Minister Honkonen to visit the United States

Minister of Science and Culture Petri Honkonen will visit Washington D.C. in the United States this week from 16 to 19 January 2023. He will meet with several high-level stakeholders in research, higher education and culture. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen cooperation and dialogue with the United States in sectors connected to the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland.

Minister Honkonen will meet the Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield, in Washington D.C. The discussion with Secretary of Education Cardona will involve the key role of teachers and teacher education. The topics for the meeting with Assistant Secretary of State Satterfield include for example the role of media literacy in tackling disinformation as well as the cultural relations between Finland and the United States. Minister Honkonen will also meet Kei Koizumi, Principal Deputy Director for Policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

The programme also includes a visit to The Smithsonian Institution, which is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex. The meeting will focus on Smithsonian’s international projects and on cooperation with Finland’s cultural entities.

In addition, Minister Honkonen will visit the Kennedy Center, the National Gallery of Art, Georgetown University, and the National Science Foundation of the United States. These discussions will open doors to international collaboration and exchange of experts between our countries. 

The Minister’s programme also includes meetings with international development finance institutions to promote the global operating opportunities of Finnish actors in education.

Inquiries:
-    Johanna Koponen, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 330 003
-    Klaara Tapper, Special Adviser to the Minister, tel. +358 295 330 055