6,000 international higher education professionals to meet in Helsinki this week
This year, the European Association for International Education (EAIE) will host its annual conference and exhibition at Messukeskus in Helsinki, from 24 to 27 September.
More than 6,000 higher education experts from all over the world are expected to attend. The theme of the conference is ‘Encompassing all voices’ and it focuses on global collaboration and diversity in higher education. #EAIE2019 will mark the 31st Annual EAIE Conference.
During the week’s events, Finland as a country of high-quality education will be more visible than ever before. In addition to a Finland exhibition stand, Finnish higher education institutions will be on display to the world via local campus tours and an ‘Introduction to higher education in Finland’ session.
This session, the very first of the week on Tuesday 24 September, will be presented by Anita Lehikoinen, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture, who will talk about the Finnish education and research system.
According to Lehikoinen, the conference is a great opportunity for Finland to raise the international profile of its higher education and education services, as well as advance collaborations with new partners.
Keynote speakers:
The conference officially opens on Wednesday 25 September. The Opening Plenary keynote speaker is Simon Anholt, who is known for his Good Country Index research. He will talk about the role of higher education institutions and education as solutions to global challenges in an ever more intertwined world.
During the Opening Plenary, the participants will be welcomed to Finland by Tuomo Puumala, State Secretary of the Minister of Science and Culture.
The second keynote speaker, Aminata Cairo will speak at the Closing Plenary on Friday 27 September. Cairo has built a career in research and education. She is especially interested in improving the educational possibilities of minorities and marginalised groups and promoting diversity in education.
The Finnish partners of the conference, and organisations at the Finland exhibition stand include the Ministry of Education and Culture, Finnish National Board of Education, universities, universities of applied sciences, Unifi ry, Arene ry, student organisations SYL and Samok, Business Finland and the Academy of Finland.
More information about the conference programme and background on the EAIE Cconference is available at https://www.eaie.org/helsinki.html. You can follow the conference highlights on social media with #EAIE2019.
