Integrate! Make the most out of studying at UH!

Wish to learn more about your Finnish fellow students? Want to practise Finnish in a
less formal setting? Or just like to get new friends?

Sign up for an ALICE-course and you will get it all. The basic idea of the course, organised by the Language Centre, is to provide two language learners who speak different native languages the opportunity to learn about each other’s language, culture and customs and receive information about the practicalities of everyday life in an interactive way.

Christian Niedling, teacher of German, has been teaching Alice courses (Academic language and intercultural exchange) since 2009. In his opinion, taking part in ALICE is a great opportunity to get to know the authentic student life in Helsinki: “Learning in this programme is self-directed which offers you the possibility to talk about a wide range of topics you might be interested in and get together at different places in Helsinki,” he says. “You and your study partner have it in your own hands to create an efficient and enjoyable learning environment. And there is always the tutor you could
ask for hints and help if required. ALICE is a promising contribution to a diverse, successful, and pleasant stay here in Finland – that’s what the participants generally comment in their feedbacks.”

Got interested? ALICE languages are the following:

Deutsch – Christian Niedling
Español – Marjaana Kuokkanen
Français – Frédéric Nozais
Italiano – Giuseppe Feroldi
Svenska / suomi – Hanna Vänskä
Русский – Eija Hämäläinen

Get in touch with the teacher in question by e-mail (firstname.surname@helsinki.fi).

For more information about Alice, see here.
For more information about Language Centre, see here.

Kind regards,
Language Centre at UH

September 3, 2012June 21, 2017

Have you ever seen Helsinki from above – slowly floating on air?

You might get a chance to since The Hidden City Race, organized Friday 7 September, will present the chance to win a ride in a hot air balloon!

6 hours, Students and Families – who will get the best points in tasks related to discovering the history & designing the future of Helsinki?

Sign-up ends on the 6th of September, so check out the official Welcome Weeks web pages to sign up and read more about the race and other happenings during the Welcome Weeks.

August 30, 2012June 21, 2017

Erasmus students in Helsinki

Are you an Erasmus student in Helsinki and wondering about who to contact? We have gathered instructions here for you.

Do you need a signature and stamp for your Learning agreement or changes to your Learning agreement?

First, contact your own Faculty to get the Departmental coordinator approval and signature. You can find the contact info here

Second, come to the International Exchange Services to get the Institutional coordinator approval. We can sign the paper when it already has the signature of the Departmental coordinator.

Do you need a signature and stamp for your Erasmus arrival or departure certificate?

If the paper needs to be signed by the Institutional coordinator, then you are welcome to come to the International Exchange Services office to get the signature. Kindly note that we need to follow Erasmus regulations about these, e.g. we cannot, for example, sign the Departure certificate months in advance.

Do you need your certificate of Attendance to be signed at the university?

Most home universities require their outgoing students to have their Certificate of Attendance filled in and signed at the host university before going home. You should check at your home university if you need us to fill in the Certificate of Attendance. Most universities have their own form, that they require to be filled in, but if needed, you can also get the form from us before your departure.

How to send the documents to your home university?

You can use the scanners at the Aleksandria learning center, street address: Fabianinkatu 28.

Where is the International Exchange Services office?

You can find us in the University main building, street address: Fabianinkatu 33, 1^st floor. We are open Mon-Thu 10 am – 3 pm. You can come on any of these days to get the Institutional coordinator signature.

If you have other, very specific Erasmus issues, then please visit us on Tuesdays or Thursdays, because those are the days when the Erasmus experts are in the office.

See you in the main building!

Coordinators from the International Exchange Services

August 30, 2012August 30, 2012

Students take over the campus at the Opening Carnival!

The academic year opens on September 3rd with the Opening Carnival at the center campus (2pm – 6 pm). The streets will be filled with music, dancing and many kinds of surprising performances. At the Opening Carnival you can, for example, attend a traditional Finnish student activity, sitsit (a dinner party with singing and drinking), right in the middle of the street!

The Opening Carnival is also a great opportunity to explore over 150 student clubs and activities! The Main Building and Porthania are packed with presentation stands by the University, the Student Union, student nations, subject associations and interest clubs. Don’t hesitate to go and ask about the associations in English, even if all their material is in Finnish – they are more than happy to tell you about their activities!

At the Opening Carnival, you can also buy tickets to the official Opening Party. The party is at the Old Student House in the evening of September 3rd! Tickets are sold at the Student Union’s stand and at Café Vanha. Read more about the party here.
Join the Facebook event of the Opening day to receive more information. The complete program of the Opening Carnival is available here.

– Matti from the Student Union

August 28, 2012August 9, 2013

Time to Learn Some Finnish!

The time to register for the autumn semester’s Finnish courses for international exchange and degree students has started! The registration period will end next Friday on August 31st at 11.59pm or 4pm depending on the course.

The Department for Finnish, Finno-Ugrian and Scandinavian Studies is responsible for the Finnish language teaching for all the International Students of the University of Helsinki. Check out their webpages on more information about different courses and means of registration.

For those students who won’t be arriving before August 31st, if you missed the registration, you can still contact the teacher of the course you’re interested in to enquire whether there would be space in the course.

August 23, 2012August 9, 2013

The application period for the incoming exchange students for the spring 2013 has started!

SONY DSC

The application period for the incoming exchange students for the spring semester 2013 has just begun!

To get started with your exchange student application process, please read our previous blog post here. Remember also to explore our exchange-website!

Please remember that the online registration form will be closed on 15.10.2012!

We hope to see you in Helsinki next spring! (For the succesful applicants who will be arriving to Helsinki for spring semester 2013, the Welcome Fair will take place on 8th and 9th January)

Kaisa from the International Exchange Services

August 20, 2012August 9, 2013

The Welcome Fair is just around the corner!

WELCOME_FAIR_LOGO_black Welcome Fair will take place on August 30 to September 1, 2012 (Language Centre of the University of Helsinki, Fabianinkatu 26). Welcome Fair is the first not-to-be-missed opportunity to get to know the University and the Campuses as well as to get all the official matters out of the way.

At the Welcome Fair you can pick up information materials, certificates such as the certificate of attendance and local transport discount certificates and ask all the questions you have.

Please read more about Welcome Fair from our previous blog post.

All dates, hours and locations for the different orientations, sessions and the Welcome Fair, are available on the Orientation website. Faculty Orientation timetables can be found here.

Please follow the Schedule of your own Faculty, it will include a visit to the Welcome Fair. Usually your tutor will bring you there. You can also come by yourself if you have free time, but remember to attend your Faculty’s programme!

We have also created a Facebook event for the Welcome Fair, if you are on Facebook, please join the event and you will see who else is coming!

See you all soon at the Welcome Fair, you don’t want to miss it!

Kaisa from the International Exchange Services

August 20, 2012

Still time to apply for the International Student Grants 2012!

The application period for the International Student Grants 2012 closes on Friday, August 31st 2012 at 15:00 (3:00 p.m.) Finnish time.

The University of Helsinki is giving about 50 start-up grants this year to qualified students who are accepted to study in an International Master’s Degree Programme. The amount of each grant will be in total 1000-1500 euro tax free. The grants are not meant to cover living expenses, but we hope that the little extra money will help you to settle in Helsinki!

Applications can be submitted through an online application form. The application time closes on Friday, August 31st 2012 at 15:00 (3:00 p.m.) Finnish time.

See more info on the grants, criteria and how to apply on the application pages.

August 17, 2012August 17, 2012

One Night of Future Possibilities leading to two years in Helsinki?

University of Helsinki, or UH in short, was invited to the Night of Future Possibilities study fair organized by Helsinki Summer School this week. Thanks for all summer school students for visiting us at the fair! We took photos of you, have a look at the album on our Facebook page.

If you come to Helsinki for three weeks for summer school, why not find out how to stay a bit longer. Most of the courses in summer school are organized by the University of Helsinki and our Master’s Degree Programmes. Summer School is probably the best way to get to know more about a programme, the facilities, the staff, etc. before applying for degree studies.

Why should you choose UH? Well, it is a pretty good university! The Shanghai ranking list for 2012 was published this week and UH is again in the Top 100. This year we’re ranked 73^rd out of world’s 15 000 universities. UH is aiming even higher, to the Top 50. There is no success in university rankings if we’re not truly international. There are about 3000 international students here, but we want more. This is why the faculties have worked hard for having today a wide range of International Master’s Degree Programmes open for international (and Finnish) students.

We have asked the students for their opinion too. UH participated in the International Student Barometer (ISB) in 2010. There were over 200 universities worldwide that took part in the survey. A questionnaire was sent to international students at UH and they were among the most active ones of all participants. 68% took part in the survey – and that’s a lot.

There are a few things worth mentioning in ISB. It is clear that the research and long traditions are important and UH was seen as a very prestigious institution. Almost 90% of the students would recommend the study experience to others. The learning environment is world-class, no doubt about that. The labs and learning spaces were ranked to one of the highest positions. And so were our sports services – it is not all about studying, you have to look after yourself, too.

One thing that was striking with Finland was the safety issue. Students really feel safe. Maybe I should also mention good public transport between our four campuses, libraries, IT services, catering, etc. I mean everyday life is quite uncomplicated here. Ok, Helsinki is not the cheapest place to live in though… But you get value for your money.

A few words more about the facilities. In just a few weeks UH’s new main library, the Kaisa Library, opens its doors. It has already been described an example of WOW architecture and will probably become one of the landmarks in Helsinki. The library couldn’t be more centrally located and it offers group work facilities, a book cafe, silent rooms, even rocking chairs! And probably much more. We’ll see when the place opens 3 September.

We hope you enjoy your time in summer school, Helsinki and at UH – hope to see you again!!

Admissions Services

August 13, 2012August 9, 2013

Questions from exchange students before arrival

WF_materials

As you are getting ready to pack your suitcases, you may have tons of questions going through your head. Don’t worry, everything will sort out and soon you’ll be here! Just in case you are wondering, here’s a list of the often asked questions from exchange students before arrival.

When can I sign up for courses?
You can sign up for courses after arrival. You need a UH computer user ID for that. You will receive the computer user ID at the Welcome Fair + instructions for using WebOodi to register for courses.

When can I pay the Student Union membership?
There are two ways of paying,
either before arrival:
http://hyy.helsinki.fi/sites/default/files/12_13membership_exchange.pdf
or
in cash at the Welcome Fair on Thursday or Friday. Please bring exact change to make things faster. If you want to pay in cash, please remember that paying in cash is not possible on Saturday. You have to make the decision about joing the Student Union when you arrive: if you are here for the Welcome Fair, you cannot join later than 1 September.

When can I apply for a LYYRA card?
If you have joined the Student Union, you can apply for a LYYRA card after arrival. You need your UH student number for that. You will receive the student number at the Welcome Fair.

When do I get my student number?
You will receive the student number at the Welcome Fair.

Where can I find the Orientation Course schedule for my own Faculty?
Check it here

When do I meet my tutor?
You will meet you tutor and tutor group during the Orientation course.

Where do I get the stamp and signature for my Erasmus Arrival Certificate and/or other documents, which my home university gave me?
You will get the stamp and signature at the Welcome Fair.

Do you organize a pick-up service? Can someone else pick up my keys from HOAS because their office is closed when I arrive?
Unfortunately we are unable to organize a pick-up service. Please go to the HOAS office to get your keys. If you want someone else to pick them up for you, that person needs a proxy, e.g. written permission from you (with your name, birthday, address in Finland, recipient’s name, birthday and your signature).

How can I open a bank account?
Opening a bank account in Finland is fairly simple. You need to have your passport with you + the papers from the University, which you receive at the Welcome Fair. Many exchange students do not open a bank account, however, and just use the ATMs to withdraw money from their bank account at home.

I don’t have housing, what should I do?
Check this

How can I find the HOAS office and my dormitory and the Welcome Fair location? Can I get a student discount for public transportation?
There’s a good website, which will help you find your way around, we all use this, too: http://www.reittiopas.fi/en
You will get a student discount for the months that you are studying here (in most cases, September-December or September-May). You will receive papers for this at the Welcome Fair.

The Welcome Fair location is UH’s Language Centre, street address: Fabianinkatu 26. Iif you are on Facebook, please join the Welcome Fair facebook event and you’ll see who else will be there.

And most importantly:
Will you make friends? Sure.
Will you learn things? Yes.
Are we excited for your arrival? Yes!

Raisa from the International Exchange Services