Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV)

Today, Kristi Kulu, ESTDEV’ Programme Manager for Education, has a productive meeting with Peep Jahilo, the newly appointed Ambassador-at-Large for #Education and #EdTech, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia / Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium. They reviewed #ESTDEV’s education portfolio, encompassing 6.4 million euros and 55 projects across the EU Eastern neighborhood and Africa🎓 Key priorities of education programme include: 🌟 Improving access to quality education 📚 Supporting education reform in partner countries 👩🏫 Strengthening teacher training 💻 Boosting educational technology 🔹Kristi Kulu highlighted the rising global interest in Estonia’s educational achievements, especially following our PISA test results. "It's crucial for all stakeholders in the education sector to collaborate and share Estonian knowledge and expertise with our international partners," she emphasized. 🏫🧑🏫 Read more about ESTDEV's education priorities here: https://lnkd.in/dq2K5afN #FromThePeopleOfEstonia

Proud to announce that we’ve trained 120 Armenian teachers this year! ✨ 📚 Last week, we wrapped up a two-day training course for 60 dedicated local teachers, focused on their professional development in fostering students' reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. 🏫 Earlier this spring, another group of 60 #teachers engaged in a similar program, where they received a comprehensive learning map in Armenian, along with practical worksheets and valuable theoretical resources. 🔹 As Kristi Kulu, #ESTDEV's programme manager for Education, emphasizes, “The broader goal of the training was to empower teachers to find the best ways to support their students and foster a culture of cooperation in schools.” Trainings have now been held in Syunik, Lori, Tavush, and Dilijan across #Armenia. 👉 Read more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/dPmjB8vn #FromThePeopleOfEstonia ԿԶՆԱԿ Հիմնադրամ / NCEDI Foundation Anna Alen Jelena Vladimirova Margit Timakov Triinu Karbla Klen Jäärats Marge Mardisalu-Kahar Margus Gering

🌱Groundbreaking innovations are sprouting in Uganda’s agricultural sector, thanks to a boost from Estonia! The recent Garage48 🇪🇪 #GreenGrowthAgriHack hackathon in Kampala brought together over 100 tech enthusiasts and agriculture experts to tackle challenges in farming through technology📱 🔹"This time the focus is on digital for green. To achieve the #GlobalGateway's objective of inclusive digital transformation, it is crucial to empower local entrepreneurs and promote sustainable solutions," said Kristel Rillo, ESTDEV's advisor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. 🥇The winner of the #AgriHack is GrinTech: A solar-powered smart food dehydrator designed to reduce post-harvest food loss. It uses solar energy and smart sensors to monitor temperature and humidity, ensuring optimal drying for crops. Other top teams secured tickets to Latitude59 Kenya Edition and spots on the following bootcamp and #acceleration programme already starting in November. 🔹“We can see that young people have plenty of ideas and initiative to create new solutions. It is our duty to support and push them on this journey, helping them fill the gaps and develop and implement innovative solutions,” said Mari Hanikat, CEO of Garage48. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/dWckqXMq 👏 Congratulations to all the teams - may you continue to innovate and make a difference! ✨ #FromThePeopleOfEstonia #TwinTransition #DigitalforGreen #innovation National ICT Innovation Hub StartHub Africa Katrin Winter Laura Gredzens Ham Lubega Flavia Opio Lailah Nalukwago Sandra Abwin Winfred Nankanja Matthias Möbius

📢 This is your chance to join GovStack!🌐 Do you want to be part of a #global initiative that drives the development of digital public infrastructure? #GovStack still has two open positions: 1️⃣ Digital Identity Solutions Architect / Digital Identity Working Group Lead - Provide a digital identity related architecture vision for GovStack 👉 https://lnkd.in/di-kUKtm 2️⃣ Digital Registries Working Group Lead - Define principles and rules for the development of digital registries related specifications 👉 https://lnkd.in/drT9E-J8 Apply now 📲 and shape the future of digital government! #hiring #GovSpecs #DigitalTransformation #DigitalID #DigitalRegistry #digitalpublicinfrastructure Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH International Telecommunication Union Nele Leosk Margus Mägi Andres Ääremaa Martha Mundas Farina Owusu Ayush Shukla

⚖️🇲🇩 Moldova's razor-thin referendum results on joining the #EuropeanUnion shows there is still a lot of work to do, said Klen Jäärats, executive director of #ESTDEV, on the influential foreign policy program #Välisilm. "In our own referendum, we not only voted in favor of the outcome but also took the significant step of amending our constitution. We had a clear vision of the European Union we were joining, the necessary steps to align with its values, and the choices we faced. Our constitutional amendments were a crucial part of this journey, ensuring we were ready for the path ahead. For Moldova, this choice is still very much on the table, and the future hinges on the decisions they make now," Jäärats shared via #ERR. Over the years, Estonia has supported #Moldova in digitizing its #education and government services. In collaboration with the Estonian School of Diplomacy, the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, University of Tartu, ESTDEV is actively preparing Moldovan civil servants for EU accession negotiations. Thanks, Joosep Värk! 👉👉 Read more- https://lnkd.in/dXrBiRe8 Marian Manni, Margus Gering, Eva-Maria Liimets, Anna Alen, Marika Kundla, Laura Toomlaid, Krister Kalda, Kristi Kulu #FromThePeopleOfEstonia #MoldovaEUReferendum

🌍🇲🇩 Moldova is on the brink of a historic decision this Sunday as it votes on its future in the EU 🇪🇺 🗣️ Amid Kremlin-backed #disinformation and vote-buying schemes, Western allies like #Estonia 🇪🇪 are stepping up to support Moldova on this vital journey . 🔹"Moldova has made good use of the window of opportunity, presented by Ukraine. European integration will attract foreign investments and provide economic stability," Klen Jäärats, Executive Director of #ESTDEV, said. 🔹"Just as Finns and Swedes aided #Estonia before joining the EU, now it’s Estonia's turn to assist Moldova," shares Ekke Nõmm, director of the Estonian School of Diplomacy. 📚 Over the years, Estonia has helped #Moldova digitise its education and government services, with #ESTDEV working to strengthen the public sector for EU accession negotiations 🤝 🔹"I truly hope Moldova can follow in Estonia's footsteps and emerge as a European success story," writes Marian Manni from Chisinau. 📑 Read more about how Moldova is preparing for the referendum 👉https://lnkd.in/dTjCN4rT Margus Gering, Anna Alen, Tiina Joosu-Palu, Laura Toomlaid, Krister Kalda, Andres Ääremaa, Kristi Kulu, Eva-Maria Liimets #FromThePeopleOfEstonia #TeamEurope

During her visit to Ukraine, Estonian Minister of Education Kristina Kallas met with the First Lady of #Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, to discuss #mentalhealth initiatives for children and youth. 🔹"Our meeting was full of energy, even though we addressed tough topics like children's mental health, war trauma, and #education for injured children in hospitals. We are commited to supporting these initiatives and using Estonia's experience to help tackle mental health challenges," Minister Kallas said. 🔹Olena Zelenska expressed her gratitude to the people of Estonia for their unwavering support. "Special thanks for the project #RoomForChildhood and providing a new home for a foster family from Donetsk with many children. I believe we have great potential for cooperation in mental health and beyond - shared values drive our collaboration forward," Zelenska said. Supporting Ukrainian children is a top priority for Estonia’s development cooperation. In partnership with the Olena Zelenska Foundation | Фундація Олени Зеленської, #ESTDEV has completed a house for a large foster family who had lost their home. Construction is ongoing for three more homes that will be ready for families to move in by Christmas 🏠🎄 🤝 Together with the foundation, we have organized recreational summer camps for nearly 184 children suffering from war trauma, including those living in frontline areas, de-occupied territories, orphans, and children of military personnel. Additionally, Estonia has built a kindergarten in the border city of Ovruch and is aiding Ukraine in transforming its early childhood education system 🧸✏️ Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia / Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Klen Jäärats, Kristi Kulu, Andrea Kivi, Margus Gering, Iryna Hudz, Valeriia Savenko, Liisa Ojaveer 📸 Olena Zelenska Foundation #FromthePeopleOfEstonia #SupportingUkraine

Our Programme Manager for Digital Transformation Andres Ääremaa is attending the 8th Tanzania 🇹🇿 Annual ICT conference #TAIC2024 🔹“It’s great to see that Tanzania has made remarkable digital progress, and that the government is working to create better citizen-centric e-services,” says Ääremaa. The conference is connecting various EU programmes, including Data Governance in Africa Initiative and #Digital4Tanzania, an EU #Twinning project, where ESTDEV helps to strengthen data management, the interoperability framework and supports governance skills. 🔹“More impressively, Tanzania has developed its own JAMII Stack including personal ID, X-change and card payments. We are excited to support Tanzania on this journey,” added Ääremaa. 👏 A special thanks to the EU Delegation to the United Republic of Tanzania and the dedicated team representing #TeamEurope, showcasing the collaborative spirit that is driving impactful change 🙏 #DigitalTransformation #GovStack #DataGovernance Jani Ruuskanen Barbara Barone Jose-Luis Gonzalez Lotta Fors Paola Trevisan Aleksi Kopponen Shirin Namiq HAUS kehittämiskeskus Oy / HAUS Finnish Institute of Public Management Ltd Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia

💙💛 Estonia's commitment to supporting #Ukraine's education system continues to strengthen. Our Minister of Education, Kristina Kallas, visited the Estonian-built #Ovruch kindergarten. 🧩 "Estonia is globally recognized as an education leader, and it's our duty to share our knowledge and experience," emphasized minister Kallas. "We have successfully modernized our own education system and now aim to help Ukraine follow this path—from early childhood education to higher education." In Ukraine 🇺🇦, the #Estonian-built Ovruch kindergarten is called a local gem. "Other kindergartens also want training and new ideas on how to boost children's development in kindergarten. These wishes reached the Ministry of Education of Ukraine, and today we are in discussions with them and exploring how to best share Estonia’s educational experience," said Margus Gering #ESTDEV’s head of cooperation and development for Ukraine. This week also marked the start of a series of first aid 🩺 training sessions for kindergartens in #Zhytomyr. The "I am a brave and helpful person" programme aims to teach children first aid through practical activities and to develop their sense of responsibility and courage. 🎓🏫 Read more about ESTDEV’s education programme in Ukraine: https://lnkd.in/dyUXtTqH Thanks, Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia / Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium, Liisa Ojaveer, Klen Jäärats, Kristi Kulu, Anna Silem, Jelena Vladimirova! #FromThePeopleOfEstonia

How could four months in Estonia 🇪🇪 change your life? 🤔 🇰🇪🤝🇪🇪 We caught up with four Digital Explorers who were in Tallinn last spring and asked them how life has been since they finished their internships during this #talentpartnership programme. Aicha Myriam Mbongo-zindamoyen, Virginia Wanjiru, Kendi Njeru, and Baranaba Mugabane told us how they’ve grown professionally, built up their networks and made long-lasting friends. Read more about their progress here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dW2dScpt 🌱 The community continues to grow as new Explorers begin their journeys. Five Nigerians and two Kenyans, selected through the data analytics internship track, are getting ready to relocate to Lithuania to truly benefit from this unique talent partnership programme. We hope 🙌 they are looking forward to this big step in their professional lives, as it will bring about exciting changes to their lives. As Virginia said, “It's like a whole new me stepped out of that programme.” #DigitalExplorers #FromThePeopleOfEstonia Latvian Startup Association Startin.LV OSMOS Berk Erdem Kristi Kulu Daniel Schaer Tallinn University Ingrid Hinojosa Strathmore University