U. of Jyväskylä School of Business and Economics, Finland
This study critically examines Finnish education export programs through the lens of post- and neocolonialism, focusing on the Kenyan student case, which exposed systemic inequalities and multiple forms of violence. Using investigative journalism and primary data, we analyze commissioned education programs that brought Kenyan healthcare students to several Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences. Despite promises of financial support and employment, embezzlement by Kenyan officials and failures in contractual obligations left students in debt and precarious conditions. Drawing on the concept of violence, we highlight epistemic, structural, and representational forms inflicted on marginalized students from the Global South. Post- and neocolonial power dynamics underpin these inequities, silencing the realities of exploitation while promoting market-driven narratives of responsible education export. This study exposes the ethical failures of such programs and calls for rethinking global education exports to address systemic injustices and amplify marginalized voices.
