Multiple calls for development funding were open in spring 2023, yielding fantastic results for the University of Eastern Finland. UEF and partners received over 3.2 million euros in development funding from various instruments.
Erasmus+ funding for global mobility and capacity building
The University of Eastern Finland was granted more than 475,000 euros in funding from the Erasmus + programme’s Global Mobility 2023 call, allowing for student and staff mobility with UEF and 21 countries outside the EU, between 2023 and 2026. The funding granted is the second largest ever amount UEF has received since 2015, and was the largest amount granted nationally in Finland.
A major amount of the funding is allocated to mobility with partners in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia. In Latin America, funding is allocated to mobility with partners in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Ecuador, whereas in the Caribbean funding is allocated to mobility with partners in the Dominican Republic. In Asia, funding is allocated to mobility with partners in China, Malaysia, Mongolia and Nepal and in Central Asia, funding is allocated to mobility with partners in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mobility funding is also allocated to the South Mediterranean region with partners in Israel, Morocco and Palestine.
“The funding granted will enable increased student and staff mobility in line with the strategy of the University of Eastern Finland, allowing for enhanced learning and personal growth, broadening global perspectives and knowledge, not to mention enhancing social inclusion and diversity in higher education and research,” says Academic Rector Tapio Määttä.
UEF also received funding under the Erasmus + programme’s Capacity Building for Higher Education 2023 call for a project titled “Ghana Climate University Network: Making knowledge to work for climate adaptation” where the UEF Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences is partnering with Ghanaian partners: the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Cape Coast University and the Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development, as well as Copenhagen University from Denmark. The three-year project is funded to the tune of 776, 208 euros and aims at strengthening the teaching of local adaptation to climate change focusing on land use, agriculture and forestry. The project also aims at introducing a mentorship programme for junior faculty and a support programme for start-up ideas from students and recent graduates. Contact person at UEF: Professor Frank Berninger.
Team Finland Knowledge Programme funding for projects in toxicology and teacher education
UEF also succeeded well in the Team Finland Knowledge Programme 2023 call, receiving funding to coordinate two projects. The project entitled “From toxicity to safety” plans to enhance education and awareness on mechanistic, descriptive and regulatory toxicology, focusing on specific groups of chemicals in food, the environment and pharmaceuticals. The project received funding of 71,936 euros and is coordinated by the School of Pharmacy at UEF. The partners are the University of Helsinki in Finland, the Tshwane Institute of Technology in South Africa and the Harare Institute of Technology in Zimbabwe. The project consortium is already presenting their work at the South Africa Science Forum in December with the support of the Embassy of Finland in Pretoria and Education and Science Counsellor Ms Iina Soiri. Contact persons at UEF: Professor Jaana Rysä and Dr Suchetana De Storvik. The project brief is available on the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education.
“The Finnish-Uruguayan partnership for fostering STEAM approach in teacher education” project aims to co-design, develop and pilot curricula for STEAM education in the context of teacher education, improve pedagogical skills of teacher educators in STEAM, create shared pedagogical resources for further Finnish-Uruguayan cooperation and establish a Finnish-Uruguayan STEAM network of teacher educators. The project received funding of 64,000 euros and is coordinated by the School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education at UEF. The partners are the University of Jyväskylä in Finland and the Universidad de la Empresa in Uruguay. Contact person at UEF: Professor Sirpa Kokko. The project brief is available on the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education.
UEF is also partnering on two Team Finland Knowledge Programme projects. The first one is with the UEF School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education and titled “Digital learning in STEAM pedagogy for the equity of education” and its aim is to promote equity in education through the implementation of digital pedagogy in STEAM teacher education, by creating, sharing and evaluating good practices and information within teacher education in Finland and South Africa. The project is led by the University of Helsinki, and the South African partner is Stellenbosch University. The project received funding of 63,880 euros. Contact person at UEF: Professor Sirpa Kokko. The project brief is available on the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education.
The second one is with the UEF School of Educational Sciences and Psychology and is titled “Inclusive education in co-teaching teams: collaborative teaching practicum by Finnish and Southeast Asian teacher education students” and aims at supporting international mobility and intercultural competence and developing teacher education students’ skills in implementing inclusive education by involving them in teaching practicum in multicultural co-teaching teams. The project is led by the University of Helsinki and the other partners are the Universitas Djuanda in Indonesiaand the Kuala Lumpur Finland International School, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idri, both in Malaysia. The project received funding of 72,000 euros. Contact persons at UEF: Senior University Lecturer Dr Aino Äikäs and University Lecturer Dr Katariina Waltzer. The project brief is available on the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education.
Higher Education Partnership funding for sustainable development in teacher education
Finally, the Higher Education Partnership programme call 2023 also yielded one funded project at the UEF School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education, titled “Future Teacher Education for Sustainable Development” which aims at developing teacher educators’ and student teachers’ competence and best practices in sustainability in Finland, Namibia and Tanzania. The partners in the project are the University of Namibia, Dar es Salaam University College of Education in Tanzania, and the University of Turku. Total funding for the project is 754,997 euros. Contact person at UEF: Professor Sari Havu-Nuutinen. Please see earlier information about this here.
DEVELOP 2 Programme grants nearly one million euros for development research
UEF was also successful in the Develop 2 programme funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Research Council of Finland, gaining almost one million euro in funding. Please see earlier news about this here.
“Strengthening our existing Global South collaboration, especially in education and research, is an action we have identified as important in terms of global responsibility and sustainable development. We want to enhance equal, responsible and inclusive global academic partnerships, and the funding we have received provides excellent opportunities to reach these goals,” says Rector Jukka Mönkkönen.
