President/ CEO of SeAMK, Dr. Jaakko Hallila attends President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb's visit to China
During the state visit of the President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb to China, Dr. Jaakko Hallila, President/CEO of SeAMK, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the China Network of Universities of Applied Sciences and the prestigious Tsinghua University in China. Dr. Hallila is the chairman of the China Network of Universities of Applied Sciences.
The agreement, signed on the last day of October, aims to jointly conceptualise UAS education and research to meet the needs and context of Chinese higher education institutions and society.
In a Finnish press release issued by the the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences Arene on 31 October 2024, it was pointed out that there is now a widespread search in China for a flexible and effective model, such as the UAS model, to address the many challenges facing society, such as urbanisation, ageing and the development of artificial intelligence. China has developed its own legislation to strengthen applied research and education, including its own degree system up to the distinctive doctorate level.
“China wants to learn from the world’s best model of higher education. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Finnish universities of applied sciences and one of the world’s top universities is a significant event and it is great that President Stubb was there to open the doors to cooperation”, says Jaakko Hallila, Chairman of the China Network of Universities of Applied Sciences and President/CEO of SeAMK.
The China Network of Universities of Applied Sciences has been funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture as part of the Global Pilot. The network has conceptualised UAS education and built partnerships with Chinese partners for various UAS education cooperation needs. With the support of the strategy grant, 20 Finnish universities of applied sciences are participating in the construction and development of the China network. The aim is to strengthen cooperation between Finnish universities of applied sciences and Chinese universities, which will also create a basis for commercial education business.
Photos: Jaakko Hallila’s LinkedIn post.
Further information:
Ministry of Education and Culture, Internationalisation programme and global networks
Laurea.fi, Joint development days of the China Network at Laurea