University of Helsinki
Dr. Helena Candido and Dr. Kristiina Brunila gave their presentation in relation to Finnish education export in NERA 2020. They argued how the neoliberal shift of education governance towards a managerial regime has increased global education competition whereby education is considered a valuable asset, and therefore, an export product. Their preliminary findings show that Finnish education export has started in a ‘direct and strategic export growth’ stage much later than other countries and diverges from other countries’ transnational education practices. The education export in Finland rely on both material and symbolic practices of branding Finnish education as a unique ‘good’ in association to the country’s leading positions in innovation, human capital and global competitiveness. The ‘naturalized’ market-oriented nature of Finnish education export contrasts with the Finnish primarily public education system.
