Finnish educational expertise showcased at eLearning Africa event in Tanzania
How did Finnish educational expertise attract interest in Africa? Read the blog on our commercial leader's encounters and insights from the eLearning Africa event.
Funidata was invited to participate in Tanzania eLearning Africa event as part of the Finnish delegation coordinated by Education Finland and Finnpartnership. The largest digital learning conference in Africa provided a unique opportunity to showcase Finnish educational expertise and network internationally. Next, our Commercial Director Jarkko Elo shares his own experiences and observations from the trip to Dar es Salaam - encounters, discussions and future opportunities.
First impressions of Dar es Salaam and the opening of the conference
I arrived in the warmth of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Sunday evening after more than 20 hours of travelling. The tropical evening air and friendly people gave me a warm welcome straight away, despite the travel fatigue. For a first-timer, Dar es Salaam was a vibrant and colourful city - a contrast to the long flight, with its palm-lined promenade and lively nightlife. I was looking forward to the eLearning Africa conference, where I had come to represent Finnish educational expertise together with other members of the delegation.
On the opening day of the conference, the large hall of the Julius Nyerere Convention Centre was filled with hundreds of participants from all over Africa. eLearning Africa is Africa's largest and most important digital learning conference, and this year the event attracted more than 1 500 participants from over 80 countries to Dar es Salaam. The opening ceremony highlighted the theme of the event - the future of digital learning and education technology - and the atmosphere was both enthusiastic and international. Education experts, technology innovators and policy makers at ministerial level were all present, ready to exchange ideas and experiences.
Networking and growing interest in Finnish expertise
On Tuesday, the day before the official programme, I participated in the Finnpartnership's "Doing Business with Finland" seminar with local Tanzanian partners. During the seminar, we presented solutions and experiences of Finnish companies operating in the African market. The discussion was lively and showed that there is a genuine interest in Finnish educational and technological expertise. On Tuesday evening, the Embassy of Finland in Dar es Salaam hosted a networking reception where Ambassador Theresa Zitting welcomed the entire delegation and local education sector stakeholders. Relaxed discussions with representatives of the Tanzanian Ministry of Education and entrepreneurs in an elegant tropical evening provided an excellent framework for future cooperation.
The conference proper started on Wednesday, and a Finnish delegation organised by Education Finland and Finnpartnership was ready to introduce itself. The joint Team Finland stand showcased a wide range of Finnish educational expertise, from early childhood education to higher education. Representatives from numerous Finnish organisations were present in Dar es Salaam, including Eduten, 3DBear, Educluster Finland, FGES, ADE and Mobie, as well as from the education side HY+, HAMK, Karelia, Novia, OSAO Edu Oy and of course Funidata Oy.
During the days of the fair, our stand was visited by a constant stream of visitors. The Education Finland and Finnpartnership team also coordinated several bilateral meetings with ministerial delegations from African countries, providing a unique opportunity to engage directly with decision-makers. Finnish solutions - from interactive learning platforms to the use of artificial intelligence in education - attracted many questions and praise.
New opportunities and lifelong learning
For Funidata, we had arranged several meetings in advance with representatives from different countries. I had the opportunity to meet with delegations from the higher education sector in Ghana, Tanzania, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and South Africa, as well as experts from UNICEF. These bilateral discussions were very useful and enriching. They reinforced the understanding of the potential international impact of the Sisu Student Information System developed by Funidata - especially in markets where the digitalisation of higher education institutions is still in its early stages. Many African countries are currently looking for solutions to modernise student administration, and Sisu received a lot of interest as a concrete example of Finnish innovation.
On Thursday, I had the honour of being one of the speakers at the conference panel discussion "Learning for Life: A Finnish Model for Life-Long and Life-Wide Education". In this panel, Finnish experts shared their experiences on how lifelong and broad-based learning is implemented in the Finnish model - from early childhood education to adult education. We explained how continuous learning and skills development throughout life support both individuals' personal growth and the needs of the world of work. The panel discussion was inspiring and the audience asked many questions, for example on how Finnish lifelong learning practices could be applied in African education systems.
From Finland to the world — what did we learn?
After three days of events, I felt tired but excited. The trip to Dar es Salaam provided a great vantage point for the development of digital learning in Africa and reinforced the idea that Finnish educational expertise is in demand around the world.
The visible contribution of Finnish companies at eLearning Africa generated new valuable contacts and opened doors to potential future projects. We returned to Finland richer with many experiences, ready to continue the discussions and do our part to take the vision of better learning forward - both in Finland and globally.
Blog main image from eLearning Africa
