Arcada strengthens its presence in Pakistan through education export

In the beginning of 2018 Arcada successfully completed its first educational training in Pakistan at the University of Education. As a result of the well-received training, Arcada is now looking to further strengthen its presence on the Pakistani education market. In fact, measures have already been taken to achieve this goal.

The first-ever 3 ECTS course in Pedagogical Leadership Training, held by Arcada in Pakistan, was conducted at the turn of the year. A total of 38 faculty members from the University of Education participated and completed the course. Christa Tigerstedt, lecturer at Arcada and responsible for the training, says that the exchange of knowledge was mutual during the course.

“The experience of teaching in Pakistan was very interesting and also very much a two-way learning experience. Even if the contexts are very different, I can clearly see the possibilities and common ideas about the future of pedagogy and higher education institutions in general. The visit was very rewarding and included e.g. teaching, visiting various institutions and talking to intellectuals in so called think tanks. It was an experience I wish for others to have as well. An open mind takes you a long way.”

Since the training was a positive experience for all parties involved, Arcada has now signed a new Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) with other educational institutions in Pakistan. These are:

• University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
• Institute of Business Management, Lahore, Pakistan

Besides these new connections, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland has also granted Arcada support through Finnpartnership Business in order to continue exporting education activities, specifically to Pakistan. The main goal is to develop a Finnish-Pakistani training centre in Pakistan in co-operation with Arcada’s partner institutions. Faisal Shahzad, International Business Development Director at Arcada, is thrilled by this opportunity.

“I’m very grateful to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland for providing Arcada the opportunity to arrange teacher training in Pakistan through the Finnpartnership Business Support program. It is a stepping stone towards a knowledge-based economy and human capital development. Teachers are fundamental actors for creating a literate society, and through the Finnish Pakistan Training Centre, we will train teachers in pedagogy and enhance their competencies".

Moreover, a feasibility study on starting formal activities of the project in Pakistan will be conducted in the coming months.