Around the World: A Showcase Examining Efforts to Internationalize Finnish Vocational Higher Education.
Abstract: The Finnish education system continues to receive attention due to its ranking in various international measures. As a result the Finnish Government has established initiatives to promote Finnish education in international markets. This showcase examines the global education initiatives of Tampere University of Applied Sciences as it seeks to internationalize and commoditize a number of programs to the global education community. The showcase will examine a range of online and blended education programs offered to participants in Russia, the Middle East and Brazil. The showcase will describe the challenges of globalizing and commoditizing education and the strategies employed to overcome these challenges. It will also examine how successes were achieved. The showcase will reflect upon lessons learned and propose a strategy for further internationalization based on sound eLearning strategies and pedagogies and consider how international education might change in the future.