UNICEF and Helsinki Education Hub join forces to bring evidence-backed digital learning for every child

The partnership will advance joint efforts to leverage research-based innovations, AI and EdTech to address the global learning crisis.

Right now, 273 million children are out of school, and 70 per cent of 10-year-olds in low- and middle-income countries cannot read and understand a simple text. Artificial intelligence and education technology have the transformative potential to close this gap, but only if solutions are safe, evidence-based and designed around the needs of teachers, learners and the most marginalized children.

That’s why UNICEF and the  are partnering to advance evidence-backed, safe and inclusive EdTech, improve knowledge exchange and capacity building, convene partners to foster increased dialogue, and expand  in the fast-evolving digital learning space. Signed in Helsinki, a new Memorandum of Understanding formalizes what has already been a productive relationship and sets a clear direction for the way forward. 

Through its , UNICEF is embracing a new vision for digital learning to ignite impact, bridge barriers to education, and make learning accessible to every child and young person. 

“This vital partnership with the Helsinki Education Hub provides us with a convening space to advance our global dialogue on the impact, challenges and opportunities of AI and EdTech in education,” said Frank van Cappelle, UNICEF’s Global Lead on Digital Education and Head of the Global Learning Innovation Hub. 

Finland’s long-standing commitment to education and innovation, and its sustained investment in UNICEF’s digital education work, has been instrumental in building the global knowledge base and partnerships that this agreement will further amplify.  

The partnership with Helsinki Education Hub provides a space to define and refine a unified global agenda for digital learning, leveraging innovative public goods and knowledge sharing platforms such as the  and . 

The Helsinki Education Hub is a dynamic innovation platform that brings together EdTech startups, schools, university researchers, teachers and students to create and test research-based digital learning solutions. Grounded in the latest research, its EdTech incubation model has the potential to inform how technology solutions are designed and delivered across the globe.   

“We believe innovation happens most effectively when experts from different organizations work together,” said Auli Toom, Professor and Vice Dean for Research and Innovations at the University of Helsinki. “Through our partnership with UNICEF, we are able to strengthen collaboration across the education innovation ecosystem and combine cutting-edge research with UNICEF’s deep expertise in quality education, and thus, contribute to the field on a global scale.” 

Key components of the partnership

  • Advancing quality, safe and inclusive EdTech: Joint efforts to promote principles, standards and approaches that support high-quality, safe, inclusive, and evidence-based solutions.
  • Knowledge exchange and capacity building: Collaborative development and exchange of knowledge, tools and learning opportunities aimed at strengthening the capacity of EdTech providers, ecosystem actors, and education stakeholders.
  • Ecosystem engagement and convening: Joint engagement in relevant platforms, networks, and events to foster dialogue, partnerships and collaboration across the EdTech and learning innovation ecosystems.
  • Joint communications and thought leadership: Coordinated communications, advocacy and knowledge-sharing activities to elevate shared priorities, lessons learned, and emerging evidence in areas such as learning innovation, EdTech, AI in education, and inclusive education. 

For further information, please contact:

Niko Lindholm
EdTech Innovation Lead

 
Heidi Lammassaari
Project Manager