Africa
Seminar: Conventions of higher education in the arts
In Spring 2023, the University of the Arts Helsinki hosted a group of artists, researchers, and teachers in the arts from Tanzania. The trip included visits to the different academies that make up Uniarts Helsinki, and presentations about the work of the Tanzanian institutions. During the visit, a seminar day was held. The guests representing four Tanzanian arts institutions, and the Finnish teacher-researchers discussed both arts pedagogy at the higher education level, and the status and skillsets of the informally trained teacher in the arts. The challenge identified in both Finland and Tanzania is the recognition of informal learning in higher education systems. As interest in curriculum development in higher education pedagogy in the arts was expressed by the guests, teachers from Uniarts Helsinki’s University Pedagogical Studies in the Arts held a presentation on the structure of the studies, and the contents of and values underlining the curriculum.
Advancing antiracism and decolonising the university in higher education pedagogy in the arts
The UniArts GINTL project and the University Pedagogical Studies in the Arts collaborated on the development of a new study unit. The pilot of the study unit was conducted in the Autumn term of 2022. It aimed at introducing critical and decolonial theories and practices to the teachers and researchers of the Uniarts Helsinki community. The study unit allowed for collaboration between teachers and researchers from different academies and degree programmes. Additionally, degree students worked as experts during the project. The study unit pilot was presented at the GINTL academic Coffee Chat event in March 2023 and at the Higher Education Pedagogy conference Pedaforum in June 2023. A topic that aroused interest was linking developing pedagogy with artistic thinking and arts-pedagogical competence.
Seminar: Co-creating decolonized knowledges through arts
The seminar was organised at the Uniarts Helsinki in May 2022. Decolonial practices and decolonising knowledge were approached through lectures, participatory sessions, and sharing. The list of presenters, facilitators, and panelists at the event included Heli Kauppila, Marika Orenius, Katja Thomson, Aminkeng Atabong, Kauzeni Lyamba, Kasheshi Makena and Heidi Seppälä, among others.
Generating better practices in education through international partnerships in doctoral education
The project builds upon four doctoral dissertations that are being completed in 2024 to synthesise and publicise their key findings on education development and to understand the conditions for completing doctoral degrees in international partnerships. The dissertations cover topics critical to education development in Eritrea: Enhancing student learning through learner-centred interactive pedagogy and dialogic teaching in Eritrean secondary school, the conditions of language education in Eritrea and their ramifications for overall students’ educational achievement, differentiated instruction in Eritrean elementary and middle schools; and professional development of teacher educators. Connecting individual research projects to the broader frames such as context-relevance of education and international partnerships, and internationalization and decoloniality in higher education, this collaboration between doctoral researchers and supervisors results in synthesis of research findings to inform development of education in Eritrea and improving conditions for doctoral education in Finland-Africa partnerships.
Somali teacher education development expands (STRIDE)
In previous projects our efforts have focused on long-distance collaboration to develop teacher educator competences in the University of Helsinki (UH), Somali National University (SNU), and East African University (EAU) (a new partner who joined our latest project). This project takes us a step further with expanding collaboration to Kenya and finally organizing a face-to-face workshop among the stakeholders in Nairobi, Kenya. Project partners from Finland, two universities in Somalia, and a new partner from Kenya will join a 4-day workshop that: (1) Enables us a more thorough discussion and understanding of the needs and situational requirements of the Somalian cultural and educational context while building networking within the African partners. (2) The project provides a forum to work on and enhance teacher educator competences in relation to tools and tasks suitable for seminar working. (3) All partners will be equipped with new knowledge and skills to be shared and utilized in their home universities and the GINTL network.
Higher Education Pedagogies for Teacher Education (HEP-TED)
The Higher Education Pedagogies for Teacher Education (HEP-TED) project, spanning from January 2024 to August 2026, aims to develop and strengthen the capacity of Rwandan higher education institutions (HEIs). In response to Rwanda’s “Vision 2050” and the National Strategy for Transformation 2017–2024, the project focuses on quality teacher education for general and technical/vocational education, addressing needs identified through a joint assessment. HEP-TED envisions three outcomes: enhanced management capacities within HEIs, improved teacher education quality, and strengthened cross-institutional collaboration. To achieve these goals, the project supports the development of internal quality assurance mechanisms, training educators in competence-based curricula and inclusive pedagogies, as well as fostering collaboration among Rwandan and Finnish HEIs. Activities include curriculum revisions, training sessions on digital pedagogies, and cross-institutional learning opportunities.
Student travel grants to the 2022 SDG4 Seminar at the University of Jyväskylä
Open call for institutional travel grants for GINTL-related activities
UH has a continuous call for travel grants to and from the three GINTL regions. Students, staff and their collaborators can submit applications related to GINTL activities requiring travel.
Mapping of doctoral dissertations completed on education development in Africa
The study analyses doctoral dissertations on education development in Africa completed in Finnish Universities in 2000-2021 (N=100). First, it maps the geographical distribution and educational contexts where the research is located. Second, a network analysis of the institutional affiliations of co-authors, supervisors, pre-examiners and opponents of the doctoral dissertations is done to depict the institutional connections and collaborations in doctoral education. Findings from the dissertation mapping and the institutional network analysis are discussed against the discourses of internationalisation and decoloniality that influence doctoral education both in the global South and the global North.
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