The University of Eastern Finland has published its very first report describing the university’s activities in global development. The report provides a comprehensive account of how the university has engaged with global development networks and provides an overview of student and staff mobility as well as education and research projects implemented with and in the Global South. The report focuses on the period 2022–2024, and also describes the objectives for global development for 2025 and forward.
The period 2022–2024 was a transformative era for the university, where collaborations in and with the Global South were strengthened and deepened, with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) being well-integrated into the activities. In 2024, the university had education and research collaborations in 54 countries in the Global South, up from 43 in 2022.
The university actively participated in networks such as the Finnish University Partnership for International Development (UniPID), the Southern African–Nordic Centre (SANORD), the Nordic Centre in India (NCI), and the United Nations Academic Impact initiative (UNAI).
In 2022–2024, the University of Eastern Finland secured significant funding for global development activities, slightly over 10 million euros overall, with additional Erasmus + global mobility funding bringing the total to 11.5 million euros. The university’s global development funding has tripled since 2021.
The University of Eastern Finland is committed to promoting global development for sustainability through responsible and equitable partnerships with the Global South and other actors nationally and internationally. From 2025 onwards, the university aims to deepen rather than expand partnerships in the Global South, while continuing its active participation in existing partner networks. The latter is exemplified by the university’s coordination and hosting of the UniPID network from 2026 onwards.
In addition, the university will also engage with diaspora communities and Global South alumni and collaborate with development NGOs in shared focus areas.
“By engaging in global development, we can leverage our unique strengths to creating a more equitable and sustainable world,” says Rector Tapio Määttä.
University of Eastern Finland Global Development Report
For further information, please contact:
Roseanna Avento
Global Development Manager
roseanna.avento@uef.fi, +358 40 355 3828
