(Re)constructing Finland and Finnish identity in the context of education export – From the margins to the group of leading exporters?

Education export is a relatively new endeavour for Finnish institutions traditionally reliant on government funding. Inspired by Finland’s PISA success and globalisation imperatives, since the second half of the 2010s, Finnish education institutions have been encouraged to enter the global education market as for-profit providers of education. This article examines how Finnish national identity is (re)constructed and contested within the context of education export debates from 2010 to 2023. Using media materials, it presents nine metanarratives that characterise Finland’s role in education export, exploring motivations, and the portrayal of Finland and ‘Finnishness. This study reveals diverse roles for Finland, as a benefactor to an exploiter, and as a leading exporter to a marginal and too modest an exporter. The key referent group for the national identity consists of Western education-exporting countries. The findings offer insights into the evolving nature of Finland’s national identity and its place in the global education market, influenced by the changing political environment.