The Education Track of the 2nd Rwanda Nordic-Baltic Forum, organized in collaboration with the HEP-TED project and Hills Connect Oy, exceeded expectations on nearly every front. What began as an ambitious effort to connect universities across continents turned into something even bigger: a dynamic meeting point for ideas, partnerships, and the future of education. Designed to bring together higher education institutions from Rwanda and the Nordic-Baltic region, the forum aimed to foster dialogue, innovation, and long-term collaboration. In doing so, it delivered a powerful demonstration of what global academic cooperation can look like in practice.
Topics ranged from digital transformation and STEM education to public–private partnerships and the role of e-sports in future skills development. HEP-TED representatives played a visible role, contributing expertise through keynote talks and panel discussions that highlighted both global frameworks and practical solutions.
The original goal of the forum was to attract around 20 universities from the Nordic and Baltic regions. In reality, the forum brought together a far broader and more diverse group of stakeholders—ranging from leading universities and research institutions to government officials, students, and industry representatives. Delegations arrived from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Latvia, and Lithuania, joined by participants from Rwanda and even additional countries such as the Netherlands and Germany.
Finnish institutions alone—from the University of Helsinki to Aalto University and several universities of applied sciences—were strongly represented, highlighting Finland’s active role in international education cooperation. On the Rwandan side, key institutions including the University of Rwanda, Rwanda Polytechnic, and the Ministry of Education took center stage, reinforcing the country’s growing position as a hub for educational development and innovation in Africa.
The significance of the event was underscored by the presence of senior policymakers and diplomats. The day opened with remarks from Rwanda’s Minister of State for Health, and nearly all Nordic ambassadors to Rwanda attended, alongside Rwanda’s ambassador to the Nordic countries. This level of representation signaled that education is no longer seen as a standalone sector, but as a central driver of economic growth, innovation, and international collaboration.
The strong political presence at the forum was not incidental. For Rwanda, education—particularly higher education and skills development—is tightly linked to its national transformation agenda, including Vision 2050, which prioritises a transition to a knowledge-based economy. Rwanda has made a strategic choice to invest in human capital, digitalisation, and innovation ecosystems. This places universities at the centre of economic policy, not just as teaching institutions but as drivers of research, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. The emphasis on STEM, digital transformation, and public–private partnerships seen throughout the forum reflects this broader state-led push to align education with labour market needs and long-term competitiveness.
For Finland and other Nordic actors, engagement in Rwanda also reflects a more strategic shift in external policy. Finland’s Africa strategy places education, digital learning, and skills development at the core of its partnerships, not only as development priorities but as areas for mutually beneficial cooperation. Rather than traditional aid relationships, the focus is increasingly on building institutional partnerships, supporting education system reforms, and creating opportunities for Finnish expertise—particularly in teacher education, pedagogy, and education technology—to connect with rapidly developing education systems. In this context, forums like the one in Kigali function not just as networking events, but as platforms for aligning political priorities, funding mechanisms, and institutional interests across regions.
One question kept coming up after the forum: when will the next one take place?
That reaction alone says a lot about the impact of the event. What made the forum stand out was not only the discussions themselves, but the way it brought together education, business, and cultural exchange into one shared platform. Few events have combined these perspectives in this way before.
For HEP-TED, the forum also showed that collaboration models built during the project can continue beyond its official end. The partnerships, networks, and ideas created in Kigali are unlikely to stop here. Instead, they offer a practical foundation for future cooperation between Nordic, Baltic, and African institutions.