Academic projects to pursue

These days, I have been writing about scholarships, grades and how to apply generally to Finnish universities. I continue today along those lines with a focus on the nature of academic projects to pursue.

While I draw on official information or media sources, I rely on my own observations all these years that I have been in Finland.

Why academic projects

Academic projects form an important part of students’ learning outcomes and as a requirement in order to complete the degree programme that a student pursues.

Thos, the project is a part of the course that a student undertakes for the degree. The project may be a research in a fieldwork or for science students the project often takes place in a laboratory.

Most Finnish universities place emphasis on projects. For example, the University of Helsinki sees itself as an important project partner.

It says on its website that the University faculties, units and degree programmes are encouraged to actively participate in developing teaching and education by taking part in international cooperation projects (see www.helsinki.fi/en/cooperation).

Relevant subjects

Projects are closely tied to the study subjects that a student pursues.

According to information, the most popular English-language programme in recent years is the Bachelor of Health Care (Nursing) courses.

Others are engineering and technology; business and management; computer science and information technology (IT); natural sciences and mathematics; and education and training.

Therefore, I think the education institutions and other authorities in Ghana should encourage studies in science subjects.

In my experiences, I have come across students originally from some Asian countries who have studied mostly science subjects and have moved back home to help back home with the skills and knowledge they have acquired abroad.

Those students that I encountered directly or whose stories I heard usually studied science subjects, mathematics and technology (ICT).

In that way, I can imagine that they would be in high demand even in Finland or in their country of origin, which would then be immensely beneficially to the student as well as the countries involved.  

Experiences of Diaspora and return migration

The experiences of Diasporas are important here as an advantage to both the host society and the country of origin of the student, in terms of returning to their home country and imparting the skills, knowledge and experiences gained abroad.

I have read many stories about Asian countries encouraging their Diasporas to learn in Euro-American academic institutions and go back home to help develop their nations with the knowledge and skills acquired abroad.

This is something to indeed consider seriously. Fr its advantages both to the students and their countries involved.

Education as a good area for cooperation

Let us also think about building a strong bond in the area of cooperation in education between Ghana and Finland. I know that the two countries have a level of cooperation in the area of education.

Even so, there are calls for increasing and strengthening of the areas of cooperation between the two countries. In this way, individual students’ quest to study abroad can be boosted if there are official arrangements backing them.

I knows that previously students from some Finnish universities of applied sciences have visited Ghana for practical work and there was an exchange programme for teachers and rectors of Ghanaian and Finnish polytechnics, for which there have been some visits to Finland.

I do not know what the situation is after the COVID-19 situation, but I think it would be worthwhile going back to such arrangements. Thank you.

GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.

The writer is a Ghanaian lecturer at

University of Helsinki in Finland

Email: perpetual.crentsil@yahoo.com

By Perpetual Crentsil