Understanding how the legal system functions in the Chinese society is vital for students who are interested in international affairs and the global economy. China’s increasing economic and political power and its evolving role in global governance have drawn international attention to its legal system.
The Chinese legal system is shaped by the country’s political arrangement and national heritage. China’s long history has produced rich cultural traditions that continue to influence the development of the Chinese legal system. While maintaining some features of the traditional legal culture, the contemporary legal system in China has also developed under the influence of the common law and civil law traditions.
So, it was about this time two years ago I got an email accepting me to my course at the University of Helsinki! I remember shaking with shock, excitement and disbelief! There were excited phone calls made and I remember checking out the campus on google street view with a friend.
Shortly after, there came an interesting offer of joining the summer school, there was a Finnish course specifically for new master’s students. I decided it was a good time to find my feet, hopefully make a few friends and learn some language skills, even better was that the credits counted towards my final degree so that was a head start. As a side note, you don’t need Finnish to survive here, English is widely used but it’s nice to have a little understanding and you’ll look like a genius going home and speaking Finnish, even if you only order a coffee.
In short, I had an amazing time! I made lots of friends who are here doing their degree but also I keep in touch with other people I met during the summer school parties and events. Summer school appeals to so many people and has such a wide variety of courses that the social events are not to be missed. The people involved are the most eclectic and interesting bunch to get to know. The first day I attended the grand opening, we were warmly welcomed with fun entertainment, a group photo and a social gathering afterwards. We were given name badges with our course on and it was a good talking point, especially finding someone on the same course.
Together with Visit Helsinki, University of Helsinki will offer an opportunity to get to know our city for social media influencers. Your focus can be on a single platform like blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or Instagram. This will open endless possibilities for adventure for you. Also you will have the chance to visit our internationally top ranking university, and meet our students & researchers. Does this sound amazing to you? We think so too! And on top of that, we will offer you the flights and Visit Helsinki will offer you high-quality residence for selected quests interested in the study and science theme. Continue reading “Apply for HelsinkiSecretResidence 2016 & live like a local for 3-6 nights!”
For the past couple of months, four interns have been working in different units of the University of Helsinki’s Education Services. For Minna, Lyra, Risto and Emmy (all university students themselves), the internship was not only an opportunity to gain relevant work experience, but it also offered a rare look into the infrastructure of the University’s academic administration and the many services it provides to students, teachers and other staff members. In this two-part series, the interns reveal some of the things they’ve learned along the way, the must-dos in Helsinki for locals and exchange students alike and more. Read on to find out what Risto and Emmy have to say about their internship so far.
Last year, when I was preparing and packing for my studies in Helsinki, I received an email from the University saying that I could join the Intensive Finnish language course at the Helsinki Summer School in August. The international Master’s students are a priority for the University since they are going to stay in Helsinki much longer, and it is always helpful to learn some basic communication in a foreign language, so I accepted. What a considerate arrangement!
It was later proved just how fun, productive and useful it was. The Finnish course at the Summer School was really intensive. The teaching methods and learning experience were great, although Finnish is not that easy. But there was a sense of satisfaction when I was later able to read the street signs and make simple conversations with locals while exploring the city.
More importantly, the time spent at the Summer School was a lot of fun and I was also able to make many good friends, with whom I have kept in touch afterwards. August is one of the best seasons in Finland and the activities and organized tours suggested by the Summer School covered so many aspects of the Finnish culture. In addition to traditional Finnish customs, there was also the Baltic Sea trip to Tallinn, sauna and swimming at a summer cottage, a city tour and so on. They were all great.
I have worked, studied and travelled in several different countries, and the Finnish people are one of the friendliest people in the world. The quality of the courses the Summer School offers is very high, just like their high reputation in education in general.
In short, courses at the Summer School in Helsinki will reward you in many ways. It gives you a great warm-up and acts as a safeguard when you are adapting to new environments. You will get to know the Finnish teaching style, become familiar with the city and the university campus, and settle down in a nice apartment. Then when the new term begins, you can focus solely on your studies.
Tong Xin
Master’s student in Public International Law
There are many reasons why people decide to study the Finnish language. It might be the language of their favourite musicians, the almost mythical status that Finnish holds in the domain of the complicated languages or the fact that they are living\intend to live in Finland – for me, it was a mixture of all those.
At first, the language can impresses by its uniqueness: as you might have heard, Finnish bears little resemblance with other European languages and its grammar and vocabulary surely demand a certain stretch of mind from most people. But don’t let that discourage you; the Finnish language can be like that untouched thick book in your last shelf, that just enchants you when you decide to read the first pages!
Veruscka with some other Intensive Finnish Course Students.
Last year, approximately 400 students from over 60 countries took part in the courses organised by the Helsinki Summer School.
This August, the Helsinki Summer School will again provide international students with the opportunity to try out Finnish university studies with its three-week summer courses. University of Helsinki students can also apply.
This year marks the 15th annual Helsinki Summer School. The courses cover several disciplines and are offered by different universities. The participating universities for the second year in a row will be the University of Helsinki, Aalto University and the Hanken School of Economics. Continue reading “The world will come to us in August”
The European Campus of Excellence gathers top teachers to Helsinki next summer. The three-week course will admit 25 students.
The University of Helsinki has been given the responsibility to organise the European Campus of Excellence (ECE) course this summer. The three-week course, Measuring and Valuing Ecosystem Services, uses methods from agricultural and forest sciences as well as social sciences to focus on ecosystem services from a multidisciplinary perspective. Continue reading “Top-level summer course on ecosystem services”
Vesa Yli-Pelkonen is a biologist and a course coordinator at the Helsinki Summer School. However, he is also known for other merits. Tonight Vesa will switch on his other role as a popular DJ when he will play records at the Farewell Party of the Helsinki Summer School. We made a short interview of this multi-talent:
Tell us about yourself and your profession. What do you at the University of Helsinki?
My name is Vesa Yli-Pelkonen, I am a biologist and environmental scientist specialized in urban ecosystems, working in the Department of Environmental Sciences. I got my PhD in 2007 and currently I am studying ecosystem services, such as the role urban vegetation in mitigating the impacts of air pollutants. Continue reading “An Academic DJ”
One of the most common reasons why students choose to apply for Helsinki Summer School is that they have heard their student colleagues praising its high-quality courses and warm atmosphere. Helsinki Summer School alumnis have always been an extremely valuable source for us when trying to attract the best and most motivated students to the following year’s summer school. Actually Helsinki Summer School students from previous years have been so excited and satisfied with their experience that without even realizing, they have made an enormous effort on marketing for us! Continue reading “Meet the new Helsinki Summer School Ambassadors”
University of Helsinki
