Namibian teachers study in Finland

Twenty-five Namibian teachers arrived in Helsinki, Finland, last week to pursue a Master's degree in primary education.

In a statement issued here last week, Namibian Ambassador to Finland, Bonny Haufiku, said the studies were commissioned for the students through the Finland University. The university specialises in transnational education and is co-owned by the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), University of Tempere and University of Turku.

Haufiku lauded the opportunity given to the students to study in Finland for a period of four years through financing by the Namibia Students' Financial Assistance Fund.

“The programme will develop and assist Namibia to address education challenges in the education sector,” he said.

The programme will be carried out in collaboration with other international Master's degree programmes at UEF, as well as with schools in the region, including the Martti Ahtisaarie Elementary School in Kuopio which has close ties to the Martti Ahtisaari Primary School in Windhoek.

Haufiku said the UEF, which has offered similar training to an unspecified number of Namibian primary school teachers before, will expand its collaboration with Namibian universities in fields such as science and technology, forest sciences, medicines, geography, engineering and historical studies.

He said the objective of the Namibian embassy there is to establish cooperation in education between Finland and Namibia, as well as expand business, trade and investment between the two countries.

The embassy also aims to facilitate business partnerships and joint ventures between Finnish and Namibian private sectors.

He said another group of 25 students will arrive in Finland in February 2017 to pursue Bachelor's degrees in education.

- Nampa