The future of international students and researchers in Finnish academia?

 Welcome to a lunch seminar “The future of international students and researchers in Finnish academia?” 

In cooperation between FUURT, Attract Lapland project, and the University of Lapland. 

What: A lunch seminar focused on facilitating students’ and researchers’ life in the local academia, with a decisive look at the future. Director of International Relations at the University of Lapland, PhD Mari-Anna Suurmunne will open the seminar, presenting her views for a better future for international students and researchers. Specialist Anna Ylitalo from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture will continue on the Ministry’s vision on internationalisation. In the post-lunch workshop, we are going to discuss e.g. the elements of a good life for you in Finnish academia, the role of the local academic community, and what we could do together as a community to improve our life here in the future? What does inclusiveness in academia mean to you? Are there unrecognised hurdles on the way that we could together work on? Are you able to find information on Finnish higher education policies and do you recognise being part of them? To bring it to practice, matters such as funding can also be included in the discussion. 

For whom: We take an inclusive approach and are inviting anyone who is interested in discussing the future of Finnish academia and how we together indeed create the community, and also continue to re-create and sustain the community every day by the ways we contribute and participate. Change is also a possibility. Staff, students, researchers are all warmly welcome! 

Why join: This is your opportunity to ask questions and to share your experience on how e.g. international inclusion is implemented in practice. 

Programme: 

11:00–11:15 Towards a better future for international students and researchers – views from University of Lapland, Mari-Anna Suurmunne, PhD, Director of International Relations, University of Lapland 

11:15–11:45 Internationalization in Finnish academia, Anna Ylitalo, Specialist, Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture 

11:45-12:00 Internationalization in Finnish academia – perspectives of Aalto University, Kirsi Kettula, PhD, Head of International Relations, Aalto University

12:00–12:45 Lunch (offered by the Lapland FUURT) 

12:45–14:00 Workshop on the future of international students and researchers in the Finnish HEIs, facilitated by Nafisa Yeasmin, Annukka Jakkula and Ayonghe Akonwi Nebasifu.