This volume of the International Perspectives on Education and Society series investigates the challenges and prospects for higher education in Africa, especially issues of development, expansion, internationalization, equity, and divergence.

In the early 1990s, Finland went through watershed developments due to a severe economic recession, during which unemployment rates rose from around 2 percent to over 15 percent and GDP decreased by more than 10 percent. However, in one decade Finland became the most ICT-specialized economy in the world. Three times it has ranked number 1 in the World Economic Forum's (WEF) competitiveness index. It also ranked highest in the OECD's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) studies of learning skills and educational attainment. This paper includes the following headings: introduction; Finland's knowledge economy today; structural changes in the Finnish economy - from agriculture to high-tech; changes in the economic and institutional regimes; innovation and education strategies and policies in Finland; sectoral perspectives on the Finnish knowledge economy -- from forest-related industries to ICT; challenges to the Finnish knowledge economy -- what's ahead; and conclusions and lessons from Finland's knowledge economy for other economies.

The growth of the global knowledge economy is transforming the demands of the labour market in economies worldwide. It will require workers to develop new skills and knowledge, whilst education systems will need to adapt to the challenges of lifelong learning, and these changes will be as crucial in transition and developing economies as it is in the developed world. This publication explores how lifelong learning systems can encourage growth, discusses the changing nature of learning and the expanding role of the private sector in education, and considers the policy and financing options available to governments to address the challenges of the global knowledge economy.

“It is now time to break down the ideology of exceptionalism in the United States and other Anglo-American nations if we are to develop reforms that will truly inspire our teachers to improve learning for all our students—especially those who struggle the most. In that essential quest, Pasi Sahlberg is undoubtedly one of the very best teachers of all.” —From the Foreword by Andy Hargreaves, Lynch School of Education, Boston College Finnish Lessons is a first-hand, comprehensive account of how Finland built a world-class education system during the past three decades. The author traces the evolution of education policies in Finland and highlights how they differ from the United States and other industrialized countries. He shows how rather than relying on competition, choice, and external testing of students, education reforms in Finland focus on professionalizing teachers’ work, developing instructional leadership in schools, and enhancing trust in teachers and schools. This book details the complexity of educational change and encourages educators and policymakers to develop effective solutions for their own districts and schools.