, politicians and journalists from all over the world. FNBE coordinates visits from abroad in so much as they concern the agency’s own field and level of expertise. Most of the visits are organised as paid services.

In 2007, FNBE organised some 150 visits for approximately one 1700 experts from around 50 countries. 

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Ms Hanna Laakso,

See also OECD's Pisa website

Development Cooperation

Finland’s development policy supports attainment of the UN millennium development goals (MDG) by the year 2015. Two MDGs, ensuring primary education for all children and eliminating gender inequality at all levels of education, are central to the education sector, a focal area in Finnish development cooperation.

Bilateral development cooperation is based on the development plans issued by the partner countries or regions. The Finnish contributions are always measured against the priorities set by the countries themselves as well as the entity of developmental aid targeted at any country in question.

Under the auspices of a set of cooperation agreements with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, FNBE supports monitoring of the education sector of Ethiopia and Nepal.

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Ms Eeva-Kaisa Linna, .