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30.4.2026 | The Ministry of Education and Culture, the Research Council of Finland and CSC – IT Center for Science have jointly tested the open version of the OpenAlex database as an information source for analysing Finland’s scientific publication activity and that of other countries.

2.7.2026 | The Government has appointed Minna Karvonen as Director General of the Finnish National Gallery. She has served as Director of the Division for Art and Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Education and Culture since 2018. The term in the new position will commence on 1 November 2026 and continue until 31 October 2031.

10.9.2026 | The Government proposes a new foreign studies act, which would define the eligibility conferred by qualifications completed abroad for certain posts and positions in Finland. The aim is to simplify the recognition of qualifications held by international talent who completed their education outside the EU and EEA, and to reduce delays in their entry into employment.

19.2.2026 | Emerita Maija Tanninen-Mattila, Master of Arts, Museum Director, has been appointed as Director General of the Finnish National Gallery for the period of 1 March – 31 October 2026.

26.6.2026 | The Ministry of Education and Culture has added 22 new elements to Finland’s National Inventory of Living Heritage, based on a proposal by the Finnish Heritage Agency. With this update, the inventory now includes a total of 108 elements.

17.9.2026 | The Finnish Internet Forum will be held in cooperation with Parliament’s Committee for the Future on Wednesday 7 October 2026. This year’s agenda focuses on digital sovereignty, the age restrictions on the Internet and the safety of children. Discussions take place against the backdrop of the development of artificial intelligence and its impact on the Internet.

11.6.2026 | The Government proposes a comprehensive reform of the legislation on basic education in the arts. The aim is to clarify the structure of basic education in the arts and improve access to instruction across different art disciplines and fields. The proposal would also introduce a single syllabus and reform the criteria for central government transfers to municipalities.

18.6.2025 | Senate Properties will begin a major renovation of the National Archives’ main building at Rauhankatu 17 in spring 2026. At the same time, the building will be adapted into a shared workspace for the National Archives, the Institute for the Languages of Finland, the Finnish National Agency for Education, the Accessibility Library Celia, and the Research Council of Finland. These agencies will move into the premises in autumn 2028.

9.12.2025 | A delegation of Finnish Members of Parliament from the Development Policy Committee visited Zambia on 22–28 November to discuss with the country’s political leadership the development of cooperation between Finland and Zambia and to learn about topical development issues in the country.

27.5.2021 | The Government appointed Dr Minna Kelhä as Director General of the Finnish National Agency for Education. The duration of the position is for five years, beginning on 7 June 2021 and ending on 6 June 2026.

2.3.2023 | On Thursday 2 March 2023, the Government appointed the members of the Finnish National Commission for UNESCO for the four-year term from 2 March 2023 to 31 December 2026. The Finnish National Commission for UNESCO is an expert and cooperation body providing advice on matters related to UNESCO.

12.6.2025 | The Government appointed Director Heidi Backman, M.Soc.Sc. as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Culture on 12 June. The appointment is for a five-year term beginning on 4 August 2025.

28.11.2025 | Finnish Biodiversity Award 2023–2024 was given to an actor that had done something inspiring to halt biodiversity loss. The winner of the competition was Crowdsorsa mobile game that has already helped fight against invasive alien species in Finland on a total of 4 million square metres. Honourable mentions were awarded to the cities of Kauniainen and Vantaa. The prizes were awarded by Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala.

17.6.2025 | On 17 June 2025, the Ministry of Transport and Communications published the national 6G roadmap to promote sixth-generation communications technologies. The roadmap sets milestones for the development and implementation of next-generation mobile communication technologies in the 2030s.

12.3.2025 | A survey by We Foundation shows that groups for extracurricular activity organised by municipalities free of charge as part of the school day provide the majority of the participants with a safe space that is free of bullying, discrimination and racism. The results confirm that groups based on the Finnish model for leisure activities increase student wellbeing and are the only opportunity for many children and young people to have a hobby. The survey covers 20 municipalities of different sizes.

25.2.2026 | Varkaus – a living industrial cultural heritage – was awarded the Cultural Heritage Label by the European Commission. The label is designated to sites located in the European Union that strongly embody the history, culture and integration of Europe.

30.12.2024 | schools The Basic Education Act is being amended. With the amendments, the use of telephones and other mobile devices during lessons will only be allowed in certain situations. Regional State Administrative Agencies will also be able to investigate, on their own initiative, whether education is being organised in line with the Basic Education Act. In addition, promoting a physically active lifestyle will be added to the objectives of pre-primary, primary and lower secondary education.

15.10.2024 | Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz visited Ukraine on 14 October. This was the first visit by a Finnish minister of education to Ukraine. The aim of the visit was to deepen cooperation between Finland and Ukraine in the field of education as part of Finland’s comprehensive support to Ukraine. Discussions were held to exchange information on the current situation and plan future cooperation. Finl...

23.9.2024 | The Ministry of Education and Culture’s proportion of the 2025 budget proposal is EUR 8.45 billion, which is some EUR 411 million more than in the 2024 Budget. The proposal implements the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government, which aims to invest, even in a difficult economic situation, in raising the level of education and training and improving the conditions for conducting science, research and development.

10.9.2024 | The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published its Education at a Glance, an annual publication of indicators describing education systems. This year, the report focuses on equity in education.

18.9.2025 | Nordic media education authorities studied the media literacy skills of citizens in the Nordic countries and the results of the survey will be published in October. Media literacy was a topic of discussion at a Nordic conference organised by the Ministry of Education and Culture on 18 and 19 September.

27.10.2023 | In 2024–2026, the higher education cooperation of Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs will prioritise teacher education, climate change and the circular economy, and food security. The Foreign Ministry grants just over EUR 6 million to the seven projects approved for the partnership programme.

21.10.2024 | Finland is a Member of the Council of the International Maritime Organization IMO in 2024–2025. IMO makes decisions on key issues concerning the safety, sustainability and technologies of maritime transport, which is why Finland is seeking to be re-elected to the Council for the term 2026–2027.

16.8.2022 | An updated vision for international activities was submitted to Minister of Science and Culture Petri Honkonen on Tuesday 16 August. The vision is a follow-up to the policies for strengthening the international dimension of Finnish higher education and research 2017-2025, which was adopted during the previous government term.

24.10.2023 | Minister of Youth, Sport and Physical Activity Sandra Bergqvist will represent the EU on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Foundation Board.

21.12.2023 | Finland's national plan for the reconstruction of Ukraine will improve the prerequisites for the business operations of Finnish companies in Ukraine. A reconstruction plan based on the Government Programme was published on 21 December 2023.

12.9.2023 | The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published its annual Education at a Glance (EAG) publication, which consists of internationally comparable indicators of education systems. This year’s report focuses on vocational education and training. The report mainly covers 2021.

13.10.2023 | Minister of Education Anna-Maja Henriksson will visit India on 16–20 October to promote the export activities of Finnish education operators and to meet Indian ministers and education authorities. The visit will focus on comprehensive level and upper secondary vocational education in the three southern states of India, which have shown a clear interest in Finland: Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Na...

28.2.2023 | The new Higher Education Partnership development cooperation programme emphasises equal partnerships between higher education institutions, increases mobility and promotes closer collaboration between administrative staff, teachers and students.

31.3.2025 | Joint Finnish-Swedish proposal prepared for dipnet fishing in the Torne River rapids for inscription on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision on inscription is due in December 2026.

13.5.2026 | The Government proposed on 13 May 2026 that the amendments to the Driving Licence Act be adopted. For the most part, the Act will enter into force on 29 May 2026. The aim of the amendments is to improve traffic safety for young people in particular.

22.8.2024 | A working group appointed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications has started its work to promote 6G communications technologies. The aim is to prepare a national 6G roadmap and to encourage cooperation and exchange of information in the field of future-generation wireless network technologies. Members of the working group represent key central government bodies as well as stakeholders in the research and business sector.

5.8.2022 | For the 2023 budget proposal, the Ministry of Education and Culture proposes an appropriation of EUR 7.6 billion for its branch of government, which is EUR 175 million more than in the 2022 Budget.

15.1.2024 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has set up a broad-based working group to prepare the reform of the legislation on the security of supply. In accordance with the Government Programme, an overall review of the legislation will be carried out during this parliamentary term in order to update regulation. The working group term extends from 15 January 2024 to 31 December 2025.

3.10.2022 | The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published its annual Education at a Glance publication, which consists of internationally comparable indicators of education systems. The main theme of this year’s edition focuses on tertiary education. The report mainly covers 2020.

9.11.2022 | The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is financing ‘Coach’, a World Bank initiative to improve teacher development programmes. Coach experts visited Finland from 7 to 8 November 2022.

12.5.2022 | The Teacher Education Development Programme for 2022-2026 aims to meet the new needs of teacher education in the context of the 2020s. The revised programme was published on Thursday 12 May.

11.2.2021 | The minimum school leaving age will be raised to 18 years. This first applies to those school-leavers who finish comprehensive school this spring. The Ministry of Education and Culture provides information on the reform to young people in the social media. School-leavers finishing comprehensive school will also be sent information on the reform to their home address.

14.4.2023 | Finland aims to become the world’s leading developer and user of sustainable digitalisation in teaching and education and training. This aim will also promote equal opportunities for learning and development. The common policies published on 14 April 2023 point the way for the sector's digital transformation.

7.12.2021 | Dear friends, Over the last couple of years, European societies have been faced with an unprecedented amount of sudden change and turmoil. It has been impossible to miss how immensely important resiliency is for our societies. Our ability to adapt to new circumstances has been greatly tested, underlining the need to invest in skills – that is to say, to invest in people. Europe’s future wellbeing ...