Category: Helsinki

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Join the community!

Sitsit is one way of enjoying Finnish student life!
Sitsit, an academic dinner-party, is one way of enjoying Finnish student life!

Starting your studies at a new university, whether as a degree student or on exchange, brings new people and new opportunities into your life. One of the best things about studying at the University of Helsinki is its active community of students. Community spirit influences  your well-being positively, and communities are an important way of making the most of your student life.
Student culture is exceptionally rich and diverse in Helsinki. Over 250 different organisations within the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY) open up a field of opportunities. Participating in the events and activities of these organisations is a great way to not only make friends and have fun, but to learn new skills and gain access to networks which can prove useful in your future working life.

Continue reading “Join the community!”

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It’s Time for Love & Anarchy

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A new season is upon us; the days are getting a little shorter, hats and mittens are being pulled on left and right, and withered leaves are slowly covering Helsinki in a sheet of gold as the city quietens down for autumn. Yet across the capital, theatres are alive and buzzing in anticipation of the 28th annual international film festival, Love & Anarchy (17.-27.9.), which creative director Pekka Lanerva explains as having inherited its eye-catching name from Italian director Lina Wertmüller’s 1973 Film d’amore e d’anarchia: “It describes the festival perfectly; we not only have films about love and relationships, but there’s also politics, a lot of shaking things up and bringing new ideas to light” (Nyt-liite 11.9.2015).

Continue reading “It’s Time for Love & Anarchy”

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THINKFEST – Exploring and Experiencing Science

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University of Helsinki’s Main Building (Päärakennus) has never looked as bright and colourful as this week, when pops of pinks, blues, yellows and blacks donned the entrance hall from floor to ceiling in celebration of Thinkfest. As one of the main events held in honour of the university’s 375th year, this urban festival invites and encourages everyone to participate in constructing definitions and ideas of ‘Global Helsinki’: What does it look like? Who does it belong to? And who gets to decide from which perspective a global Helsinki is viewed?

Continue reading “THINKFEST – Exploring and Experiencing Science”

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Hello Universe!

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Helsinki Observatory, built in 1834, nowadays serves as a Centre for Astronomy, a visitor centre of the Helsinki University Museum. The Observatory would also like to welcome all international students to get to know the Universe around us. Have you ever dreamed about touching a real meteorite (which is almost five billion years old), or wondered what the scales would say on planet Mars? After that you could take a peek into the cloud chamber and see the invisible world: tracks of alpha particles, protons, muons etc.

However, if astronomical digits are too much, it’s not just about hard science: on your visit to the Observatory you can also learn about the history of the building.

Continue reading “Hello Universe!”

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The Opening Carnival of the Academic Year at the University of Helsinki

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 The Academic Year of the University of Helsinki begins officially on the 31st of August, when the Opening Carnival takes over the Main Building of the University (Fabianinkatu 33/Unioninkatu 34) and its surroundings.
Carnival starts twelve o’clock by the opening ceremonies at the Great Festival Hall of the Main Building, where there are speeches from the University and Student Union and other program. After the ceremonies on the Great Hall, the academic parade walks from the University to the Cathedral of Helsinki (Tuomiokirkko), where the opening service takes place. Same time there is secular occasion at the Festival Hall of University’s Language Center (Fabianinkatu 26). Continue reading “The Opening Carnival of the Academic Year at the University of Helsinki”

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Find out more about your University!

Yleiskuva1_pienennetty_yliopistomuseo_Timo_HuvilinnaWelcome to the University of Helsinki! It’s not only an excellent university, but also a university with a long (375 years and counting) and fascinating history. An integral part of that history have always been students from near and far.

University of Helsinki and its’ students are remarkably visible in the cityscape. The university has always been a great builder and you can see university buildings on all four campuses. Also, the Student Union and many student nations have built beautiful buildings. When the university moved to Helsinki from Turku in 1828, the new Main Building was given a prime site in the then city centre directly opposite the new Senate building. A few decades later the students wanted to build a Student House (nowadays called the Old Student House) for their meetings and parties. The house was built at the edge of the city centre, where it was thought the rowdy students would not disturb other townspeople. Ironically, over time the city centre moved and nowadays the Student House is smack in the middle of downtown Helsinki! Continue reading “Find out more about your University!”

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Be active, active and more active!

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MA Qian is one of our International Student Ambassadors

Dear New students,

I can never forget the excitement that kept me up all night when I received the admission letter from University of Helsinki on 1st May, 2012. How I pictured what my student life would be, what my classmates and teachers would look like, how I could survive the Finnish winter, where I would be living… Now two and a half years have passed within a blink; I graduated from my master’s programme last December, and then moved away from Finland this January to start my new career in the UK. Being away from Finland makes me reflect on my time there. Constantly I am considering what were the most meaningful experiences I had at the University of Helsinki, and how differently I would perform if given a second chance to live my student life. I have summarized my thoughts below, hopefully it will give you some insights into planning your own student life, especially at this beginning moment when you are equally excited and lost. Continue reading “Be active, active and more active!”

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MEETING THE FINNS!

Giulia-Pernisi-ambassador_verkkoAre you ready to pack your stuff and move to this amazing country? New experiences, places and friends are waiting for you here! You’ll get to know this great university, you’ll become familiar with Helsinki, and you’ll surely meet other international students. But what about the locals?! This is actually a question that I’ve been asked pretty often during the last two years. How do you meet the locals?
I had the same question when I moved to Finland. In the end the answer came from another international girl – who then became my best friend – during a random Saturday night, and can be summed up in five words: go there and say “moi”! (Lesson number 1: “moi” means “hello”) Does it sound too easy? I thought exactly the same. However in the end I tried to put it in practice – and being the greatest introvert that I know, that was definitely hard for me! But you know what? It works! Continue reading “MEETING THE FINNS!”

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13 Sunken Years in the National Theatre – a Scottish take on Finnish drama.

For members of HYY student union: special price tickets to 13 Sunken Years in the National Theatre

Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY) has been co-operating with the National Theatre for several years offering special price tickets for HYY members for certain shows. This May HYY is happy to announce a very special offer of the month: 13 Sunken Years in the National Theatre – a Scottish take on Finnish drama.

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The play is English, subtitles are in Finnish. Continue reading “13 Sunken Years in the National Theatre – a Scottish take on Finnish drama.”

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Take out your sleds and sleighs, laskiainen is here!

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Laskiainen is a Finnish celebration traditionally held on Shrove Tuesday. It is also associated with the Sunday preceding Shrove Tuesday, this year the 15th of February. In previous times, laskiainen was the last celebration before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, but these days it mainly means a day of sleigh-riding and eating laskiaispulla, a special type of bun made just for this occasion. Laskiainen is not a public holiday, however, so you’ll still have lectures! Continue reading “Take out your sleds and sleighs, laskiainen is here!”

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