Finland-China academic co-op recommended

The Ministry of Education and Culture, together with Finnish higher education institutions (HEIs), research institutes and other stakeholders, has prepared recommendations for academic cooperation with Chinese partners.

The recommendations help to identify the key challenges of cooperation and the features of the academic environment in China, said the Ministry of Education and Culture in a press release on Wednesday.

The recommendations seek to ensure that it is possible to uphold the principles that are important for Finnish HEIs and research institutions.

Finnish higher education institutions and research institutes have a long-standing and active history of academic partnerships with China. China’s global significance is expected to continue growing. Solving global issues requires cooperation, so there are strong grounds for partnerships.

At the same time, it is important to recognise the different systems, ideological goals and values of different partners.

The activities of Finnish higher education institutions and research institutes are based on academic freedom and institutional autonomy.

The recommendations seek to ensure that Finnish HEIs and research institutions can forge cooperation with Chinese partners based on these principles and interests.

In particular, the recommendations focus on considerations related to academic freedom, good scientific practices, security and competitiveness.