A joint project between the University of Lapland and Chile’s Universidad Católica de Temuco, Learning Across Indigenous Contexts, has received funding from the Finnish National Agency for Education’s Team Finland Knowledge Programme for 2026–2028.

The project, Learning Across Indigenous Contexts: Advancing Community Participation in Public Policy, Chile–Finland (LAIC), will develop and deliver a joint course through online and project-based learning. Students from both countries and diverse communities will examine Indigenous governance, political participation and public decision-making in Sápmi and the Mapuche territory of La Araucanía. The Mapuche are the largest Indigenous people in Chile and constitute the majority population in the La Araucanía region.

The project aims to strengthen Indigenous participation, increase understanding of Indigenous knowledge systems and build long-term collaboration between universities and communities. The initiative supports the internationalisation of higher education institutions, societal impact and responsible engagement with Indigenous peoples. The funding awarded to the project through the Team Finland Knowledge Programme is 70434 euros.

At the University of Lapland, the project is connected to the Research Council of Finland funded Centre of Excellence for Multibeing Justice in Indigenous Societies (MultiBEING) which explores, among other issues, Indigenous political and legal orders, concepts of justice and human responsibility in relation to other beings.

The LAIC project is led by Dr. Saara Alakorva who, in addition to her work in MultiBEING, works as a postdoctoral researcher the Sámipolity project, also funded by the Research Council of Finland. Her expertise lies in Indigenous and Sámi politics, as well as questions of governance.

– The Mapuche continue to maintain traditional forms of governance, while the Sámi have a modern representative self-governing body, the Sámi Parliament, whose role is to promote Sámi rights and participation in regional and national decision-making. Examining these issues from both Indigenous and state perspectives, and in two very different social and historical contexts, will generate new insights and questions, says Alakorva.

Further information

Team Finland Knowledge Programme website

Centre of Excellence for Multibeing Justice in Indigenous Societies (MultiBEING) website