The workshop towards high-quality and equal teacher education in Somalia was organized by the University of Helsinki in cooperation with a number of partners mentioned in this report, with support and funding of Global Innovation Network for Teaching and Learning (GINTL). The workshop stimulated discussions about potential, current and future contributions to teacher education in Somalia. It brought together higher education partners in Finnish universities and Somali universities in an effort to expand cooperation and forge a way forward that would lead to better and sustainable partnerships, collaborations and projects in strengthening the higher education sector in Somalia.
In addition to the above, the topics discussed and addressed in the workshop helped the participants gain a greater understanding of the current challenges that hinder quality and equity in education, and thus share the best ways to achieve them. These discussions and exchange of experiences would achieve Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals which is part of the strategic vision of GINTL’s cooperation with higher education institutions in Africa.
Organizing Team, Partners and Attended Stakeholders
It should be noted that the participation of a number of partners from Finnish universities, Somali universities, and some associations working in the social field, was an addition and a qualitative value to this workshop. This is the short list of participants:
- Somali National University (SNU) / Faculty of Education (Partners: Mohamed Ibrahim Abdi and Mohamed Abdullahi Gure).
- GINTL Global Innovation Network for Teaching and Learning (project funder).
- University of Helsinki / Faculty of Educational Sciences (Organizers: Heidi Krzywacki, Kaisa Hahl and Abdiweli Yussuf ).
- University of Turku / Department of Teacher Education (Partners: Mirjami Jeskanen and Tuija Niemi)
- East Africa University EAU/ Department of Graduate Studies and Research (Partners: Jamila Aden).
- Peace and Well-being organization/ Finland ( Partners: Faisa Abdikafi Qasim and Salaado Qasim)
The aim of the workshop
The workshop aimed to achieve the following objectives:
- To provide an opportunity to learn about and explore quality and equity issues in the Somali educational systems.
- To provide a starting point for further work on developing the somali (teacher) education in terms of equity and quality matters.
Date and Venue of the Seminar
The workshop was held on 06th February 2023 at 9:00-12:00 online via Zoom. Participants logged on from Finland and Somalia. However, the presence of the participants from Somali National University gathered in a hall in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. So, the interaction was lively, active and face to face between the participants in the hall.
