Welcome to University of Helsinki
News, stories and updates for applicants and international students at the University of Helsinki
Marathon days are by nature triumphant. They require a commitment from all who participate, their payment first for qualifying, and then for finishing. I spent my past 6 months training amongst the snowy trails in Helsinki and Siilinjarvi, preparing for the 2013 Boston Marathon. I have experienced Finland’s winter wonderlands and run and skied in -22 degree (celsius) weather, in forests and on the Baltic Sea. Continue reading “Meet our students! Matthew Mitchell at the 2013 Boston Marathon”
The day I got the email letting me know I was accepted at the Ethnic Relations, Cultural Diversity and Integration Master’s programme (ERI) was one of the happiest days of my life. Soon however, anxiety about a new move in my life kicked in. Four years earlier I had made my first move when I left Albania to pursue my Bachelor studies at the University of Malta. I loved to travel and experience new things, but the move to the North was going to be a different one. Continue reading “Meet our students! Feeling part of an academic community”
I arrived in Finland this past August to complete my Master’s in Media and Global Communication here at the University of Helsinki. I am from Vancouver, Canada and while it has been a drastic change from North America, I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Helsinki, the University, my peers and the faculty in the MGC program, and now, the snow! And even though I’m a world away from what I know, I remain deeply connected to many aspects of my life back in Canada. One of them is running. Continue reading “Meet our students! Sometimes running is more than just running”
Congratulations to all our new grantees!
Since the mid-1980’s, the University of Helsinki has awarded grants to international students. Two years ago the focus of the grant programme was revised. The grants were now targeted entirely for students who are accepted to study in the International Master’s Degree Programmes.
Since then, an increasing number of students have had the chance of receiving the start-up grant (c. 1500 euro). This amount may not cover living expenses in Helsinki; however, we hope it makes settling in a little easier.
Every year we invite the grantees to a reception hosted by one of our rectors. Read the news on this year’s grant reception!
How to apply for the grant? If you get accepted to one of our International Master’s Degree Programmes, you can apply for the grant online after receiving your letter of acceptance. Read more on the criteria on our “Studying” website. The application period for international programmes opens November 19, 2012 and closes January 31, 2013.
Did you know that international students at the University of Helsinki can study also in the city of Lahti? This year 14 new students started their studies in Lahti in the Master’s Degree Programme in Multidisciplinary Studies on Urban Environmental Issues (MURE).
Integration into a completely new culture is a challenging process for international students; in particular for those who wish to complete a degree in a foreign country and potentially settle there after finishing their studies. The Friendship Family Programme in Lahti is aimed at supporting international students with their integration into the Finnish society.
The programme is coordinated by Lahti University of Applied Sciences and Lahti University Consortium. It aims at matching international higher education students in Lahti with local families and offering these students an opportunity to experience real Finnish life and culture, as well as make new local friends.
Networking with local people enriches students’ experience of living in Finland. With the friendship family students can practice language skills and learn more about everyday life in Finland. In return, Finnish families have a great chance to increase their international experience, improve their language skills, learn about new cultures and make new international friends. Cook, go skiing or meet for a coffee – students and families can decide together what they want to do.
The Friendship Family Programme of the Lahti region starts in January 2013 and finishes in May 2013. The programme kicks off in a first meeting organised for students and families in January. After this the students and families meet approximately once a month during the summer semester.
Experience Finnish culture and everyday life though a local friendship family!
More information: www.studyinlahti.fi
Text and photo by MURE programme
To give you a sense of what it’s like to study in our Forest Sciences and Business Master’s Programme, Yijing Zhang shares her insights and experiences on studies and life in Helsinki! Continue reading “Meet our students! UH provides top researchers for globalisation challenges”
The international magazine of the University, HUB, is now available for free on the iTunes App Store.
The iPad issue at hand is a one-off special edition titled DESIGNING THE FUTURE. It showcases the university’s World Design Capital projects: green services and liveable urban environments, student life, engaging pedagogy and teaching technologies as well as the brand new city campus library in Helsinki.
Give iPad HUB a look, share it with your colleagues and plunge into the stories. It’s the most entertaining way to keep track of what’s happening at the four campuses of Finland’s leading university.
Whether you want to brush up your presentation skills in English, to get along with your native Finnish fellow students, learn to read academic articles in French or prepare yourself for the demands of the working life in and outside of Finland, get in touch with the Language Centre or Department of Finnish, Finno-Ugrian and Scandinavian Studies – we are there for you offering
The Language Centre
The Language Centre provides courses for Helsinki University students in 17 languages, such as Arabic, English, Japanese, German, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish etc. In addition to teaching, the Language centre offers also facilities for self-access language learning in 40 languages and tutoring in 8 languages.
Tutors are Language Centre teachers, available for consultation in the self-access facilities. Tutors can help you with topics such as language courses, study materials, learning techniques and grammar. If required, tutors also provide assistance with the preparation of personal study plans. Tutoring is available to all university students and staff, and it is especially recommended to those studying languages on their own.
For more information, see http://www.helsinki.fi/languagecentre
Finnish Language courses offered by the Department of Finnish, Finno-Ugrian and Scandinavian Studies
Our course selection includes Finnish language courses aimed both for exchange students and for master’s and degree students. We have teaching in four different Helsinki University campuses (this semester in City centre, Kumpula, Viikki and Meilahti campus).
So which course to choose? There are many options to study Finnish with us!
Exchange student courses
Master’s student courses
Degree student courses
Finnish Language and Culture degree programme
For more information, see http://www.helsinki.fi/fus/studying/finnishforinternationalstudents.html
Photo by Linda Tammisto
Admissions Services visits China regularly and in the recent years we have been many times in Shanghai together with other Finnish universities at the China Education Expo Fair under the Study in Finland booth.
Come and meet Admissions Services (and one of our Chinese alumni) again at the China Education Expo on October 27-28 (Saturday, Sunday) 10:00-16:00, Shanghai East Asia Exhibition Center.
This year we join also the brand new Finland Day at the Fudan University’s Nordic Centre. Finland Day is part of the Radical Design Week and it is open to anyone interested in studying, working or living in Finland. Come and hear what UH can offer for international students!
See you in Shanghai!
Admissions Services
P.S. Application period for our International Master’s Degree Programmes opens 19 November and closes 30 January, 2013. See the How to Apply website for more information on our application requirements and the International Programmes website for the list of master’s programmes.
I never knew what I wanted to do as an adult. I found many things interesting, but when I had to decide which discipline could be my field, I had no idea. I will tell you how I ended up studying in Adult Education and Developmental Work Research Master’s Degree Programme (ATMO) and why I find it the best choice for me. This is also a story about the fact that by drifting you can eventually end up in something that really interests you. It is not easy to know what you want after high school.
Long story short: After high school I was kind of interested in studying in University of Art and Design, as I thought I was artistic and creative (and I was very interested in art student boys…), but ended up studying bachelor’s degree in Business Polytechnic. After studies I ended up working in a big Telecommunication company. I did not find it my thing and was still dreaming of becoming an art teacher. I started to study Educational Sciences at the Helsinki Open University. There I realized that I was very interested in Adult education, and wanted to learn more about it. I quit my job and applied to University of Helsinki.
After studying Education at University I heard about the ATMO Master’s degree programme in Adult education and developmental work research. This was the thing that I was really interested in! I really enjoyed my studies in the programme. The best part was to do my Master’s Thesis to a real research project. I felt I could really see what it is like to do research at University. Though I had my doubts about work research at the beginning; am I really interested enough to concentrate my studies in work research? I was happily surprised by the fact that among Activity theoretical work research, only the sky is the limit to choose your research interest! My fellow students made their Master’s thesis from the following subject: Foreign professionals’ experiences at the University of Helsinki, Patient participation in Healthcare consultations in new care model, the development of debt counselors’ work, and the formation of indigenous University at Bolivia. Talk about diversity!
The best thing about Cultural historical Activity theory, which developmental work research is based on, is that it is an excellent framework to study various fields of interests. Only your imagination is the limit!
Inkeri Aalto-Setälä
P.S. Next intake for ATMO is in 2014, please visit the ATMO website for more information on the programme.
University of Helsinki