OPETUSHALLITUS OPH

Their core work

The Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) is Finland's national authority responsible for education policy implementation, curriculum development, and international education cooperation. In H2020 projects, they contributed expertise in integrating refugee scholars into European higher education and labour markets, and in promoting STEM education policy across EU member states. They also participated in Arctic community engagement work, bringing education and participatory planning perspectives to sustainable development challenges in northern regions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

EDUFI's early H2020 involvement (2018-2019) focused squarely on refugee integration in higher education — supporting refugee students, scholars, and researchers through peer learning networks and the EURAXESS portal. By 2020, their focus broadened in two directions: STEM education policy (Scientix 4) and Arctic community sustainability (ArcticHubs), signaling a shift from a narrow refugee-education mandate toward wider education governance and place-based participatory approaches.

EDUFI is moving from targeted refugee support toward broader education system transformation and community-level participatory governance, making them relevant for projects that need a national education authority as a policy bridge.

How they like to work

EDUFI has never coordinated an H2020 project — they join as a participant or third party, bringing policy expertise and institutional legitimacy rather than project management. With 29 unique partners across 18 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in large, geographically diverse consortia. This pattern is typical of a national agency that adds credibility and policy reach to consortia but relies on others for scientific or technical leadership.

Despite only 4 projects, EDUFI has built a wide network of 29 partners across 18 countries, reflecting the pan-European nature of education policy coordination. Their reach spans well beyond the Nordic region into central, southern, and eastern Europe.

What sets them apart

As Finland's national education authority, EDUFI brings something most consortium partners cannot: direct access to education policy implementation at the national level and connections to ministries of education across Europe. Their dual experience in refugee integration and STEM education makes them a rare partner that can bridge social inclusion with science education agendas. For any project needing a credible public-sector voice on education reform or policy uptake, EDUFI carries institutional weight that universities and NGOs typically lack.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CARe
  Largest funded project (EUR 93,884), focused on an urgent and politically relevant topic — career pathways for refugee researchers using the EURAXESS portal.
• ArcticHubs
  A notable departure from education-only work, bringing participatory methods to Arctic sustainable development — the only project connecting EDUFI to environmental and indigenous community themes.