UniPID continues its work based at the University of Helsinki

Coordination of the Finnish University Partnership for International Development (UniPID) will move from the University of Jyväskylä to the University of Helsinki from the start of 2021.

At the core of UniPID’s new strategy (2020-2025) is the call for strengthening the ownership of member universities and enhancing the societal impact of the network. In this spirit, the UniPID Board considered the network’s principle of circulation and the opportunities to strengthen the policy dialogue as solid grounds for their decision to transfer the network coordination to the University of Helsinki.

Globally responsible sustainable development is highlighted in the strategy of the University of Helsinki, offering UniPID a strong multidisciplinary ground to continue serving the member universities. The location in Helsinki will also allow closer cooperation with the decision makers and other important stakeholders, as well as a stronger presence in the timely national discussions.

The UniPID Board is grateful for the University of Jyväskylä’s 15 years of coordinating the network and for the strong support from the university leadership and administration, which has offered the network a solid and rich foundation. Over the years UniPID has become a dynamic and lively multidisciplinary network, which gathers the university community from all over Finland to discuss and plan joint objectives to advance universities’ global responsibility, cooperation with the Global South, and sustainable development.

UniPID’s activities will continue in Helsinki guided by the UniPID Board, which consists of representatives from all nine member universities and two observer members, each offering their unique contribution and perspective to UniPID’s work. UniPID’s presence across Finland is assured through the Board and the variety of support activities for the benefit of the wider university community.

***

UniPID is a network of 9 Finnish universities* that supports higher education institutions to bring global responsibility and Global South perspectives into their education, research, and societal impact activities and to promote international partnerships in support of sustainable development pathways.

*Aalto University, Tampere University, University of Eastern Finland, University of Helsinki, University of Jyväskylä, University of Lapland, University of Oulu, University of Tampere, University of Turku, and Åbo Akademi. Observer members in the UniPID Board: National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) and The United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research (UNU-WIDER)

Photo by Martin Damboldt from Pexels.