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Your Home, Your Vote!

Did you know that you might be entitled to vote in the upcoming municipal elections? Municipal elections are held every four years in Finland, and this year is election year. The elections will be held on the 28th of October 2012. Who will you vote for?

What are the hot topics of the municipal elections? Would you like to discuss important issues with candidates from the Helsinki region? Are you curious to know what direction your home town will take in the future, or do you want to voice your opinion on how the Helsinki region should develop in the coming years? Are the interests of international people represented at the municipal level and if so, what are the most important topics to you?

Does any of this sound relevant to you? It should, because it is all about Your Home and Your Vote. Don’t miss this interactive, international panel discussion! The panelists are young candidates from different political parties and the discussion will be in English.

The international panel discussion Your Home, Your Vote! will be held in the Think Corner (Aleksanterinkatu 7, Helsinki) on Wednesday the 19th of September 2012, 18:00-19:45. More information can be found on the Facebook page of the event.

The discussion is organised by the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY) and the Student Union of the Aalto University (AYY) and is a part of the official programme at the Helsinki Region Welcome Weeks.

Hope to see you there!

Annika from the Student Union

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Got your new home @ Vuolukiventie?

Please join to meet other Vuolukiventie tenants and to get info on the ongoing renovation project.

Date: Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 6 pm, (coffee, tea and a cinnamon bun served from 5.30 pm)
Place: University Main Building, Center Campus, street address: Fabianinkatu 33, lecture Hall 10, 3rd floor

Organizers: University of Helsinki International Exchange Services & University of Helsinki Housing and Accommodation Services in co-operation with HOAS [Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki Region]

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Join the UH Alumni Network Now!

University of Helsinki AlumniWhether you’re here for six months or six years, you’ll probably create a close-knit network of friends during your stay at the University of Helsinki. But how do you make sure that you don’t lose touch with your friends and Uni after your studies come to a close?

Even though you probably are already active in your own discipline’s Facebook group you should still register to Campus Alumni, so that we don’t lose track of you and you won’t forget us. Granted, we’re still in the process of developing our international alumni activities, so this is the time to join and give us your input!

On Campus Alumni you can also register a lifelong university alumni email address, find friends and see where in the world UH alumni have headed off to find new adventures. You’ll also get our eHUB  newsletter directly to your inbox.

If you register at Campus Alumni before October 3 at the Think Corner (Aleksanterinkatu 7), you’ll get a 20% discount on UH sweatshirts and T-shirts. (They’re really nice, just look at the picture!)

Also feel free to join our LinkedIn alumni group  Helsingin yliopisto | University of Helsinki Alumni.

Read more about Campus Alumni and other alumni services at www.helsinki.fi/alumnus and register!

More information from UH Alumni Cordinator Saara Vihko at saara.vihko[at]helsinki.fi or +358 9 191 22802

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The University Promotes a Smoke-Free Environment

“Towards a tobacco-free academic community. Our University will work towards a non-smoking environment.” This was the decisions of the University’s Cooperation Committee at the beginning of 2012 in response to a proposal by the occupational health and safety committees concerning a smoke-free University. The non-smoking policy will apply to the academic community as a whole, including both staff and students.

The non-smoking policy will be adopted during the academic year 2012–2013. After the launching of the policy smoking (normal and electronic cigarettes) will be forbidden in all University facilities and permitted only in designated areas outside University buildings. Areas designated for smoking will be located, with signs, at an appropriate distance from buildings to ensure that tobacco smoke does not enter the buildings. Smoking areas will be indicated on campus maps, and any changes will be reported on each campus. All University events will also be smoke-free.

After a tentative launch of the non-smoking policy last spring, the Kumpula Campus has removed established smoking areas which were unofficial or close to the main entrances.
On the City Centre Campus, areas previously used for smoking on the stairs outside the Main Building on Unioninkatu and in the immediate vicinity of the Fabianinkatu entrance were designated smoke-free. Waste bins incorporating ash trays at the entrance to the Porthania building were also moved closer to the street.

Want to know more about the smoke-free university? Ask Pirjo Kekäläinen, Occupational Safety Officer, Tel. 09 191 22257

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Night at the Campus: A Student Festival

On the 10th of September the city centre of Helsinki will be filled up with young energy when students from the metropolitan area take over Senate Square. The square will be filled with student action from 5 pm to 10.30 pm.

The Night at the Campus festival will include, among other things, panel discussions, design in many different forms as well as the results of the idea contest for new student housing. You can visit a student flat built inside a container and a pop-up library. MIAU, an increasingly popular garage rock trio, will perform at 9.30 pm. In addition, several student clubs and organisations are presented around the square through debates, performances and theatricals.

The programme is divided into four themes; student housing, cycling, the promotion of a lively campus culture and social entrepreneurship. A cross-cutting theme is space and the use of space. This theme will become more concrete when the surroundings of the Alexander Statue are transformed into a large living room with couches and tents.
Join the Night at the Campus Facebook event to know more. See you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aura, Project coordinator

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Thanks for visiting the Welcome Fair!

Last week’s Welcome Fair was once again a success! It was great to meet over 500 new exchange students and over 100 international degree students there! We hope you all got a good start to your studies and enjoyed the fair as much as we did!

If you still have exchange related paperwork to do, the International Exchange Services office is located at the University Main Building, Fabianinkatu 33, and we’re open Mon-Thu 10-15. Instructions for Erasmus students can also be found here.

We are here just for you and we’re doing our best to make our services as good as possible. If you have any feedback to give us about the Welcome Fair, please leave a comment here or in facebook

We really hope you will enjoy your stay in Helsinki!

Kaisa from the International Exchange Services

 

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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

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

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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.

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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, 1st 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

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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

 

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