Expo 2020 Dubai, once postponed due to the COVID-19, will take place from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region. Expo 2020 is expected to attract 25 million visits, with 70 percent of visitors projected to come from outside the UAE – the largest proportion of international visitors in the 168-year history of World Expos.
Under the central theme of Sharing Future Happiness, the Finland pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai takes visitors on an interactive journey through the societal pillars upon which Finland's happiness are based: continuous development and innovation, sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions and extensive international cooperation.
During the next six months, Finland and its partner organisations at the expo will share expertise and know-how with the aim of showing how a combination of collaborative change, digital innovations and circular economy thinking can pave the way for the sustainable transition our collective ecosystems need to achieve.
Mika Lintilä, Minister of Economic Affairs, Finland commented at the inauguration of the pavilion on 5 October on the importance of Expo 2020 Dubai for Finland’s bilateral relationship with the UAE:
– The UAE is Finland's second-biggest country of exports in the Middle East, after Saudi Arabia. Expo 2020 Dubai provides a vital platform for Finland and our 120 partner companies and organisations, enabling us to strengthen our shared goals in areas such as sustainability, education, digitalisation and happiness. Together with the UAE and the global business community, we aim to co-create and innovate agile, sustainable, and smart solutions for future business opportunities and societal development.
Successful collaborative projects in the Gulf countries since 2015
The University of Turku participates Dubai Expo 2020 in a cluster of Finnish institutions of higher education and education companies hosted by Education Finland, a programme established to promote Finnish educational expertise and services, funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.
The featured services of the University of Turku Global Educational Services at Dubai Expo – and services introduced also in the Education Finland’s AR experience Arilyn – are KiVa Antibullying Program; Premium Class of Strategic Foresight; Entrepreneurship and Innovations in Education and Capacity Building Programmes of Unique Teacher Education.
– We have made preparations and materials for Dubai Expo for over a year now. Since 2015, we have conducted successful collaborative trainings and projects in the Gulf countries, and we are very open for new initiatives and partnerships in developing teacher training, school well-being and entrepreneurial attitude and future foresight thinking among teachers and other professionals in education. Dubai Expo provides an excellent platform to open these discussions, says Dubai Expo Project Manager Ari Koski, Global Educational Services at the University of Turku.
Education Finland Days will take place on 14–16 December 2021, and the Education cluster members will take over the second floor of the Finland pavilion with three days of programme showcasing Finnish education expertise. The University of Turku Global Educational Services team and experts will also attend this event.
Text: Business Finland / Kati Kaarlehto
Photo: Business Finland Media Bank