The University of Helsinki HY+ is Leading a Technical Assistance Project for an Education Reform in Sri Lanka
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has selected an international consortium to provide the technical assistance for Sri Lanka’s Secondary Education Sector Improvement Programme (SESIP). With the SESIP, Sri Lanka aims to strengthen its secondary education system. The technical assistance project, which supports the SESIP programme implementation, is led by the University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education HY+.
The technical assistance provided by the international consortium focuses on curriculum development of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and commerce subjects, pedagogy, educational leadership, teacher deployment, and assessment and university entrance. The technical assistance project will last for three years in total.
The international consortium, which was selected by the ADB and is led by the University of Helsinki HY+, includes the University of Turku from Finland, the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE), and the Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI). Both Korean partner organisations have extensive experience in technical assistance and consultancy in the education sector.
Finnish Education Expertise in the Technical Assistance Project
HY+ is a fully owned company of the internationally esteemed University of Helsinki, the highest ranked and leading research university in Finland.
“Winning the project and collaborating with the ADB in the technical assistance delivery is an important step for us, not only in terms of international business development but also in terms of global partnership building”, says Riikka Hälikkä, the Project Director from HY+.
“The Finnish education sector expertise is hot in demand globally. Many Finnish experts are engaged in individual assignments with international development financing institutions, but there are yet huge opportunities for Finnish universities and university companies, which have not been utilised systematically. This is something HY+ intends to change”, Hälikkä continues.
The University of Turku is one of the largest multidisciplinary universities in Finland with strong competence in global educational services and development projects. The university will provide high-quality education expertise for the technical assistance project related to curriculum development and pedagogic methods.
“The University of Turku is really proud of this partnership. The role of our university matches well to our research strengths, and we believe that we can help Sri Lankan partners in their reform. The project is an excellent example of the growing demand for international collaboration, but also of the practical collaboration between the Finnish universities in global educational services”, says Ari Koski, Key Account Manager from the University of Turku.
The technical assistance project is an important opening in extending the cooperation in the field of education between Sri Lanka and Finland.
“I congratulate HY+, The University of Turku and their Korean partners for winning ADB’s technical assistance project in Sri Lanka. Finland has a lot to offer in terms of education sector reforms. By building partnerships and international consortium, Finnish education sector players can play an even bigger role globally”, says Marjaana Sall, the Ambassador for Education at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
Sri Lanka’s Education Reform
Sri Lanka is carrying out an ambitious education reform, which aims at enhanced human resource development, and globally competitive knowledge-centered economy. The SESIP will support the government’s General Education Sector Development Plan for the years 2020–2025.
The programme’s objective is to transform the education system into a foundation for human resource development in a knowledge-based modern global economy in line with the national policy framework. The SESIP also focuses on new strategies such as online learning and teaching, blended learning, and distance mode education relative to the government’s plan to address the COVID-19 disruptions.
Further information
Riikka Hälikkä
Project Director
University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education HY+ Ltd.
riikka.halikka@hyplus.fi
+358 50 376 8408
University of Helsinki Centre for Continuing Education HY+
HY+ provides continuing education and development services for both organisations and individuals in Finland and abroad. It is a fully owned company of the internationally esteemed University of Helsinki, the largest and highest ranked institution of academic education in Finland.
