The Higher Education Partnership (HEP) Programme supports cooperation projects between higher education institutions in Finland and the developing world. The projects support the HEIs as they develop their subject-specific, methodological, educational and administrative capacity. The programme is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and administered by the Finnish National Agency for Education.
The HEP-TED project aims to develop and strengthen the capacity of Rwandan higher education institutions. Its main goal is to contribute to sustainable development through quality teacher education for general education, and technical and vocational education and training (TVET).
This focus has been determined based on a joint needs assessment conducted by Rwandan higher education institutions and several Finnish institutions from February 2022 to May 2023. The needs assessment was enabled through the Global Innovation Network for Teaching and Learning (GINTL) and facilitated by Hills Connect Oy.
Based on the findings from the needs assessment, the project envisions three main outcomes: 1) Enhanced management capacities; 2) Improved quality of teacher education; and 3) Strengthened capacities for cross-institutional collaboration. These outcomes will build a solid basis for a long-term impact.
Concrete activities to achieve these outcomes include, for example, curriculum renewal, pedagogical training to enhance competence-based approaches, digital learning, learning design, gender-sensitive, and disability-inclusive pedagogies. Cross-institutional learning opportunities are created through joint project management, mutual visits and trainings.
By focusing on the three key areas, the project contributes to Rwanda’s development goals and supports the implementation of Finland’s Africa strategy and the Africa Action Plan. It aims to promote student-centered, inclusive, gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive pedagogy as well as high quality education in Rwanda. This alignment and synergy are important as they contribute to shaping a well-educated and skilled workforce, capable of making significant contributions to sustainable development in Rwanda, particularly in the area of higher education pedagogies for teacher education in general education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).