Education Utopias: Comparing China and the Nordic Countries Interculturally
| Study location | Finland, Helsinki |
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| Type | Short duration course, short course |
| Nominal duration | 4–20 Aug 2020 (6 ECTS) |
| Study language | English |
| Tuition fee |
EARLY BIRD prices valid until 28 February 2020 |
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| Entry qualification | A minimum of 2 years of university-level studies is required for all courses. See course-specific requirements below >> target students. |
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| Language requirements | English All courses are taught in English. Although applicants are not required to present an official certificate of language proficiency, all students must be fluent in English. A good command of English is necessary for completing the course (following teaching, participating in classroom discussions, writing essays) as well as managing day-to-day matters in Finland. An applicant can be rejected if his/her level of English is not deemed equivalent to the standards. |
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| Other requirements | A motivation letter must be added to your application. Please tell us about your academic goals and why you would like to attend Helsinki Summer School and the course you have applied for. For example: Why is this course important to your studies or to your future career? How do you satisfy the course requirements? Please note that plagiarism is strictly forbidden at the University of Helsinki. Any applicant caught of plagiarism will be automatically rejected. |
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| More information |
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Overview
Synopsis
This brand new course examines how the two educational systems of China and the Nordic countries intersect. China and the Nordic countries are often contrasted by the media, by researchers and by decision-makers. Past years have also witnessed a growth of interaction and intersection between China and the Nordic countries in many and varied educational fields, including joint research, publications and mobility initiatives at different educational levels.
Due to the request of stimulating innovation in education from the Chinese government, educational institutions in China are interested in adopting ‘good’ practices from the Nordic countries, which are known for placing equality and social justice at the core of most societal issues. Furthermore, an increasing number of PhD projects are also being conducted on different aspects of Chinese education from the perspectives of the Nordic countries and vice versa.
This rise of mutual interests calls for attention in educational studies. The media also often present these countries as education superpowers, with Shanghai and Finland on top of the OECD PISA studies. In order to compare these two utopias, the course rejects a simplistic approach that presents both spaces as culturally uniform, confronting ‘East’ and ‘West’ entities, and suggests an intercultural comparative and contrastive approach that is critical and reflexive in both theory and methodology. This does not solely concentrate on difference, but emphasises similarities, including studies on philosophical, conceptual and methodological issues. This nuanced approach to these two education utopias will appeal to students and scholars of Nordic and Chinese education as well as of globalisation and interculturality.
Target students
Bachelor’s and Master’s levels. Students of any field who have an interest in comparative education with an emphasis on China and the Nordic countries. No background in education studies needed.
Coordinators
Fred Dervin fred.dervin@helsinki.fi
You may contact the course coordinators with questions concerning the course content.
With any other questions concerning Helsinki Summer School or the application process, please contact summerschool@helsinki.fi.