Higher education developing international mindsets

As a small, open economy with a limited domestic market, Finland is highly dependent on international trade to sustain economic growth. The majority of Finnish firms are international with recent data showing that 66 percent of Finnish firms were involved in international trade in 2022, with 53 percent exporting goods or services and 60 percent importing. These figures align closely with the EU averages (51 % for exporting and 54 % for importing). In Finland’s manufacturing sector, internationalization is even stronger: 81 percent of firms both export and import. (European Investment Bank 2023.) The figures show that internationalization is vital and deeply embedded in the Finnish business landscape.

Internationalization starts with how we think

Navigating international markets requires more than a strategy, it requires people with the right way of thinking. Entrepreneurs and managers play a central role in recognizing opportunities and deciding whether—and how—to pursue them. An international mindset shapes how opportunities are perceived, uncertainty is interpreted, and decisions are made in unfamiliar contexts. Rather than viewing internationalization primarily as a set of risks to be minimized, internationally minded individuals are more likely to approach it as a process of learning, experimentation, and adaptation.

Research also confirms this. Managers who think globally are better at handling the complexity and constant change of international business—and it shows in their international performance. Interestingly, while effectual decision-making on its own does not guarantee success, globally minded managers use it more often. In practice, this means they are better at understanding how to turn uncertainty into opportunities. (Torkkeli, Nummela & Saarenketo 2018.)

This highlights that international performance is closely tied to how individuals interpret and respond to uncertainty, pointing to the central role of higher education in developing mindsets that enable learning and adaptation in global contexts.

The role of Ulysseus in strengthening international mindsets

The Ulysseus European University Alliance provides a concrete example of how higher education can actively contribute to the development of international mindsets. The work for Ulysseus brings together staff from eight diverse universities in eight different European countries to design and deliver joint academic offerings, such as shared courses, blended intensive programmes, and joint degrees. In this collaboration staff and students from multiple national and institutional backgrounds learn and work together. They need to navigate through new academic cultures, practices and international environments.

In this sense, Ulysseus does more than deliver academic content. It creates structured, recurring situations in which international collaboration becomes a norm, also shaping how people perceive the world and their place in it.

For Finnish students and staff in particular, this type of exposure is highly valuable. It helps us to develop confidence, adaptability, and cultural awareness, as well as build international networks needed to work in global markets. These skills are not taught with textbooks alone; they emerge through interaction. Joint academic offerings also provide an understanding on how business, technology, and innovation are approached in other European contexts.

Shaping the international mindset takes time and effort

Measuring the impact of cultivating an international mindset is not as straightforward as counting course completions. The real value shows up in the thinking, behavior, choices, and capabilities that students and staff carry into their work and professional lives. The real impact appears over time.

In the best case, it impacts the innovation and business ecosystem at large. Especially, for a small country heavily dependent on internationalization, it is arguably one of the most important long-term investments Finland can make in its talent and competitiveness.

In summary, cultivating an international mindset takes time, but the progress and development cannot be directly measured. Nevertheless, in order to secure our future, we must continue creating learning environments that expose our students and staff to different perspectives, cultures, and ways of thinking. These experiences shape the kind of talent Finland needs for long-term competitiveness—one interaction at a time.

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