Podcast I :Finnish Lessons Revisited: What the World Should Learn
Links:
- SoundOn Link: https://player.soundon.fm/p/8817f7dc-748f-4f92-a131-d4c56c069d53/episodes/a23af83b-b634-44d6-a26b-409a558bd111
- Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Rc0HIlUCyjH9XDzY6Bj66?si=T5DqTuoeTgWxU1Oe50eeDg
- KKBox: https://podcast.kkbox.com/tw/episode/TZ9OjBR-rn6MOWG-6D
Speakers:
- Professor Yuzhuo CAI, Professor, Department of Education Policy and Leadership & Co-Director, GRIFE, The Education University of Hong Kong
- Professor Pasi SAHLBERG , Professor of Educational Leadership, The University of Melbourne, Australia
In this episode of the Global Research Institute for Finnish Education (GRIFE) podcast, hosted at The Education University of Hong Kong, Professor Yuzhuo Cai talks with world-renowned Finnish educator and scholar Professor Pasi Sahlberg to explore the lessons global education systems can learn from Finland’s success.
Professor Sahlberg discusses the core values underpinning Finland’s equitable and high-performing system, which are collaboration, democracy, and individual agency,and why these principles resist easy export. He reflects on how Finland itself learned critically from other nations, avoiding shortcuts like standardized testing, and emphasizes that real educational transformation requires deep contextual learning, not imitation.
The conversation also turns to global challenges in education, from declining student engagement to the urgent need for a new paradigm that prioritizes student voice and agency.
Professor Sahlberg offers advice to GRIFE on bridging research and policy, urging innovative communication to reach busy leaders and even suggests usage of podcasts.
For educators, policymakers, and anyone invested in reimagining schools and universities, this episode is a compelling call to rethink what meaningful educational change looks like and why it must be rooted in culture, evidence, and the voices of learners themselves.
Listen now for insights that challenge assumptions—and inspire new ways to transform education.
