A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

The state as an agency in the assetisation of knowledge : the case of the Finnish education export




AuthorsKovalainen Anne; Poutanen Seppo

PublisherRoutledge

Publication year2025

JournalLearning, Media and Technology

Journal name in sourceLearning, Media and Technology

ISSN1743-9884

eISSN1743-9892

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2025.2450724

Web address https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2025.2450724

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/484803288


Abstract

The assetisation of education explicates a major shift in how the state understands education. Education is not only an immaterial public good available to everybody but can be treated also as a promotable group of assets. This article discusses the case of a certain period in the Finnish education export. The analysis shows how the Finnish state with its governance tools is actively shaping and transforming education into asset, and through this process of assetisation becomes a certain kind of element in an education asset itself. In this process, the previous nature of education export ‘goods’ has been transformed to a modern rent-seeking ‘knowledge asset’, that can produce rent and excess value to both the state and businesses alike. When the state is involved in assetisation, the process is inherently politicised, and is exposed to potentially drastic polity changes.


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Funding information in the publication
We thank Rector Fund (University of Turku) and The Osk. Huttunen Foundation for the financial support.


Last updated on 2025-21-02 at 12:59