Capacity Building Workshop 2025: Key Takeaways

On March 19, 2025, the Fulbright Finland Foundation organized a capacity-building workshop in Helsinki, titled "Developing Sustainable Partnerships with U.S. HEIs and International Student Services". The event focused on developing institutional partnerships between Finland and the United States to increase student mobility, aiming to equip Finnish higher education institutions with strategies to effectively engage with U.S. partners. Below are the key takeaways and good practices gathered during the day.

"So many concrete ideas that I’ll definitely take with me! Especially relating to international student services and marketing."
-Capacity Building Workshop participant

Trends in U.S. Higher Education on International Partnerships & Student Mobility

Europe remains the most popular destination for U.S. students studying abroad, with the summer term being the most preferred time. Finnish HEIs could tap into this demand and provide summer programs to U.S. students.
Having too many MoUs often results in inactive partnerships. U.S. universities are shifting from quantity to quality in international collaborations, favoring active, reciprocal partnerships over dormant agreements.
The current situation in the U.S., including Department of Education cuts, budget reductions, and political uncertainty, is affecting students' intentions to study abroad. As a result, more students are exploring options for tertiary education abroad, presenting an opportunity for Finnish HEIs.
Short-term, faculty-led programs remain the most common model for U.S. student mobility. These programs can also be arranged through a service provider.
Virtual and hybrid models such as COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) are growing in popularity due to their affordability and sustainability.
Direct enrollment can be an attractive alternative for U.S. students to study abroad. In this model, a U.S. student applies directly to the Finnish HEI and pays the tuition to the Finnish HEI (which is typically less than a U.S. tuition). Direct enrollment can be based on an institutional agreement or be something that the student individually arranges as a free-mover. U.S. universities typically maintain a database of direct enrollment study abroad options on their websites for their students to look into when considering a study abroad. U.S. HEIs, which often struggle to encourage their students to study abroad, can view direct enrollment options as beneficial as they allow them to provide a more cost-effective and attractive alternative for their students to study abroad.

U.S. Institutions' Insights on International Partnerships

University of Nebraska–Lincoln prioritizes research-based partnerships and encourages reciprocal exchanges via the Utrecht Network.
George Mason University
- Utilizes the COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) model, which involves virtual teaching and a cost-effective and sustainable approach to internationalization in higher education.
- Handshake-type agreements are the most common, and faculty-led programs account for the highest student mobility numbers.
- A new Global Gateway Program provides freshmen students an opportunity to study spring semester in one of the 10 institutions around the globe. In this program, students are provided a list of pre-approved courses for George Mason credit to select from when planning their studies abroad.
- University-wide bilateral exchange agreement with the University of Helsinki.
Virginia Tech has contracts with service providers to arrange study-abroad opportunities for their students. U.S. students typically consider only a few countries when looking into study-abroad destinations. Finland needs to be brought to the radar of U.S. students. Finnish institutions would need to actively and continuously promote Finland as a study destination.

Finnish HEI Best Practices on Partnering with U.S. HEIs

Metropolia University of Applied Sciences used a Fulbright Finland travel grant for partnership building to formalize a new exchange partnership with Belmont University in the U.S. Based on their experience, flexibility is important as well as champions to start and maintain the collaboration (staff transitions!), making the right faculty connections, and being bold in outreach (cold calls/emails) when scouting and launching new collaborations.
Aalto University has a huge demand for study opportunities in the U.S. and very many active U.S. university partners. It has engaged in strategic mapping of U.S. partners and invested in strong marketing efforts.
- Key: 1. Understand what the partner looks for or needs 2. Keep up continuous communication and have face-to-face meetings 3. Market all the time.
- Reasons to come to Aalto University from the U.S.: 1. Finland’s brand, 2. Aalto's reputation, 3. Safety in Finland.
- Well-functioning option: Component of an international minor in the degree.
- You need to put very much effort into creating connections. For example, participate in conferences that U.S. universities join. It's important to build contacts all the way up within the U.S. university. A partnership typically needs to be approved at all levels in the U.S. university.
- It takes time to make the partnership model work and put all in place, but when the system is built up, it works. After piloting the model with one institution, Aalto University has scaled it up to other institutions.
Tampere University is a top producer of Fulbright awards and the leading institution in Finland for semester-long exchanges to the U.S.
- Maximizes the use of ISEP and north2north programs for flexible semester exchanges.
- Tampere uses ISEP (a yearly subscription program) to send Finnish students to the U.S. (not to any other ISEP countries) and welcomes students through ISEP from all countries.
- University allows through ISEP one-semester study in the U.S. only (not two semesters), ensuring more slots for Finnish students to study in the U.S.
- With ISEP balancing is based on the overall number of incoming and outgoing students, rather than by country.

U.S. Students' Concrete Ideas for Increasing Finland-U.S. Student Mobility

How to Develop International Student Services in Finland?

Make sure to put effort into the tutoring program provided for international students. They highly value tutor programs and appreciate how Finnish tutors with local networks and an understanding of the culture help foster cultural integration for those who have recently arrived.
International student orientation should include more social integration, not just academic sessions. This is crucial for the success of the study abroad term, the well-being of the students, integration into Finland, and for the important network building.
Clear communication on mental health services, healthcare, housing, and digital ID access is essential.
Opportunities for paid student peer advising and community-building activities are strongly encouraged.
Offer short-term, affordable travel within Finland and promote them (!) to help attract more students to study in Finland (e.g., ESN’s TimeTravels program).

How can Finland be promoted as a study destination?

Promote the quality of academic programs in Finland, as many students choose Finland based on their field of study rather than tourism. Programs focused on sustainability, peace and human rights, climate change, and the unique strengths of Finnish higher education are major draws for U.S. students.
Use word-of-mouth (by harnessing your alumni) and testimonials from U.S. students as effective promotional tools to capture the attention of U.S. students.s.
Highlight the unique Finnish student culture (e.g., overalls, patches, egalitarian relationships between students and faculty, female leaders/professors), environmental values, and affordability (e.g., low-cost student meals, drinkable tap water).
Expand pre-arrival support through webinars, and apps, such as Goin' App.
Promote short-term travel opportunities within Finland (e.g., ESN’s TimeTravels program).
Emphasize that English is widely spoken and that students can thrive in Finland without Finnish language skills.

Ideas and Recommendations from the Workshop Participants

Take full advantage of the international networks your university has already joined and the connections there. For example, networks with U.S. institutions.
See who your international partners are partnering with and contact them for partnership discussions.
Use U.S. Fulbright grantees in Finland who represent a variety of U.S. universities to initiate partnership negotiations.
Finnish HEIs need a platform for matchmaking with U.S. universities, for example, a side event organized a day before the NAFSA conference.
A winning combination is a combination of faculty and administrative staff participating in the partnership creation. Must for long-term sustainability!
Integrate U.S. faculty-led classes with local classes and students to make faculty-led programs more integrated. Promote this improvement idea to your U.S. partners.
Understand the needs of U.S. and Finnish students. Finnish students are usually graduate students, while U.S. students are undergraduates.
Be very flexible, allowing exchanges for students from any field and offering a variety of program lengths.
Encourage Fulbright grantees and alumni on your campus to serve as your ambassadors including, for example, when creating promotional materials for your institution.
Now the international collaboration between Finland and the U.S. HEI sector is even more important.