Inspiring Founders in Higher Ed

Harri Suominen built Asia Exchange from a single frustration: studying abroad independently in Asia was unnecessarily expensive and complicated, and no one was solving it. In Episode 8 of Higher Ed Chats, Scott Miller sits down with Harri (co-founder of Asia Exchange and Edunation, both now part of Keystone Education Group) to trace the path from a student exchange in Shanghai to running one of the most internationally diverse study abroad programs in the world, serving students from 115 nationalities.

The origin story is straightforward enough: Harri and co-founder Tuomas Kalpinen went to Shanghai as exchange students in the early 2000s, saw firsthand how difficult and costly "free mover" study abroad was for students operating outside bilateral university agreements, and decided to fix it before they'd even incorporated a company. Their first cohort, 13 Finnish students headed to Thailand in 2007–2008, validated the model. What they didn't anticipate was how far curiosity, as both a personal value and a product promise, would carry the company. Today's Asia Exchange reaches students in over 115 nationalities and has helped shift Finnish outbound interest in Asia from around 5% of students in the early 2000s to roughly 20% by 2020.

The financial case for free mover study abroad doesn't get discussed enough in higher ed circles. Harri puts it plainly in the episode: "Our average fees are just like 2,500 euros and if you are normally paying 25,000 dollars back home you are saving like more than 20,000 per semester." That's not a niche value proposition; it's a structural argument for rethinking how institutions frame study abroad for cost-sensitive students. For enrollment and international office teams, it's also a reminder that facilitator partnerships can serve student populations who'd otherwise skip international experience entirely.

COVID, which gutted most study abroad operations, became the moment that proved the resilience of that model. Harri's team pivoted: Asia Exchange expanded into Latin American and European destinations under the Beyond Abroad brand; Edunation launched a Pathway to Finland program that's since enrolled nearly 1,000 students. The same conviction that launched the company, that a crisis and an opportunity arrive together, shaped how it survived its biggest test. It wasn't luck; it was a practiced instinct.

The episode closes on a question most higher ed leaders should ask themselves: what does it actually take to build institutions that outlast disruption? Harri's answer isn't a framework. It's a habit. "If you are interested in things, not only in your industry, in your business, but widely, that's even better."

Who’s in the episode?

Harri Suominen is the co-founder and President of Asia Exchange, a company that helps students find study abroad programs around the world. An entrepreneur, Harri also founded Edunation, which provides students with pathways to study and work in Harri's native Finland. He is a true advocate for the benefits of global education.

Scott Miller is the host of Keystone Higher Ed Chats and the Executive Director of Keystone's international division, bringing over 11 years of EdTech experience to conversations about global education.

After graduating from DePauw University, living and working in different cultures showed him that stepping outside your comfort zone doesn't just broaden your horizons; it reshapes them entirely. That belief in the transformative power of international experiences brought Scott to Keystone in 2010, where he's spent over a decade (and counting) helping higher education institutions reach students worldwide.

On Keystone Higher Ed Chats, Scott speaks with thought-leaders in the industry about what he's most passionate about: how education changes lives, how cultural experiences broaden perspectives at any age, and how Keystone's mission—connecting students with their ideal higher education institution—makes those life-changing moments possible.

Timestamps & Takeaways

Timestamps

Takeaways

Validate demand before you build the infrastructure around it
Harri Suominen and co-founder Tuomas Kalpinen began approaching Asian universities before Asia Exchange existed as a legal entity. Their first cohort of 13 Finnish students to Thailand in 2007–2008 proved the model. For enrollment and partnership teams, this is a practical reminder: pilot a free mover or partnership program with a small cohort, see what students actually do, then formalize. You don't need a signed MOU to start a conversation.

One student ambassador can outperform your best sales rep
A single Linköping University student referred 18 applicants in two months after their Asia Exchange experience. As Harri put it: "The happy students are the best marketeers, if I or our best sales guy go to speech, it's always different if it comes from student mouth." Institutions running study abroad or international mobility programs should have a named ambassador strategy with clear referral mechanics, not just general word-of-mouth hope.

Free mover students save $20,000+ per semester, make that number visible
Asia Exchange charges an average of €2,500 in facilitation fees. A student who'd otherwise pay ~$25,000 in home tuition saves more than $20,000 per semester by going free mover. That's a concrete financial argument most institutions don't make clearly enough in their recruitment materials. If you're partnering with a free mover facilitator or running your own program, the cost comparison should be front and center in your messaging.

Don't wait for perfect conditions to expand, crises create program openings
Asia Exchange and Edunation both built lasting new business lines during COVID. Beyond Abroad (Latin American and European destinations) and Edunation's Pathway to Finland program (close to 1,000 students enrolled since launch) would not exist without that pressure. Harri's framing: "Not if, but when we overcome this, we can overcome anything, and there's always an opportunity at the same time." Enrollment teams should treat disruptions as forcing functions to pilot programs they've been sitting on.

Asian universities want your students, use that to your advantage
Host universities in Asia actively recruit European and American students because international enrollment improves their global rankings and their domestic appeal. That means you're not asking for a favor when you approach Asian partners; you're bringing them something they're already trying to get. For institutions exploring new destination partners, Asia is underpromoted relative to student interest data: the share of Finnish outbound students choosing Asia quadrupled between the early 2000s and 2020, against a backdrop where roughly 65% of the world's population lives there.

Broad curiosity compounds faster than narrow sector expertise
Harri credits curiosity as the single biggest driver of his success, and he applies it beyond EdTech: "If you are interested in things, not only in your industry, in your business, but widely, that's even better." For higher ed leaders building teams or evaluating candidates, this is a hiring signal worth taking seriously. The people who connect ideas across sectors tend to see the kind of gaps, like the free mover inefficiency Harri spotted in Shanghai, that those deep inside a single vertical miss entirely.

Request a call

Inspiring Founders in Higher Ed

Who’s in the episode?

Harri Suominen

Scott Miller

Timestamps & Takeaways

Timestamps

Takeaways

You may also like

How the Trump Administration is Reshaping Higher Education

Let’s talk