Thy is a Vietnamese student who has just started her first year abroad in Mänttä high school, Finland. Although she has just been in Finland for only three months, she adapted well to the new environment and achieved very high results in school. Incredibly, she was featured on the cover of Suomen Kuvalehti, one of the most prominent magazines in Finland. Thy is one of the first pilot students of the High School Program, where Finest Future aim to create better futures through education.
From the mission to make changes in education
The High School Program was created with the mission to make Finland the #1 study destination in the world and see changes in the educational system in developing countries. In 2021, with great efforts and cooperation with the foreign ambassadors in Finland, Finland ambassadors and Education Ministries, the pilot group of 15 students from Vietnam and Uzbekistan had successfully arrived in Finland. 100% of students passed the language test after six months of learning Finnish online, and 100% got an acceptance letter from the principals of high schools from Mänttä-Vilppula, Pori, Rantasalmi, Rautjärvi, Salo, Savitaipale and Taavetti.
Overcome big challenges
To create a successful program, Finest Future has faced real challenges. The biggest challenge was orienting students to a new culture and study environment. In Finland, schools don’t focus much on score performance but highlights individualistic learning and aim for personal development for the future. To help students integrate better into life and the school system, Finest Future organised a summer camp and had integration training as part of the Finnish language classes. Thanks to that, all the students are well equipped for their new life in Finland. Together with the schools and cities, we formulated processes to integrate the students and help them get started with their new life in Finland.
Another big challenge is to change the misconceptions about Finland and living in Finland. Unlike what people mistake as being a “cold, dark country far away from their home” country, Finland has more sunlight per year than many countries in the world (average 1800+ hours a year in the capital). Surprisingly, it is warmer than many famous study-abroad locations like the UK and Canada. Winter in Finland is a fantastic time that enables people to do things you couldn’t do in tropical climates. On average, a flight from students’ home countries to Finland takes around 10 hours, which is not a long flight in the modern world, and means that Finland is located close by and easy to access.
Even though Finland is the happiest nation on earth with the world’s best education and health service system, there haven’t been many international students studying in Finland. That is why Finest Future is to launch programs connecting Finland and the rest of the world.
Grow fast
Regardless of many challenges, Finest Future has made a proud result in 2022. The number of successful applications has increased to over 130 students from many countries such as Myanmar, Canada, Brazil and China. Significantly, Finest Future has helped more and more Vietnamese students achieve their study-abroad dream in the world’s happiest nation, with a significant portion of 70% of students this year coming from Vietnam.
To achieve this outcome, Finest Future has made an effort to connect Finland with other countries and promote excellent Finnish education. We connect and open opportunities to help international students get into Finnish high schools, learn the language and go through the relocation process. Our success stories started gaining attraction in Finland, and it influenced more and more countries, partners and schools to reach out to us asking to offer the Finest Future to their youth.
The recent incidents and situations in the U.S, Myanmar and elsewhere concerning safety have given Finland a fine edge over the competition. Being ranked as one of the safest countries globally, together with the happiest nation in the world and highest quality of education in the world, Finland can boast a trifecta that is every parent’s dream.
Keep moving forward
Not aiming to stop at the High School Program, Finest Future is projecting more programs to connect Finland and the world. In 2021, we signed an MOU with the T&T group promising to bring 1000 Vietnamese students every year to Finland to study in Sports High School Programs in the coming years. In 2022, we also plan to kickstart the Vocational Program geared mainly for the health industry and manufacturing. In addition, we will launch the Continuous Language Program to have students from various ages and situations start learning Finnish at their own pace.
With new plans and programs, Finest Future stays determined with our mission to create a better future for the young generation worldwide. By 2030, Finest Future aims to attract 15000 international students to Secondary Schools in Finland every year, and we are on our way to reaching that goal.
Finest Future.
