Future of commissioned education programme for Kenyan students will be resolved in March

If the payments have not been made in time, commissioned education project will be discontinued.

News24.2.2023

The continuation of the right to study of 139 Kenyan nursing and physiotherapy students studying at Laurea University of Applied Sciences is still at stake. The reason for this is that payments from the party commissioning and financing the education the Kenyan Uasin Gishu County are late from the schedule specified in the contract. Under the Universities of Applied Sciences Act, the university of applied sciences must charge a fee from the party who commissions the education that covers at least the costs incurred by it. The invoice has been sent to the province in advance in accordance with the agreement.

On 8 February 2023, the Board of Directors of Laurea University of Applied Sciences set the deadline for the payment of fees related to the second semester of the students taking part in the education as 28 February 2023. The semester is about to begin on 1 March 2023. After negotiations with the Uasin Gishu County last week, the university of applied sciences received a proposed resolution from the Deputy Governor on 17 February 2023. The Board of Directors of Laurea University of Applied Sciences discussed the proposal on 22 February 2023 and decided that the deadline for the late payments for the studies commissioned by Kenya will be extended to 31 March 2023. However, if the payments have not registered by 28 February 2023, the instruction will be interrupted until the payments have been made. If the payments have not been made by 31 March 2023, the students’ right to study will be terminated, and the commissioned education project will be discontinued. At the same time, it would mean the end of the students' right to stay in Finland, in which case the matter would be transferred to the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).

Jouni Koski, President & CEO of Laurea University of Applied Sciences, hopes that the fees will be paid in accordance with the schedule so that the students can continue their studies at Laurea.

- It would be fair for the fees to be paid on time and for the students to continue their studies in Finland, which have started well. The consequences of discontinuing this education may be inhumane for many of them, Koski says.

67 Kenyan students are currently studying at Laurea in nursing education on the Vantaa, Lohja and Porvoo campuses, and there are 32 nursing students and 40 physiotherapy students in distance learning in Kenya. In addition, 96 students have completed foundation studies in Kenya, which include Finnish-language studies before starting their actual studies in Finland.