i Orientation Handbook 2015-2016 Welcome to the University of Helsinki ............................................................................................ 7 Check list for new international students ....................................................................................... 8 I General information about Finland and the City of Helsinki ..................................................... 9 Finland............................................................................................................................................. 9 General ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Geography ................................................................................................................................. 9 Climate ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Population .................................................................................................................................. 9 Languages ................................................................................................................................. 9 Religion .................................................................................................................................... 10 History ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Government ............................................................................................................................. 10 Foreign policy........................................................................................................................... 11 Press ........................................................................................................................................ 11 Television and radio................................................................................................................. 11 Education ................................................................................................................................. 11 University education in Finland ............................................................................................... 11 Industry and economy ............................................................................................................. 12 City of Helsinki .............................................................................................................................. 12 Early history ............................................................................................................................. 12 International capital.................................................................................................................. 13 II University of Helsinki ................................................................................................................... 14 University of Helsinki in a nutshell ................................................................................................ 14 University life ................................................................................................................................. 14 Buildings and facilities .................................................................................................................. 15 Administration ............................................................................................................................... 15 Students in university decision making ................................................................................... 15 Faculties ................................................................................................................................... 16 Flamma – the university intranet .................................................................................................. 16 Social opportunities ...................................................................................................................... 16
Transcript
i
Orientation Handbook 2015-2016
Welcome to the University of Helsinki ............................................................................................ 7
Check list for new international students ....................................................................................... 8
I General information about Finland and the City of Helsinki ..................................................... 9
Finland ............................................................................................................................................. 9
General ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Appendix A: From student to students: TSEMPPI’s survival guide for new international studentsand researchers ................................................................................................................................. 81
Appendix B: List of abbreviations ...................................................................................................... 88
Appendix C: Addresses of some university locations ....................................................................... 89
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Appendix E: Menu and grocery guide ............................................................................................... 92
Information in this guide may change after printing without prior notice.
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Welcome to the University of Helsinki
Dear International Student,
Welcome to the University of Helsinki!
We hope that you will find this Orientation Handbook a helpful tool as you start yourstudies in Helsinki! The guidebook contains a lot of practical information that will helpyou get started with your student life and to navigate through daily life. You will probablyfind answers to many of the questions you might have in this guidebook. Just browsethrough the table of contents and you will see what the Orientation Handbook has tooffer.
Please also look through the check-list provided on the next page, it will help you toaccomplish many of the formal things you need to do at the beginning of your studiesand it will tell you in which order to get things done, so that the process of settling in runsas smoothly as possible.
We hope that you enjoy your time here at the University of Helsinki and Good Luck withyour studies!
Best wishes,
The staff of Student Services and International Exchange Services
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Check list for new international studentsBelow are listed some important things to remember, as well as the order in which youshould accomplish things, so your settling in to life in Finland goes as smoothly aspossible. (More information on the topics is available in the Orientation Handbook; thepage number is listed in the brackets.)
1. Visit the Welcome Fair at the University and pick up your informationpackage and a certificate of attendance. For more information please visit:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/new-students/orientation-and-welcome-fair
2. Pick up your access rights for the University computer network at thewelcome Fair. (36)
3. Pay the Student Union Fee, if you have not done it already. The StudentUnion membership grants you access to many student discounts, that makesyour life in Finland a lot cheaper. (26)
4. Attend the Orientation Course at the University/at your Faculty/at yourdepartment. For more information please visit:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/new-students/orientation-and-welcome-fair
5. EU-students: Register your right to reside in Finland at the local police office.(42)
6. Students from the Nordic countries: Register yourself at the municipalregister office if you stay in Finland for more than 6 months. (42)
7. All degree students: Complete your Population Registration at the municipalregister office (maistraatti) to receive a place of domicile (kotikunta). (45)
8. Apply for the student card. (29)9. Obtain a Metropolitan Travel Card. A student discount certificate for the
travel card is available at the Welcome Fair or the Student Services. NB! Thestudent discount is only available to Bachelor and Master’s students under theage of 30. (61)
10. Open a bank account. (67)11. Degree students from outside the EU/EEA countries: remember to renew
your residence permit, start the renewal process in time, it takes severalmonths before it is completed. (43)
12. Obtain a Finnish personal identity code (46)
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I General information about Finland and theCity of Helsinki
FinlandGeneralFinland is a republic that becameindependent in 1917. The head of state isthe president. Ultimate political power isvested in the 200-member unicameralparliament. The population of Finland todayis about 5.5 million. Finland is rightly knownas a land of forests: they cover roughly threequarters of the country’s surface area of 338000 sq. km. Other outstanding features ofFinland’s scenery are its many lakes andislands. Lakes and other bodies of watercover 10% of the territory. The principalarchipelago lies off the southwest coastwhile the main lake district, centred on LakeSaimaa, is in the east. The semiautonomousprovince of the Åland Islands occupies aspecial position as it has been declared ademilitarised area under international law.
GeographyFinland is situated in northern Europebetween the 60th and 70th parallels oflatitude. A quarter of its total area lies northof the Arctic Circle. Finland’s neighbouringcountries are Sweden to the west, Norway tothe north, Russia to the east and Estonia tothe south, across the Gulf of Finland. Muchof the country is a gently undulating plateauof worn bedrock and boreal forests,presenting a striking mixture of wooded hillsand waters. High rounded fells form thelandscape in the most northerly part of thecountry, Finnish Lapland.
ClimateCold winters and warm summers mark theclimate, but temperatures in winter aremoderated by the influence of the Baltic Seaand west winds from the Atlantic warmed by
the Gulf Stream. The average annualtemperature in the capital, Helsinki, is 6.7°centigrade. The highest daytimetemperature in southern Finland during thesummer occasionally rises close to 30°centigrade. During the winter months,particularly in January and February,temperatures of -15° centigrade are quitecommon. In the far north, beyond the ArcticCircle, the sun does not set for 73 days,producing the white nights of summer. In thesame region, during the dark winter period,the sun remains below the horizon for 51days, creating the polar night known inFinnish as kaamos.
PopulationThe population of Finland was 5476331 atthe end of February 2015. Most Finns live inurban areas. Helsinki (the capital city),Espoo and Vantaa form the MetropolitanRegion, which is home to roughly a fifth ofthe country’s total population. Other majorcities are Tampere, Turku, Lahti and Oulu.Ethnically, Finland is still a veryhomogeneous country. The foreigncommunity makes up about 3.8% of thepopulation. The biggest groups ofimmigrants are from Estonia, Russia andSweden. Among them are a considerablenumber of people of Finnish descent.
LanguagesThe Finnish language is a member of theFinno-Ugric linguistic family that includes, inone branch, Finnish, Estonian and a numberof other Finnic tongues and, in the other,Hungarian, by far the biggest language ofthe Ugric group. The official languages ofFinland are Finnish and Swedish, the latter
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now spoken as a mother tongue by 5.3% ofthe people. Another indigenous minoritylanguage is Sami, spoken by the Sami ofLapland. The official standing of Swedishhas historical roots in the period whenFinland was part of the Swedish realm, astatus that began approximately at thebeginning of the 13th century and lasted until1809.
ReligionThere has been complete freedom of religionin Finland since 1923. The EvangelicalLutheran Church is the country’s biggestdenomination. About 75% of the people arebaptised as Lutherans while just about 1%belong to the Finnish Orthodox Church. Bothdenominations are designated as statechurches. Although Christianity probablyreached Finland before the end of the firstmillennium, it was not until the 12th centurythat the Roman Catholic Church becameestablished. This followed a missionaryexpedition to southwest Finland led by KingErik of Sweden with the English-born bishopHenry. The influence of the Orthodox faithspread into the country from the east.
HistorySome important dates in the history ofFinland:1155 The first missionaries arrive in Finlandfrom Sweden. Finland becomes part of theSwedish realm.1809 Sweden surrenders Finland to Russia.The Tsar declares Finland asemiautonomous Grand Duchy with himselfas constitutional monarch represented by agovernor general.1917 Finland declares independence fromRussia on December 6. The new state is firstrecognised by the Soviet Union, France,Germany and Sweden.1918 The Finnish Civil War is foughtbetween the Reds and the Whites.1919 The present constitution is adoptedand Finland becomes a republic with apresident as head of state.1939 - 40 The Soviet Union attacks Finlandand the Winter War is fought.
1941 - 44 Fighting between Finnish andRussian forces resumes in the campaignknown as the Continuation War. A massiveoffensive by Soviet forces in summer 1944forces the Finns to sue for peace. Someterritory was ceded to the Soviet Union butFinland was never occupied and preservedits independence and sovereignty.1952 The Summer Olympics are arranged inHelsinki.1955 Finland joins the United Nations.1983 The first World Championships inAthletics are arranged in Helsinki.1995 Finland becomes a member of theEuropean Union.1999 Finland’s EU Presidency (July 1 toDecember 31).2000 Helsinki celebrated its 450thanniversary as one of the nine EuropeanCities of Culture.2006 The heavy-metal outfit Lordi gainedFinland’s first ever Eurovision Song Contestvictory (May 20).2006 Finland’s 2nd EU Presidency (July 1 toDecember 31).2007 The 52nd Eurovision Song Contestwas arranged in Finland on May 12.2008 Martti Ahtisaari, former President ofFinland, is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.2012 Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainenand Lahti together form World DesignCapital 2012.
GovernmentThe head of state is the President of theRepublic (tasavallan presidentti) who iselected for a period of six years at a time andmay serve a maximum of two consecutiveterms. The current president, Sauli Niinistö,began his first six-year period in March 2012.The President is chosen by direct popularvote, with a run-off between the two leadingcandidates, if no candidate wins an outrightmajority on the first ballot. The governmentmust enjoy the confidence of parliament(eduskunta) which has 200 memberselected by universal suffrage every fouryears. After the general election in April 2011,the National Coalition had 44 parliamentaryseats, the Social Democratic Party 42, True
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Finns 39, the Centre Party 35, the LeftAlliance 14, the Greens 10, the SwedishPeople’s Party 9, the Finnish ChristianLeague 6 and other groups (i.e. ÅlandIslands) 1. At the time of writing the generalelection in April 2015 had not yet been held.
Foreign policyAs one of the European Union and NordicCountries, Finland is committed to thevalues of freedom, democracy and humanrights. Finland is not a member of anymilitary alliance and maintains anindependent defence capability but hassigned a Partnership for Peace agreementwith the North Atlantic Treaty Organisationand has observer status in the WesternEuropean Union (the nascent defence armof the European Union) and in the NorthAtlantic Co-operation Council. Cooperationwithin the Nordic Council covers a widerange of social, cultural and technicalmatters of interest to the five members:Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway andSweden. Finland applied to join theEuropean Economic Community in 1992 andin 1995 became a full member of theEuropean Union. Since becoming a memberof the United Nations in 1955, Finland hastaken part in many of the worldorganisation’s peacekeeping operations.
PressFinland has about 50 newspapers that arepublished 4 to 7 times a week and some 150with 1 to 3 issues per week. The totalcirculation of all newspapers is about 2.9million. Most newspapers are bought onsubscription rather than from newsstands,only two newspapers depend entirely onnewsstand sales. There are about 3150registered periodicals.
One source for news inEnglish is Helsinki Times. It is anindependent weekly newspaper, whichcovers news and events in Finland. For moreinformation please seewww.helsinkitimes.fi
Television and radioThe Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE, isthe largest national radio and televisionservice provider. It is a non-commercial,public service broadcaster. There are twoother nation-wide broadcasters, MTV3 andNelonen (Channel 4), which are privatelyowned. YLE operates four televisionchannels with national coverage, YLE1,YLE2, YLE Teema and FST5. MTV3 haseleven channels and Nelonen eight, some ofwhich you have to pay extra for. Theoperations of the Finnish BroadcastingCompany are financed by a public servicebroadcasting tax collected by the TaxAdministration.
The Finnish BroadcastingCompany also transmits on six national radiochannels, four in Finnish and two in Swedish,and on various regional channels includingone in Sami in Finnish Lapland. In addition,there are radio stations operated by privateindividuals, regional and local newspapers,associations and public corporations.
EducationAll children receive compulsory basiceducation at comprehensive schoolsbetween the ages of 7 and 16. Educationbeyond the age of 16 is voluntary, taking theform of either a three-year course in uppersecondary school (lukio) or a three-yearcourse at a vocational institution. There are14 universities with a total student populationof about 167 000.
University education in FinlandThe foundations of the university system inFinland were laid in 1640, when theUniversity of Helsinki was established. It wasthe only university in the country for almostthree centuries. Today there are 14universities in Finland; eleven of them aremulti-faculty universities, two technicaluniversities, one business school and oneart academy. In addition to the universities,there is one military academy. Two of theuniversities operate entirely in Swedish.
About 20 000 newuniversity students start their studies each
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year. The Finnish matriculation examination(ylioppilastutkinto) taken at the end of uppersecondary school provides general eligibilityfor university education. The Finnish 3-4-year vocational qualifications also givestudents eligibility for placement atuniversities. There is a numerus clausus, i.e.restricted entry, in all fields of study.Universities decide themselves upon theirselection procedure; applicants can beranked e.g. according to the grades in thematriculation examination and/or entranceexamination and/or school leaving certificate.
The Finnish universitysystem has undergone a major reform. Thenew University Act, which entered into forcein August 2009, extended the autonomy ofthe universities. The universities are eitherpublic-law corporations, like the University ofHelsinki, or private-law foundations. Thereform has also affected university finances,decision-making procedures and humanresources policies.
At present, mostFinnish universities do not charge tuitionfees, but students have to pay theirhousing and living expenses themselves.For Finnish citizens, these expenses arepartially subsidised by the state. The stateassists students with study grants, housingallowances and with guarantees on loansfrom private banks. The student unionscharge small fees to cover their activities and
to maintain student health care and otherservices.Relevant websites: www.minedu.fi(Ministry of Education) www.oph.fi (FinnishNational Board of Education)
Industry and economyLast century Finland embarked on the roadto industrialisation by harnessing its forestresources. Forests are still Finland’s mostcrucial raw material resource, although themetal, engineering and IT industries havelong been Finland’s leading branches ofmanufacturing both in terms of value addedand as an employer. Today, Finland is atypical advanced industrial economy: twothirds of its total output is generated in theservice sector. The net wealth of Finnishhouseholds is on the European Unionaverage. In February 2015, theunemployment rate was 10 %.
CurrencyThe unit of currency is the euro (symbols: €,EUR), divided into 100 cents.Relevant websites: www.suomi.fi (Publicservices) http://finland.fi(Overall information on Finland)www.finlandlive.info(Online communityabout Finland, in Russian)
City of HelsinkiHelsinki is the capital of Finland and itscentre of administration, finance and culture.It has a population of about 612 664 and,together with its neighbouring municipalities,constitutes Finland's biggest economic andmarket region. All in all, the Helsinki regionis home to 1.3 million inhabitants. It has adiverse economy and is one of the mostservice-intensive urban regions in Europe.Helsinki is a metropolis whose salientfeature is the proximity of the sea and ofunpolluted nature.
Early historyKing Gustav Vasa of Sweden (to whichFinland at that time belonged) foundedHelsinki in 1550. Helsinki was the base fortrade and shipping, and above all, its taskwas to combat the thriving trade betweenTallinn, on the opposite shore of the Gulf ofFinland, and Russia. In 1640, QueenChristina sought to strengthen the town byshifting it southwards from its original site onthe River Vantaa and thus bringing it nearerthe open sea. However, this did not yet
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contribute greatly to the growth of the townthat was sorely tried by famines, fires,plagues, wars and periods of Russianoccupation.
Not until 1748, when workbegan on the building of the Suomenlinnanaval fortifications, did Helsinki enter a moreauspicious period in its history. The fortresswas a tremendous building project forsuperpower Sweden and took decades tocomplete. It also infused new life intoHelsinki's trade and seafaring. The 'highsociety' bearing influences of French cultureintroduced by the officers stationed at thefortress likewise had a positive effect onHelsinki life. The island fortress ofSuomenlinna is a major historical monumentand one of the items on the UNESCO WorldHeritage List.
The shared history ofSweden and Finland lasting close to sixcenturies ended when Sweden lost Finlandto Russia in the war of 1808-09. Finlandbecame an autonomous Grand Duchysubordinate to the Russian Emperor in 1809,and its capital was moved from Turku toHelsinki in 1812. The Emperor decided tomake the town worthy of its new capitalstatus and initiated extensive buildingprojects. The neoclassical or Empire-stylecentre of Helsinki, dating from the mid-19thcentury and including the Senate Square,the Cathedral and the University, is a uniquearchitectural entity that has been preservedto the present day.
International capitalFollowing the rise in industrialisation andprosperity towards the end of the 19thcentury, Helsinki soon developed into amodern European port and city of industrywith residents who spoke Swedish, Finnishor Russian. The population topped the 100000 mark at the beginning of the 20thcentury, when Finnish became the dominantlanguage. Finland gained politicalindependence in 1917 and Helsinki becamethe capital of the Republic of Finland. By theend of the century, the population was morethan five times that at the beginning. Theeconomic growth in Helsinki at the start ofthe new millennium relied strongly on theinformation industry.
The cosmopolitan,multicultural Helsinki of today is anextremely popular tourist and congress city.It is also Finland's major centre for highereducation. Many international comparisonshave rated it one of the most attractive citiesof the world in terms of quality of life andbusiness.
Relevant websites:http://www.hel.fi/www/Helsinki/en (City ofHelsinki)http://www.hel.fi/hki/kansainvalinen/en/(International Affairs website of the City ofHelsinki)http://www.helsinki.fi/ (Portal of the Cityand the University)
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II University of Helsinki
University of Helsinki in a nutshellThe University of Helsinki (Helsinginyliopisto/Helsingfors universitet) is the oldestand largest university in Finland. It wasfounded in 1640 as the Academy of Turku,Turku being the former capital of Finland,which was then part of the Swedish realm.After Finland was annexed to the RussianEmpire in 1809, the capital was moved toHelsinki. In 1827, the University wastransferred to Helsinki, where it opened thefollowing year under the name of theImperial Alexander University, after theRussian Tsar Alexander the First. It was theonly university in Finland until 1919.
By Scandinavianstandards, the University of Helsinki is a
large university, with about 43 500 memberswhen students, teachers and other staffnumbers are combined. Of the 35 200students in the eleven faculties 64% arewomen. The University of Helsinki isbilingual with instruction and services offeredin both Finnish and Swedish: about 6.5% ofthe degree students are Swedish-speakers.In some fields of study, such as law, quotasare reserved for Swedish-speaking studentsin an effort to guarantee equal linguisticrights for all. The total enrolment ofinternational students, including exchangestudents, is presently around 2 200 studentsper year.
University lifeThe University of Helsinki is a combination ofan older, more traditional educationalinstitution and a modern, dynamicinternational university. Admission is difficultand the pace of studies is to certain extentup to the individual. One outstanding featureof studies at the University of Helsinki is theemphasis on the student’s own initiative andindividual work.
Some of the instruction isstill in the traditional lecture form, and therelationship between the student andinstructor can remain quite official andhierarchical. However, many teachers andentire departments have moved towardsmore student-to-student and student-to-instructor discussion-orientated lessons andtutoring and most teachers welcome activestudent participation.
Modern teachingtechnology has dramatically changed the
style of teaching. Today, there are close to20,000 computers connected to theUniversity’s networks. Diverse on-lineopportunities are an essential part ofeveryday studies of every student of theUniversity of Helsinki.
Finnish universitystudents tend to be very independent. Thisis largely a result of their demanding uppersecondary education (lukio). Someinternational students might feel that theatmosphere on class is seemingly unfriendly,but you will find most Finns eager to discussand help you, if you make the initial attemptat communication.
You may find instructors,particularly professors, hard to track down.They normally hold consultation hours onlyone or two hours per week. However, theassistants and department office staff canoften answer any questions you may have.
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Buildings and facilitiesThe University was moved to Helsinki a yearafter the Great Fire of Turku had destroyedmost of the old Academy. New buildings forthe University were erected in the centre ofthe new capital. The Main Building(yliopiston päärakennus) and theObservatory were completed in 1832, whilethe University Library (yliopiston kirjasto)was completed in 1840.
Several other buildingswere erected near the Main Building in thelate 19th and early 20th century. Thesebuildings are some of Helsinki’s mostbeautiful sights. Make sure to visit the MainLibrary, and walk through the older half ofthe Main Building if your studies and classwork do not bring you to these places. TheMain Building’s older half faces the famousSenate Square (Senaatintori), the site ofmany national ceremonies and celebrations.
Until the 1950’s, the entireuniversity was located in the centre ofHelsinki. Today, the University of Helsinkihas four main campus areas: the CityCentre (theology, law, arts, social sciences,and behavioural sciences), Meilahti(medicine and dentistry), Kumpula (science)and Viikki (agriculture and forestry,biological and environmental sciences,pharmacy, and veterinary medicine).
Altogether, the University of Helsinki hasseveral different locations in the city andelsewhere in Finland, the northernmost onebeing the biological research station locatedin Kilpisjärvi, Northern Lapland. Newbuildings are still built and the newest ofthem is Kaisa House, opened autumn 2012,where the main library of the university islocated.
Art historical tours on campusDuring summer season there are free ofcharge guided art historical tours on thecentre campus of the university organised bythe Department of Art History and theUniversity Administration andCommunications. The tours are guided bystudents of art history.
For further information and bookings see:http://kavelykierrokset.wordpress.com/https://www.facebook.com/TaidehistoriallisetKavelykierroksetkavelykierros-info@helsinki.fi
AdministrationThe central idea of the administration at theUniversity of Helsinki is to emphasise therole of the four campuses (the City Centre,Meilahti, Viikki and Kumpula) as well as tofocus on strategic leadership, quality control,effectiveness of administration and newdimensions in customer services.
The large-scale reform ofthe Finnish university administration,implemented on August 1, 2009, gives the
universities an extensive administrative andfiscal autonomy. For more information on theadministration and organisation of theuniversity, please see the website of theUniversity www.helsinki.fi/inbrief/
Students in university decisionmakingThe Student Union enjoys a legal status inthe University. The Union is autonomous in
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its own affairs and this is guaranteed by theUniversities Act. This same Act together withthe Universities Decree regulates therepresentation of students at different levelsof university decision making. Universitiesthemselves decide upon the quotas ofdifferent interest groups in decision-makingbodies. Student participation in theadministration is considered important.
FacultiesThe University of Helsinki has elevenfaculties on four campuses:
City Centre CampusFaculty of Theology (teologinen tiedekunta)Faculty of Law (oikeustieteellinentiedekunta)Faculty of Arts (humanistinen tiedekunta)
Faculty of Social Sciences (valtiotieteellinentiedekunta) Faculty of Behavioural Sciences(käyttäytymistieteellinen tiedekunta)
Meilahti CampusFaculty of Medicine (lääketieteellinentiedekunta)
Kumpula CampusFaculty of Science(matemaattisluonnontieteellinen tiedekunta)
Viikki CampusFaculty of Agriculture and Forestry(maatalous-metsätieteellinen tiedekunta)Faculty of Biological and EnvironmentalSciences (bio- ja ympäristötieteellinentiedekunta)Faculty of Pharmacy (farmasian tiedekunta)Faculty of Veterinary Medicine(eläinlääketieteellinen tiedekunta)
Flamma – the university intranetFlamma, the University of Helsinki Intranet,is a joint communication channel andpersonal work tool for all students and staffmembers of the University of Helsinki. Oneof the basic principles is that all internalcommunication within the University shouldbe done through Flamma.
You need a Universityof Helsinki user account to use theIntranet. Upon login you will see a layoutcustomised according to your department,faculty, and your status at the University e.g.student. You can access your University e-mail and, for instance, the study informationsystem WebOodi, with the same single login.Flamma is also an information retrieval
system organised according to varioustopics or functions in to information channels:i.e. For Students, For Teachers etc. You canalso gather links of your own interest in oneplace.
Flamma is also acommunication channel. Through Flamma,you receive news and information aboutcommon issues on department or facultylevels, or throughout the whole University,you can discuss and exchange informationin work group areas only visible to groupmembers.
You can access Flammaat https://flamma.helsinki.fi/.
Social opportunitiesBecause of the individual nature of universitystudies, much of the institution’s social lifemust be sought after; it is not readilyapparent at first.
The student organisations, as will beexplained in section IV (Student Union of theUniversity of Helsinki), are generally veryactive, arranging different kinds of activities.Many activities are open to all university
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students and advertisements for them areposted on the large notice boards in the MainBuilding (päärakennus) and Porthania oronline. Unfortunately, most announcementsare in Finnish.
Almost all organisationsaffiliated with the University of Helsinki havetheir own websites and e-mail lists. The fulllist of organisations and associations (a lot ofthe information is in Finnish only) can befound on the Student Union website athttp://hyy.helsinki.fi/en/organisations
In order to get to know thepeople of your department, join the e-mail listof your department and keep an eye on thedepartment notice boards forannouncements.
Often the studentsarrange discussions with academicians,excursions to relevant industries ormuseums, and even sauna evenings(saunailta), where you are guaranteed tohave a good time Several nations andassociations have their clubrooms in theNew Student House (Uusi ylioppilastalo).
Relevant websites: http://hyy.helsinki.fi/en(Student Union of UH)
ESN (Erasmus Student Network)
ESN Uni Helsinki is the biggest localsections of ESN in Helsinki. ESN will helpyou to get the most out of the student life inHelsinki. ESN Uni Helsinki provides culturaland social events for the exchange students:city tours, sport events, pub crawls, knittingworkshop, parties, sauna evenings andexcursions. Find us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/uni.helsinki.ESN
You can also become an active member, jointhe team and help us to organize theseevents. It is a chance to learn more aboutFinnish student life! You can send an emailto [email protected]
System of studiesAcademic yearThe academic year begins on August 1 andends on July 31. The academic year isdivided into four seven-week teachingperiods. There is an examination andindependent study week between theperiods in autumn and spring and a longerbreak at Christmas time and during thesummer.
Teaching organised in thesummer does not belong to the teachingperiods. However, examinations and specialcourses may be arranged outside theteaching periods. The teaching periods listedbelow apply to all Faculties except theFaculty of Medicine. Please check the exactdates for your Faculty's teaching from theFaculty (see contact information on page 32).
Teaching periods of the 2015 - 2016academic year
Autumn termIntensive period 24.8.-30.8.I teaching period 31.8.-18.10.Examination and independent study week19.10.-25.10.II teaching period 26.10.-13.12.Examination and independent study week14.12.-20.12.
Spring termIntensive period 2.1.-17.1.III teaching period 18.1.-6.3.Examination and independent study week7.3.-13.3.IV teaching period 14.3.-8.5.Examination and independent study week9.5.-15.5.Intensive period 9.5.-31.5.
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CurriculaThe curricula are revised every second orthird year and are published mostly online.Some Faculties also publish programmebooks that are colour coded (dark green forAgriculture and Forestry, red for SocialSciences, blue for Arts...) and you can findreference copies or get a copy of your ownfrom your Faculty Office (see contactinformation on page 32). Unfortunately, thecomprehensive programme books areavailable in Finnish and Swedish only.
Courses offered in EnglishA good starting point to access informationon the courses offered in English is theCourses in English websitehttps://university.helsinki.fi/en/courses-in-english. You can also find coursesthrough the electronic information systemWebOodi https://weboodi.helsinki.fi/hy/.There you can search for courses usingdifferent criteria – one search criteria is bylanguage of instruction. Updates on coursesare posted on the individual Faculty’s orDepartment’s website or in WebOodi.
Instructions for studiesWays of completing studiesThere are two basic ways of completingstudies at the University of Helsinki: lecturecourses and book exams. Students taking alecture course must pass a final examinationat any one of the scheduled examinationdates after attending the course. Studentstaking a book exam must pass a facultyexamination (tiedekuntatentti) or a periodexamination (perioditentti) at any one of thescheduled dates during the academic year:usually there is one examination each month.Although there is no summer term, somedepartments also arrange examinations inthe summer.
Many departmentsaccept tests written in English. Oftenstudents can also arrange to write aresearch paper, essay or a study diary inplace of a written examination, but this variesaccording to field of study. Examinationdates are set before the academic yearbegins and there may be multiple dates.International students often choose bookexams in order to bypass a lecture seriesarranged in Finnish and/or to read thematerial at their own pace. Today almost allregistrations for examinations are done inWebOodi. Be prepared to prove your identityat the test site.
Other typical ways ofcompleting a course are seminar groups andother small groups, in which students getaccustomed to independent research. Oralexaminations are unusual. On-line study andexamination options are growing rapidly.
One outstandingfeature in studies at the University ofHelsinki is the emphasis on the student’sown initiative and individual work.
Languages used in teachingThe languages of instruction at theUniversity of Helsinki are Finnish andSwedish. Finnish is the main language ofinstruction, whereas Swedish is used in anumber of degree programmes and majorsubjects. Today, one of the focal areas isInternational Master’s level programmes. Anumber of seminars and lecture series areoffered in English on a regular basis,particularly at the Master’s level. It isusually possible to complete coursesthrough independent study when noinstruction in English is available. Pleasenote that in Foreign Language DegreeProgrammes translation into mother tongue(äidinkielelle) means into Finnish or Swedish.
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Planning your studiesIn order to facilitate the long-term planning ofstudies, each student is required to devise apersonal study plan (HOPS in Finnish). Thepersonal study plan is a valuable aid in thelong-term goal-oriented planning of studies.The study plan is checked regularly, thusaiding in the monitoring of study progress. It
should be pointed out that, at the Universityof Helsinki, the personal study plan is notconsidered an agreement between thestudent and the University. Please check theguidelines for completing the personal studyplan from your Faculty, the practices varybetween Faculties (see contact informationon page 32).
Degree systemBasic structure of the degreesThe first, lower academic degree is calledkandidaatti (Bachelor). The second, higherdegree is called maisteri (Master). Studentsfirst complete the lower academic degree, i.e.the Bachelor’s degree, and then the higheracademic degree, i.e. the Master’s degree or,in medical studies, the Licentiate degree.
All students admitted toBachelor’s level studies at the University ofHelsinki receive the right to pursue studiesleading to the Master’s degree. Exceptionsto this rule are the programme leading to thequalification of kindergarten teacher and theBachelor of Science degree programme inPharmacy. There is usually no selectionprocess in the transition from Bachelor’slevel studies to Master’s level studies forthose students who have been accepted topursue both Bachelor’s and Master’s levelstudies. The exception to this rule is theindependent Master’s programmes: seebelow for more information. The Bachelor’sdegree must be completed beforeregistering for Master’s level studies, butstudents may also complete individualMaster’s level courses before fullycompleting the Bachelor’s degree.
Study modulesThe basic unit of a degree programme is astudy module (opintokokonaisuus). Onemodule may contain several types of work:lectures, exercises, set book examinations,seminars, etc. In order to ensure the highquality of its degrees, the University has set
minimum requirements for the scope andnumber of study modules. The Bachelor’sdegree consists of studies in the majorsubject (with a minimum of 60 credits) andbasic studies in at least one minor subject(25 credits). At the Master’s level, the scopeof advanced studies is 30 credits or more.The Bachelor’s degree (180 credits) includesa thesis with the scope of six credits. Whilethe scope of the thesis required for thehigher academic degree in medicine andveterinary medicine is 20–40 credits, thescope of the Master’s thesis in all other fieldsis 40 credits. This requirement is due to theUniversity’s aim of emphasising theresearch-oriented nature of its degrees andthe eligibility for doctoral studies provided bythe Master’s degree (120 credits).
Furthermore, therequirement for studies in information andcommunication technology is a minimum offive credits, and the requirement forlanguage studies is a minimum of 10 credits.Professional development is not neglected inthe degree system either: a few credits isreserved for studies in orientation intoprofessional life.
Doctoral studiesA doctoral degree awarded by the Universityof Helsinki consists of a doctoral dissertationand related research as well aspostgraduate studies of a scope of 60–80credits (40–60 credits in degrees in medicine,dentistry and veterinary medicine). Thepostgraduate studies include courses and
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modules in the students’ research fields aswell as more general studies that enhancetheir expertise. Ideally, a doctoral degreecan be completed in four years. In practice,the time spent is often longer.
More information aboutdoctoral studies:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/how-to-apply/doctoral-studies
Independent Master's DegreeProgrammesStudents may seek entry into independentMaster’s programmes after havingcompleted the Bachelor's degree orequivalent studies. These Master’sprogrammes are often multidisciplinary bynature as well as planned and carried out incollaboration between faculties or evenuniversities.
After having completedtheir Bachelor’s degree, students maychange their major subject for the Master’sdegree. If they obtain permission to do this,the department of the new major subjectmay require the student to complete amaximum of 60 credits of complementarystudies. More information about Master’sDegree programmes:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/how-to-apply/masters-studies
Credit systemIn the credit system, the student workload is1600 hours per year, which is worth 60credits in completed studies. Consequently,the Bachelor’s degree (180 credits) shouldbe completed in three years and theMaster’s degree (120 credits) should becompleted in two years. The annual studentworkload of 1600 hours is the same as theannual workload of university teachers.
Credit transferFor those coming to the University ofHelsinki with previous university experience,it can be possible to transfer some of theacademic credits by submitting anapplication for credit transfer at the faculty.
The application must include an authorisedtranscript and other documents whenneeded. Detailed course descriptions are ofgreat help in the process. The University ofHelsinki tries to give full recognition ofprevious class work and credit transferusually goes quite smoothly: the better thestudent’s earlier programme compares withthe programme offered in Helsinki, the betterthe transfer of credits will be.
Detailed information oncredit transfer and the identification andrecognition of prior learning, which mightinclude knowledge obtained also in otherways than through formal education, isavailable at the faculty office (see contactinformation on page 32). It is highlyrecommended to get the transfer processunder way as soon as possible.
GradesThe general grading scale used at theUniversity is a six-stage scale. It ranges fromzero (0 = fail) to five (5 = excellent).Traditions are being upheld in the grading ofthe Master’s thesis, which is graded on ascale using the Latin language. Degreecertificates are accompanied by asupplement (the Diploma Supplement),which describes the contents of the degree.The purpose of this supplement is to improvethe international comparability of degreesand facilitate mobility for either doctoralstudy or employment.
Grading revisionIf you feel that you have been treated unfairlyin the grading of an examination, seminarpaper, thesis work etc., you should firstcontact the appropriate teacher: the requestfor revision can be done orally or in writing.If the grade has been given by the FacultyCouncil, you have to submit a written request.You have to submit the request within 14days after you had the possibility of receivingdetailed information on the grade and on thegrounds for grading. The same process isalso applied to recognition of a student’sprevious studies.
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However, if you are notsatisfied with the teacher’s or the FacultyCouncil’s decision, you may submit arequest for revision to the Academic AppealsBoard (oikeusturvalautakunta). Again, thishas to be done within 14 days from when youwere informed of the decision.
Any mail addressed to theAcademic Appeals Board should be sent to
the Registry of the University of Helsinki(P.O. Box 3, Fabianinkatu 33, 00014University of Helsinki). More information canbe found on the Academic Appeals Boardpage in Flamma:https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/HY287194
TranscriptsIn the WebOodi information system you cansee your credits in real time. If the transcriptis not complete and there are coursesmissing, please contact the department thatarranged the course. Normally coursesshould be registered in a few weeks andwithin a month at the latest.
How to order your transcript online?You can order the unofficial transcriptthrough WebOodi,www.helsinki.fi/weboodiThe readout will appear on the first page ofWebOodi within a couple of hours. You willreceive a notification that the orderedtranscript is ready to your University e-mailaddress, [email protected]
Official transcriptAttending students can receive one officialtranscript free of charge per term, issued inFinnish, Swedish or English, at the StudentServices. For contact information and
opening hours of the Student Services,please seehttps://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/contact-us/student-services
Do not forget to checkthat you have all of your courses registeredbefore you take the free official transcript.For additional transcripts, you have to pay4.00 euro per readout. You cannot pay thetranscript payment in cash at the StudentServices: it has to be paid in advance. Thepreferable way to pay the fee is at thefollowing UniCafe student cafés (not therestaurants): · Main Building (Fabianinkatu33) · Physicum (Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, inKumpula) · Biocentre 1 (Viikinkaari 9, inViikki).
For further information onhow to order transcripts by mail, and theprices, please seehttps://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/during-your-studies/order-a-transcript
Language studiesInternational students are strongly advisedto learn at least the basics of either Finnishor Swedish - preferably at the beginning oftheir studies. This will help you to settle in, tostay informed of what is happening in theuniversity and in Helsinki and ultimately helpyou in finding a job in Finland. It is also partof the degree requirements in some facultiesthat international students will study at least
some Finnish or Swedish. You can check therequirements from your faculty office.
Department of Finnish, Finno-ugrianand Scandinavian studiesFinnish Language and Culture / Finnish forInternational Students
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University Main Building (Fabianinkatu 33),room 4005, 4th floorPostal Address: P.O. Box 3 00014University of HelsinkiTel. +358 – (0)50 3182 [email protected]
Office hours: Tue 10:00-12:00 and Thu13:00-15:00
Finnish Language and Culture is a section ofthe Department of Finnish, Finno-Ugrian andScandinavian Studies. It offers Finnishcourses for beginners and students that aremore advanced and a complete degreeprogramme (BA and MA) called Finnishlanguage and culture for students whoalready have a solid command of spokenand written Finnish (CEFR B2). Moreinformation is available from the FinnishLanguage and Culture Office and athttp://www.helsinki.fi/fus/
Swedish for International Students coursesare arranged by the Language Centre (seethe next page).
Study advisers are available for consultationon Mon-Thu 10:00-14:00 at the LanguageCentre (City Centre Campus), and onTuesdays 9:00-11:00 during teachingperiods in A-building room 171 (ViikkiCampus).http://www.helsinki.fi/kksc/english/https://flamma.helsinki.fi/> Units >Independent institutes > Language Centre
The University of Helsinki Language Centreorganises on the first hand languagecourses and tests that are required for thecompletion of degrees. The languagestudies and number of credits required ofinternational students vary from faculty to
faculty. Therefore, please check thelanguage requirements of your faculty fromyour Faculty’s Study Affairs Office.
Optional language coursesThe Language Centre offers a variety ofoptional language courses at different levels.These courses are open for all internationalstudents too. Exchange students, however,do not have a right to attend any of theEnglish courses offered by the LanguageCentre. Please note that at the elementarylevel teaching is given mainly in Finnish. Thisapplies to study materials, too. At the moreadvanced level, teaching and materials arein the language in question.
Finnish as a foreign languageBasic, intermediate and advanced Finnishcourses are offered by the Department ofFinnish, Finno-Ugrian and ScandinavianStudies at the Faculty of Arts. For moreinformation, please see above.
Independent language learning in theAleksandria Learning CentreThe Self-Access Centre offers facilities andmaterials for independent studying in over40 languages. Teacher tutors in eightlanguages are available for consultationonce a week. Self-Access Centre staff isavailable during opening hours. They canhelp you with general self-access issues, aswell as with using the equipment and findingand choosing study material.
Other language activities
· Course Assistant Programme (1-3 ECTScredits) invites international students toassist teaching and learning on certainLanguage Centre courses. This gives themthe opportunity to meet Finnish students,who in turn get to know internationalstudents and learn more about theirlanguages and cultures.
· Language Clubs (during terms) help toactivate, develop and keep up your languageskills in a relaxed setting. Club meetings areplanned by the participants. Welcome!
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· In a Language Buddy partnership twospeakers of different native languages learn
each other's language. Thus you will havethe role of both a teacher and a learner.
WebOodiWebOodi is an electronic information systemwhere you as a student can: complete theannual registration to the university, seedegree requirements, browse through studyguides and courses on offer, register forcourses and examinations, check yourcredits and order an unofficial transcript ofyour credits, and give course feedback.
You can also update yourcontact information through WebOodi; as astudent you must make sure that youraddress and phone number are up-to-date inthe student register. In some faculties anddepartments WebOodi is also used as a toolto make a personal study plan (PSP, HOPSin Finnish). If this function is in use at yourdepartment, you will see a link to thepersonal study plan in the main menu ofWebOodi.
WebOodi can be found athttps://weboodi.helsinki.fi/hy/ and youcan use it both from home and on campus.You log in to WebOodi with the same user
name and password, which you use to log into your university email account and theuniversity intranet.
Instructions for usingWebOodi can be found within the system.On the website of the ICT Driving Licenceyou will also find an introduction to WebOodiand its functions http://www.helsinki.fi/tvt-ajokortti/english/material.htm > TheComputer Environment at the University ofHelsinki > Planning your studies withWebOodi and Flamma.
Some departments mightnot use WebOodi at all for registration totheir courses and exams. More informationon how to register for courses and examscan be found on the website of thedepartment, in the study guide, on the noticeboard of the department or in the departmentoffice. If you cannot find the course you arelooking for in WebOodi, contact your facultyor department office.
ICT Driving LicenceThe ICT (Information and CommunicationTechnology) Driving Licence (3 credits) is acourse designed in cooperation with theUniversity of Helsinki's Faculties, the Centrefor Information Technology and the HelsinkiUniversity Library.
The goal of the course is to make surethat each new student has the necessaryICT knowledge as well as the followingskills:1. Introduction to the use of computers2. The UH computer environment3. Modifying and presenting data4. Information retrieval
5. Information security and privacyprotection
To pass the course, the student has todo the following:1. Study the course goals for each of thefive ICT Driving Licence modules.2. Take the entry level tests: the non-monitored tests (5 tests altogether) give youan estimate of your skills and instruct you toeither: a) Take the monitored examinationdirectly (if you have studied the onlinelearning material in advance), or b) Studythe on-line course material on your own andthen take the monitored examination, or c)
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Participate in the instruction arranged byyour faculty, study the online coursematerial and then take the monitoredexamination.3. Take the ICT Driving Licenseexamination4. Answer the self-assessmentquestionnaire and give feedback on thecourse.
The examination dates and times varyaccording to the faculty the student isregistered in. Taking the examination usuallyrequires advance registration.
For more information:http://www.helsinki.fi/tvt-ajokortti/English
Studying for a minor in another universityAll Finnish universities are parties to theFlexible Study Right Agreement (JOO),which provides undergraduate, graduateand post-graduate students of Finnishuniversities the opportunity to includecourses or a block of minor studies fromother universities into their degrees. Withsome restrictions, the national JOOagreement also applies to exchangestudents. It should be emphasised, however,that it is not acceptable for exchangestudents to complete all their studies at aninstitution, which they are not registered at.
The institutions within the JOO agreementare the following:
Aalto UniversityLappeenranta University of TechnologyNational Defence CollegeSwedish School of Economics andBusiness AdministrationTampere University of TechnologyUniversity of the Arts HelsinkiUniversity of Eastern FinlandUniversity of HelsinkiUniversity of JyväskyläUniversity of LaplandUniversity of Oulu
University of TampereUniversity of TurkuUniversity of VaasaÅbo Akademi University
Further information on the JOO agreementis available at the faculty study offices and atwww.joopas.fiHow to apply1. First, go to your faculty's study office anddiscuss your study plans with a study adviserresponsible for the JOO application processin the faculty. The studies you apply for mustbe integrated into your programme at theUniversity of Helsinki.2. Different universities have differentapplication procedures and dates. Most ofthe universities use the electronic applicationsystem JOOPAS but on some occasions youneed to fill in the printable application form.You will find further information, theelectronic application system and printableapplication form at www.joopas.fi3. The application is first processed in thefaculty. If it is approved, it is sent to the targetinstitution for consideration. The finaldecision is made there.4. The right to complete courses is alwaysgranted for a fixed period. The study right isvalid for a maximum of two academic years.
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Summer studiesAlthough there is no summer term, someinstruction is arranged during the summer(June to August), and many departmentsand libraries operate through the summervacation period. Some departments arrangeexaminations in the summer. In addition, theOpen University arranges a number ofcourses included in the university degreerequirements: unfortunately, the majority ofthese courses are not taught in English. TheLanguage Services of the University offersFinnish courses for international studentsalso in the summer, as does the HelsinkiSummer University.
Open UniversityAvoin yliopistoP.O. Box 4 (Fabianinkatu 33)00014 University of Helsinki Tel. 02 94122244 [email protected]://www.avoin.helsinki.fi/open_university/
Office hours: Please see the website of theOpen University.
Language ServicesKielipalvelutP.O. Box 4 (Vuorikatu 5A, 3rd floor)00014 University of HelsinkiTel. 02 941 [email protected]://www.helsinki.fi/kksc/language.services/english/index.html
Office hours: Mon-Thu 10:00-14:00
Helsinki Summer UniversityHelsingin kesäyliopistoKaisaniemenkatu 4A00100 Helsinki Tel. 020 779 [email protected]/
Office hours: Please see the website of theHelsinki Summer University.
Helsinki Summer University offers e.g.Finnish courses for foreigners, languagecourses, university level courses and furthereducation courses in various fields. HelsinkiSummer University is not affiliated with theUniversity of Helsinki.
Helsinki Summer SchoolHelsinki Summer School offers motivatedUniversity students and graduates a trulyinternational, strongly academic summersession where the research-based teachingand talented young minds meet and mingleto create something new. We provide youwith an August that will stand out in yourcurriculum!
Helsinki Summer School 2015 will beorganised from August 4 to 20 with a courseoffering that covers a wide range ofacademic fields and multidisciplinary topics.All our courses, organised by the Universityof Helsinki, are designed to challenge andinspire you in a learning environment thatpromotes equality.
· Make sure you have a place on acourse by applying early enough. Someof our courses are very popular and willbe fully booked in early spring.
· Our courses are only 50 EUR forstudents and exchange students of theUniversity of Helsinki.
· All courses are taught in English andthe credits granted are transferable.
More information about the courses, prices,application process, accommodation etc. isavailable on the Helsinki Summer School’swebsite: www.helsinkisummerschool.fi
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Necessary supplies for studiesCopy cards and express printUnigrafia - Pikapainot
For opening hours, please see the websiteof Unigrafia http://www.unigrafia.fi/en
Unigrafia maintains hundreds of copiersthroughout the University to be used byanyone studying or working here. Allmachines are operated with copy cards(kopiokortti), a magnetic card. Copy cardsare sold in the Express Print shops. It ispossible to purchase cards with differentcopy quantities. More efficient machines(with sophisticated features), can be found inthe Express Print shops. You can operatethem with your copy card or have yourdocuments copied by staff.
Book shopsAkateeminen kirjakauppaKeskuskatu 1/Pohjoisesplanadi 39Tel. 09-121 4322 (switchboard)[email protected]/Excellent selection of foreign books,magazines, and papers.
Suomalainen kirjakauppaAleksanterinkatu 23 00100 HELSINKI Tel.09 852 [email protected]://www.suomalainen.com/Good selection of foreign books,magazines, and papers.
Computer shops
There are dozens of shops and departmentstores in Helsinki that sell computers. Someretailers might even give student discounts,when you show your student card.
Enrolment and registrationFirst year degree studentsYour faculty at the University of Helsinki willmail you a letter of acceptance (by regularmail or email) including information onaccepting your place of study as well as onsubmitting your enrolment documents.
When enrolling allBachelor and Master’s students arerequired to pay the annual Student Unionmembership fee. For doctoral students thefee is voluntary. Note: If you have both anBachelor/Master’s and a doctoral study right,then you have to pay the Student Union feefor Bachelor students.
For more information,please read the New Students website:
Exchange studentsExchange students are automaticallyenrolled at the University of Helsinki oncethey have been accepted to study at UH.
For exchange studentsthe Student Union fee is voluntary, but it ishighly recommended that you become amember of the Student Union. By payingthe Student Union fee you can access thestudent health care (does not apply todoctoral students), you can order a studentcard, you get discounts when eating at theUnicafe student cafeterias etc.
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For more information,please read the New Students website:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/new-students/enrolment
Second year and beyond - DegreestudentsRegistration for attendance (ornonattendance) is obligatory for all students:Bachelor, Master’s and doctoral in theirsecond year and beyond. Registration forthe upcoming academic year starts at thebeginning of May and runs usually untilAugust 31.
After you have completedyour annual registration, you can collect thestudent calendar and tags for your studentcard at one of the offices of the StudentServices. Tags for the student cards will beavailable from August 1.
Further information onregistration, the right to pursue studies, etc.is in Flamma: https://flamma.helsinki.fi/Directory and services > Students >Registration and enrolment. Please note thatyou have to be a registered student of theUniversity of Helsinki to access Flamma: youneed a user identifier and a password to login.
Did you forget to register?If you miss the registration, you will have tore-enrol. For more information aboutregistration after the first study year, pleaseread:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/continuing-your-studies
Second year and beyond - Onlineregistration on WebOodiWebOodi http://www.helsinki.fi/weboodi/is the preferable way of registering as it isdone fully on-line: your registration is valid
immediately. If you have a valid user ID ofthe University of Helsinki and an Internetbanking agreement with Nordea, PohjolaBank, Danske Bank, or Aktia, the easiestway to pay and register is via WebOodi.
For more information, please read:http://www.helsinki.fi/studying/enrolment_and_registration.shtml
Registering for non-attendanceStudents who register for non-attendancemust also inform the Student Services (seecontact information on page 30): this mustbe done between May 1 and August 31.
Year tag for your student cardAfter registering you may collect the year tag(the annual registration tag) for your studentcard at the Student Services. From themiddle of August to late August there is alsoa separate service point in the University’sMain Building (Fabianinkatu 33) where youcan collect the tag.
Cancelling your registrationIf you have enrolled for the entire academicyear, but you graduate during the autumnterm or otherwise want to cancel yourregistration, you can cancel your registrationby contacting the Student Services (seecontact information on page 30).
To cancel the registrationfor the autumn term or the entire academicyear, you need to do the cancellation no laterthan September 1. The cancellation of theregistration for the spring term has to bedone no later than January 15. You can askfor a refund of the Student Union fee at theStudent Union customer service bySeptember 30 / January 31.
Duration of studiesAn amendment to the Universities Actlimiting the duration of studies leading to a
Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degreecame into effect on August 1, 2005. The act
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sets a limit to how long a time an individualdegree student can spend on studies leadingto a degree.
The act pertains to:
· new students, who have begun theirstudies in the 2005 - 2006 academicyear or later,
· students, who have first begun theirstudies before the 2005 - 2006academic year, but are given a newright to pursue degree studies in 2005 -2006 or later.
An optimal duration has been imposed onthe completion of degree studies. Variousdegrees have varying time limits. Theregular duration of a combined bachelor’sand master’s degree is five (5) years: the firstdegree, a Bachelor’s degree, should becompleted in three (3) years, and after thefirst degree, the Master’s degree in two (2)
years. In Dentistry, Medicine, Psychologyand Veterinary Medicine there are divergingoptimal durations.Circumstances below are not included inthe duration of degree studies:
· national military service· maternity, paternity or parents’ leave· a maximum of one academic year (two
terms) of absence from studies, if thestudent has registered as not attending.
If the degree is not completed within thedefined time limit, the student may apply foran extension. The application for extensionmust include a realistic schedule forcompleting the degree. The attached studyplan must indicate study modules thestudent plans to complete and a timetable forthe completion of them.
More information isavailable at the faculty offices (see contactinformation on page 32).
Etappi – checkpoint systemThe University of Helsinki uses a system ofcheckpoints (ETAPPI-järjestelmä in Finnish)to support smooth study progress and,consequently, the timely completion ofdegrees.
In this system ofcheckpoints, study progress is monitored byassessing the accumulation of credits. Thefaculties determine the minimum number ofcredits required at each checkpoint. Study
progress is supported by means of apersonal study plan and supervision.
For further information about Etappi andplanning your studies see:https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/studyprogress/HY055576https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/new-students/plan-your-studies
Practices affecting doctoral studiesInformation about practices relating todoctoral studies can be found in Flamma:
https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/studyprogress/
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Student cardMembership of the Student Union (HYY)provides you with many benefits andservices. One of the major benefits ofmembership is a student card, providing youservices on campus and discounts allaround the country.
The Student Card is a smart card with thefollowing information and features:
· Your picture· Your personal information: name,
date of birth and student number· Your school-specific information:
university, faculty and studentunion
· A year tag: this is required toprove card validity
Benefits and discountsAs a student, you are entitled to a significantstudent meal discount by showing yourStudent Card in student restaurants. You willalso get an extra discount in the cafeterias
inside the University (UniCafes). These mealprices will prove valuable when you comparethem to Helsinki's restaurants.
In addition, with theexception of doctoral students, you’ll haveconvenient access to the services providedby the Finnish Student Health Services(FSHS). Consultations with generalpractitioners are free of charge, whilespecialist physician services are provided ata low cost.
Carry your Student Cardwith you at all times – you may stumble upondiscount opportunities anywhere! The cardprovides you with deals on school supplies,travel, local transportation, long distancerailway and bus travel, and also cultureevents and entry fees.
For more information about the student card,please see:http://hyy.helsinki.fi/en/students/student-card-and-year-tag
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III University services
Student ServicesStudent Services on the campusesOpiskelijaneuvonta kampuksilla
City Centre Campus(Main Building, ground floor)P.O. Box 3 (Fabianinkatu 33)00014 University of HelsinkiTel. 02 941 [email protected]
For opening hours, please see:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/contact-us/student-services
Kumpula CampusP.O. Box 44 (Gustaf Hällströminkatu 2a)00014 University of HelsinkiTel. 02 941 50066 and 02 941 [email protected] opening hours, please see:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/contact-us/student-services
The offices of the Student Services arelocated on two of the four campuses of theUniversity of Helsinki. They act as gatewaysto the services at the University and they canhelp you find the right person or office.Annual registrations are also carried out atthe Student Services.
The Student Servicessupply student calendars upon proof ofuniversity acceptance and Student Unionmembership payment. You may also acquiretranscripts, certificates of attendance,discount coupons for transportation andtravel, as well as authorised certificates forvarious purposes at the Student Services.
For more informationabout the services, please see:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/contact-us/student-services
Change of addressSince your contact information for universityuse is always obtained from the StudentRegister, you have to take care that yourcontact information is up to date. Theeasiest way to change your address isthrough WebOodi. If you do not have a userID for the networks of the University, you cangive your new address by e-mail or phone tothe Student Services.
Change of Finnish personal identity (i.e.social security) numberThe University of Helsinki gives allinternational students a temporary identitynumber to be used exclusively within theUniversity. After obtaining the officialFinnish Personal Identity Code (see page46), you should inform the StudentServices about it immediately. Thischange cannot be made through WebOodi.
Disabled Student ServicesVammaisten opiskelijoiden palvelutDisabled Student AdviserP.O. Box 3 (Fabianinkatu 33)00014 University of HelsinkiTel. 02 941 [email protected]
If you have a disability, an illness or alearning disability, you might need somespecial arrangements to be able to completeyour studies.
At the Student Serviceson the City centre campus you can getgeneral advice about special arrangements.To ensure proper progress in studies youshould also contact the faculty at the
A good idea is first to contact the StudentServices, if you are not quite sure whereto look for the information!
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beginning of the studies or as soon as theneed arises. The practical arrangementsshould be agreed upon by you and yourteacher before a course or seminar begins.
The Student services andfaculty or departmental staff work together inhelping the students to cope. At the StudentServices there is a student adviserespecially for students with disabilities andthose who need special arrangements intheir studies. You can contact the studentadviser if you need more information or helpwith arrangements that enable you toparticipate in lessons or examinations,access lecture rooms with a wheel chair or ifyou need more time in taking an exam etc.
If you need support toimprove your study skills you can alsocontact study psychologists.
For more information about the DisabledStudent Services:https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/services-students/HY054796
For more information about studypsychologists:https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/HY314486
Organisation for students with learningdisabilitiesThe aim of the organization Helsinginyliopiston erilaiset oppijat ry.is to promotethe cause of the students who are so calleddiverse learners, i.e. students with differentkinds of learning disabilities. Theorganisation was established in 2004. Formore information, please see:http://www.helsinki.fi/jarj/hyer/
Career servicesUrapalvelut
P.O. Box 3Pay a visit to: Main building, (Fabianinkatu33), Service Forum of the Student Services,ground floorFI-00014 University of HelsinkiTel. + 358 2 941 22125Office hours: Tue-Thu 13:00-15:00 (or by
appointment)[email protected]://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/careers/career-servicesIntranet Flamma: Directory and services »Students » Studies and employment
The Career Services will guide and supportyou from the very start of your studiesduring your first year at the University ofHelsinki until one year after the completionof your degree. Career Services providecareer guidance, career counselling,courses, and information on theopportunities offered by the labour market.
International Exchange ServicesKansainvälisen vaihdon palvelut
P.O. Box 3 (Fabianinkatu 33, ground floor)FI-00014 University of Helsinki
Consultation hours of the Student ExchangeCoordinators: Mon-Thu 10-15:00.
The International Exchange Servicesprovides services for both incoming andoutgoing exchange students at theUniversity of Helsinki.
E-mail addresses and phone numbers ofthe coordinators:
https://flamma.helsinki.fi> Directory andservices > Human resources > InternationalStaff ServicesInternational Staff Services at the Universityof Helsinki provides assistance and servicesfor all international personnel and theirdepartments at the University of Helsinki.
This includes personnel coming to work inFinland from abroad and going to workabroad from Finland. The main objective ofthe services is to distribute information andassist in the preparation and practicalmatters of living in Finland/abroad. Theservices are available online, via e-mail,phone and also in person at theadministration building on the centralcampus and in the Töölö Towers residence.
The services areavailable for all faculties and departmentsand international personnel working for theUniversity of Helsinki in Finland or abroad,regardless of the length of employment orthe source of funding. Feel free to contactISS for more information.
Study offices of the facultiesEach faculty has its own Study Office(opintotoimisto/kanslia), where the StudyAdvisers (opintoneuvojat) are available forconsultation on issues concerning curricula,examinations, degrees and courserequirements. The InternationalCoordinators (kansainvälisten asioiden
suunnittelijat) listed below are available forinternational students. If you are unable tocontact your faculty personnel duringconsultation hours, please make anappointment. Summer hours may vary:
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check your faculty’s website for them.
Faculty of Agriculture and ForestryMaatalous-metsätieteellinen tiedekunta
International students: InternationalCoordinator, Ms Sari Mikkola is availablefor consultation by appointment at theInfocentre (Infokeskus) in Viikki,tel. +358 02 941 58247,[email protected]
Study Office(Viikinkaari 11, Infokeskus, 3rd floor)Postal address: P.O. Box 6200014 University of HelsinkiTel. +358 2941 58449http://www.helsinki.fi/af-faculty/administration/office.html Officehours: Mon-Fri 9:00-15.45
Faculty of ArtsHumanistinen tiedekuntaConsultation for international [email protected]. +358 2941 22347
Postal address: Faculty of Arts, FacultyOffice, P.O. Box 24, FI-00014 University ofHelsinki
Faculty of Behavioural SciencesKäyttäytymistieteellinen tiedekunta
International students: the internationalRelations Officer Mr Turkka LavasteSiltavuorenpenger 5 A, room 209Tel. +358 2941 [email protected]
Faculty office(Siltavuorenpenger 5 A, Helsinki)Postal address: P.O. Box 9FI-00014 University of Helsinkihttp://www.helsinki.fi/behav/english/contact.htm
Faculty of Biological andEnvironmental SciencesBio- ja ympäristötieteellinen tiedekuntaInternational students: the InternationalAffairs Officer, Ms Virve KarhiTel: +358 2941 [email protected] hours: Tuesdays 12-14 or byappointment
Faculty Office(Environment House, Viikinkaari 2a)Postal address: P.O. Box 5600014 University of HelsinkiTel. +358 294 1911http://www.helsinki.fi/bio/faculty/Office hours: Mon-Thu 12-14Friday closed
Faculty of LawOikeustieteellinen tiedekunta
Study advising for MICL andexchange/visiting students: Mervi Muru,Study SecretaryRoom P320Master´s studies: [email protected] students: [email protected]. +358 2941 23204 Fax +358 294122152Office hours during semesters: Tue–Thu 9–11.30 (June-August by appointment only)
International relations and cooperationagreements:Teija Isotalo, International AffairsCoordinator.Office hours during semesters Tue and Thu9-11.30 (June-August by appointment only),[email protected]. +358 504160620
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Faculty Office(Yliopistonkatu 3, Porthania building, 3rdfloor, room P357) Postal address: P.O. Box4 00014 University of HelsinkiTel. +358-2941 22477http://www.helsinki.fi/law/studies/general/affairs_office.html
Faculty of MedicineLääketieteellinen tiedekunta
International students:[email protected]. +358 2941 26627.http://www.med.helsinki.fi/english/administration/office.html
Study Office(Tukholmankatu 8B, 5th floor)Postal address: P.O. Box 2000014 University of HelsinkiTel. +358 (0)9 191 26620http://www.med.helsinki.fi/english/administration/office.html
Office hours: Mon-Thu 9-11 and 12-15,closed on Fridays
Faculty of PharmacyFarmasian tiedekunta
International students: InternationalAffairs Officer, Ms Virve KarhiEnvironment House, Viikinkaari 2aTel: +358 2941 [email protected] hours: Tuesdays 12-14 or byappointment
Faculty Office(Biocenter 2, Viikinkaari 5 beginning from1.8.2015, until that the address of the officeis Viikinkaari 9)Postal address: P.O. Box 5600014 University of HelsinkiTel. +358 (0)9 191 59137http://www.helsinki.fi/pharmacy/
Office hours: Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00
Faculty of ScienceMatemaattis-luonnontieteellinen tiedekunta
International students: the PlanningOfficer of Academic Affairs is available forconsultation Mon-Fri 10:00-15:00, tel. +3582941 50065 [email protected]
Study OfficeP.O. Box 64 (Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2a)00014 University of HelsinkiTel. +358 2941 50065http://www.helsinki.fi/facultyofscience/faculty/office.html
Faculty of Social SciencesValtiotieteellinen tiedekunta
International students: the InternationalCoordinator, Ms Marianne Järveläinen isavailable for consultation 9.15-11.00 or byappointmenttel. +358-2941 [email protected]
A list of contact persons for internationalstudents in the various departments of theFaculty of Social Sciences is available athttp://www.helsinki.fi/socialsciences/studying/current/exchange_coordinators.html
Study Office(Unioninkatu 37, entrance fromSnellmaninkatu 14 or through the gate atYrjö-Koskisen katu)Postal address: P.O. Box 54)00014 University of HelsinkiTel. +358 2941 [email protected]://www.helsinki.fi/socialsciences/administration/index.html
Swedish School of Social ScienceSvenska social- och kommunalhögskolan
International students: International
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Planning Officer, Ms AnneSophieHokkanen is mainly available forconsultation Tue and Thu 13:00-15:00 andWednesday 9-11, but also by appointment,tel. +358 2941 [email protected]
International students: Planning OfficerMs. Anne Hopia is available at Vuorikatu 3,2nd floor, room 210 on Thursdays between12:30-14:00 or by appointment (call or sendan e-mail), tel. +358 2941 24016,[email protected]
Study Office(Vuorikatu 3)
Postal address: P.O. Box 4 00014University of Helsinki Tel. +358 2941 911http://www.helsinki.fi/teol/tdk/english/administration/faculty_office.htm
Faculty of Veterinary MedicineEläinlääketieteellinen tiedekunta
International Students: InternationalPlanning Officer, Ms Janna Koivisto isavailable for consultation by appointment,tel. +358 (0)9 2941 57156, mobile +358(0)50 4154480,[email protected]
Study Office (Agnes Sjöbergin katu 2)Postal address: P.O. Box 66 00014University of HelsinkiTel. +358 2941-911, fax. 191 57161http://www.vetmed.helsinki.fi/english/administration/administration.html
Office hours: Mon-Thu 9:00-15:00,International Study Affairs are availableTuesday-Thursday from 9:00-15:00
Other servicesUnisportA student on the move?
Where are you going in your studies? Areyou a busy first-year student or are youmoving on to your minor studies? Find thesport or type of exercise that best suits yourstudy rhythm. Challenge a friend to a salsaclass or take a break from the books on aclimbing wall. Start it as a student, and you’llbe an expert at it in later life. It looks like well-being is your thing.
UniSport is a joint venturebetween the University of Helsinki and AaltoUniversity offering sports and exerciseservices. Our goal is to promote wellbeing inthe academic community and society ingeneral by increasing awareness of personalwellbeing, providing sports and exerciseopportunities as well as fostering an
environment conducive to exercise.UniSport offers meeting spots for membersof the academic community at the twouniversities’ six campuses. UniSportprovides everything an active, or one aboutto become that, person requires.
Training cardA Training Card is the best exercisecompanion that you can have. A TrainingCard gives you access to all gyms on allcampuses from morning to evening. You canparticipate in group fitness sessions as wellas ball sports practices and clinics.
Courts and gymsExercise is better in groups. On ourcampuses there are different kinds of sportsgrounds and gyms, and you can book timein a gym for yourself or your group. Take
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friends or people from your course to playbadminton or floor ball, or even dance.
CoursesCourses in various sports guarantee an easyway of getting to know new sports or leaningmore - from jazz dance to weightlifting. Thecourses are chargeable.
Club activitiesInterested in sports club activities andcompeting? The university’s sports clubs arethe right option for you. A number of martialart clubs and ball sports clubs train at ourfacilities. Contact them to find out schedulesfor beginners´ courses and weekly trainings.
To learn more and get the feelingwww.unisport.fiwww.facebook.com/unisportfion Twitter@unisportfiInstagram@unisportfi
IT servicesTietotekniikkapalvelut
The IT Centre produces and offers studentsand personnel IT services at the universityhttp://www.helsinki.fi/atk/english/
Helpdesk – IT support and guidanceTel. 02 941 55555Open on working days 8.00 am –5.00 [email protected]://www.helsinki.fi/helpdesk/eng
On Helpdesk’s service site, you will find ITguides and instructions. The IT pages forfreshmen can be found at:http://www.helsinki.fi/helpdesk/7012/eng/
Access rightsNew students can activate their user accountat the Welcome Fair. Students receiveadditional information about acquiring a useraccount with the acceptance letter from theuniversity.http://www.helsinki.fi/helpdesk/5010/eng
Acces rights, IT guidance and computerlabsContact information and opening hours:http://www.helsinki.fi/helpdesk/7000/eng/
Legal Aid CommitteeThe Legal Aid Committee of the LawStudents’ Association (Pykälä ry) provideslegal consultation and advice in legal matters.It is free of charge for members of theStudent Union of the University of Helsinki(HYY). Read more about HYY’s membershipon page 40.
Consultation is availableby e-mail, telephone or in person. The LegalAid Committee does not draft nor preparedocuments but it can counsel in thesematters and look through drafted documents.Tax related matters are excluded from theconsultation of the Committee. This meansthat the Committee will not give any adviceon tax related matters.
Consultation hours during the academicterm: Monday and Thursday 17:00-19:00.Summer consultation hours will beannounced in the spring on Pykälä ry’s webpage: http://pykala.fi/oikeusapu/
Equality and DiversityHuman Resources and Legal Affairs
P. O. Box 33 (Yliopistonkatu 4, 3rd floor)Tel. +358 2941 [email protected]://flamma.helsinki.fi/> Directory andServices > About the University > Equalityand Accessibilityhttp://www.helsinki.fi/henkos/tasaarvo/index.htm (in Finnish)
The University of Helsinki is committed topromoting equality and preventing
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discrimination in all its operations. Equalityand, as a related factor, accessibilitycontribute to the quality of everyday life forthe diverse and multilingual Universitycommunity. The University strives topromote a sense of community. This meansthat the University seeks to promote a senseof trust and mutual appreciation in allinteractions. Recognition of the fact that allpeople are different but equal facilitates thegeneration of trust.
The University of HelsinkiEquality and Diversity Plan 2013 – 2016includes the goals and measures to be takenfor the strategic period 2013–2016. Many ofthe goals featured in the plan take the formof permanent practices. The plan is availableon the University website athttp://www.helsinki.fi/henkos/tasa-arvoand at Flammahttps://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/HY1002390
Promotion of AccessibilityThe University of Helsinki offers advice fordisabled students and employees inintegrating into the academic community andin acquiring the necessary aids and learningmaterials. https://flamma.helsinki.fi/ >Directory and Services > About theUniversity > Equality and Accessibility >Promotion of AccessibilityStudent Services for Disabled Studentshttp://www.helsinki.fi/studying/disabled_student_services.shtmlhttps://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/new-students/plan-your-studies> Specialarrange- ments in studies and examsSpecial Arrangements:https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/special-arrangements/HY1001737
Prevention of inappropriate treatmentThe University disapproves of any kind ofinappropriate treatment, bullying orharassment. Students at the University ofHelsinki have the right to a safe and pleasantstudy environment. Consequently, all unitsand departments must ensure that theirstudents are not subjected to harassment orinappropriate treatment in their studies and
supervision. The University has draftedinstructions for the prevention ofinappropriate treatment and harassment.Flamma:https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/HY1002421University web site:http://www.helsinki.fi/henkos/tasa-arvo/prevention_of_inappropriate_treatment.htm
Harassment situationsIn harassment situations, sexual orotherwise, students may also turn to theStudent Union’s harassment contactpersons (contact information at www.hyy.fi).They guide students who feel that they havebeen harassed within the academiccommunity, with full confidentiality.Harassment contact persons can also becontacted by e-mail [email protected] (the e-mailreaches both of them).
ChildcareLapsiparkki
The Student Union offers short-termchildcare for its members’ children of sixmonths and older. The Student UnionChildcare Centre Lapsiparkki is open Mon-Thu 8:00-16:00 and Fri 8:00- 14:00 atSiltavuorenpenger 3 C.
The maximum time perchild is three hours for the fee of 4 euro perhour. Reservations are to be made early inadvance via [email protected]
The Centre is often fullybooked, so please cancel your reservationshould you not need it – otherwise full pricewill be charged for the reservation.
For more information,contact the nannies, Mrs Marika Dolivo andMrs Katariina Haikala-Tikander [email protected], tel. 050 303 8333, orthe Chief Financial Officer of the StudentUnion, Mrs Merja Viitasalo,[email protected], tel. 050 534 2963.
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Study psychologistsOpintopsykologit
Are you struggling in your studies?Need to improve your study skills?Wish to overcome procrastination?Experiencing lack of motivation?Thesis-writing getting stuck?On the verge of burn out?Finnish study culture: how to navigate newterritory?
Study psychologists are experts on learning,motivation and well-being. They provideconfidential individual counseling for study-related problems. You can request anappointment on your own initiative.
A study psychologist willtypically meet an individual student from oneto five times. The purpose of the service is tohelp you make changes in the way you goabout studying. The service is available for
all students studying either at undergraduateor master levels, including foreign exchangestudents.
More information online:https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/HY314486Email: [email protected]
University chaplainYliopistopappi
If you need someone to talk to you can makean appointment with the university chaplain.You can also contact the universitychaplains if you wish to contact a communityof your respective religion in Finland. Theuniversity chaplains help internationalstudents to find contacts with differentreligious communities in Finland regardlessof the religion.Reverend Leena [email protected]
Helsinki University Library and the National Libraryof Finland
Information and library services of theUniversity of Helsinki
The extensive electronic and printedcollections and services of the HelsinkiUniversity library are available to you and toanyone else.
How to access online resources Access e-resources, such as databases, electronicjournals and e-books via- the website of the library,www.helsinki.fi/kirjasto/en/ or- the Nelli information seeking portal,www.nelliportaali.fi or - browse e-books inthe BookNavigator,www.terkko.helsinki.fi/booknavigator
Remote accessAs a university student, you can access thee-material from outside the universitynetwork through the library home page, the
Nelli portal and SFX links. Clicking on thenames of the e-material will bring up a formfor logging on to services at the University ofHelsinki. Fill in the form with your UHusername and password and permit thedisclosure of your personal information.
Terms of usePlease note as a user of e-material, youhave certain rights and responsibilities. Youwill find the terms of use for each item in theNelli portal. Click on the i button by the itemif you want to see its conditions for use.
How to borrow printed booksTo reserve, borrow and renew materials, youneed a Helsinki University Library's Helkacard. You can get a library card from thelibrary the first time you take out a loan bypresenting a passport and a certificate of
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attendance. You can also order the librarycard in advance on the web with this form:https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/44022/lomake.html The ordered card will beavailable for pick-up after 2 working days inany of the Helsinki University Librarylocations.
Material from HelsinkiUniversity Library may be returned in allHelsinki University Library sites (Kumpula,Main Library, Meilahti, Dental Library, Viikki).If you return or renew your loans late,overdue fines will be collected for them. Yourborrowing rights may be blocked temporarilyif your loans are late (usually 14 days) or youhave unpaid fees (15 euro or more).
Support for learningThe libraries provide information skillstraining in the academic fields of theuniversity. The libraries also supplycomputers and study rooms, both for quietindependent studying and for group work.
Library locations and contactinformationThe Helsinki University Library comprisesthe City Centre, Kumpula, Meilahti and Viikkicampus libraries. Information aboutcollections and services is available via thewebsite of the Helsinki University Library,www.helsinki.fi/kirjasto/en/
Main Library in the Kaisa House Fields:behavioural sciences, humanities, law,social sciences, theology Access:Fabianinkatu 30
The Kumpula Campus Library Fields:physics, geologic and atmospheric sciences,chemistry, geography, mathematics andstatistics, computer science and astronomyAccess: Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2
The Meilahti Campus Library TerkkoFields: medicine and health sciencesAccess: Haartmaninkatu 4
Dental Library Hammas Fields: dentistryAccess: Mannerheimintie 172 C 2nd floorThe National Library of Finland Fields:extensive collections in the fields ofhumanities and social sciences and largecollections of periodicals, manuscripts,microfilms, maps, music, and other specialmaterials. The collections include • National Collection• Slavonic Library - collection dates from thetime of the Russian Empire• Music Library and the Finnish NationalSound Archive
Access: Fabianinkatu 35 Web page:www.nationallibrary.fi
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IV Student Union of the University of Helsinki
Helsingin yliopiston ylioppilaskunta (HYY)HYY Services OfficeMannerheimintie 5 A 2nd floor00100 HelsinkiTel. +358 50 551 [email protected]
Keep up to date and follow us!www.facebook.com/HYY.HUSwww.instagram.com/hyy_huswww.twitter.com/ylioppilaskunta
One of the best things studying at theUniversity of Helsinki is its active communityof students, the Student Union of theUniversity of Helsinki. HYY representsstudents, looks after their interests andprovides friends and benefits.
MembershipBy being a member of the Student Union yougain several important discounts andservices. All degree students registered atthe University of Helsinki are automaticallymembers of HYY, and exchange studentsare also warmly welcome to join and enjoythe benefits of membership!
The membership fee forthe entire academic year 2015-2016 is 102 €(or 52 € for the autumn term and 50 € for thespring term alone).
More information on joining the StudentUnion: www.hyy.fi/join
Member Benefits and Services
Student CardAs a member of HYY Student Union youmay order the national all-in-one StudentCard, which gives you many discounts allaround Finland, including long distancetravel. Fill out your application for the cardand read about the numerous benefits atFrank’s website.www.frank.fi
Student MealsWith the student card, you receive discountin all the student restaurants and cafés inFinland.The UniCafe student restaurants, owned byHYY, offer you inexpensive meals on localcampuses.www.unicafe.fi
Student Health CareFinnish Student Health Service (FSHS)provides affordable everyday health care.www.yths.fi/en
Help and SupportHYY’s specialists help and give advice toHYY's members in problem situationsconcerning their studies or everyday life. Ifyou have any questions on housing orincome, for example, you can ask HYY’sspecialists for advice.Free legal assistance for HYY’s membersprovided by Pykälä ry, find out more on page36.
ActivitiesThere are more than 250 different studentorganisations within the Student Union.From sports clubs and photographyassociations to faculty organisations, there issomething for everyone! Both the StudentUnion and the organisations arrange severalevents and parties throughout the year.
The Freshman GuideRead more about student life in Helsinki fromFreshman Guide published by HYY.You can find a complete list of all memberbenefits and services on HYY’s website.www.hyy.fi/memberservices
Student Organisations within HYYThe student organisation culture isexceptionally rich and diverse in Finland andin Helsinki. Over 250 different studentorganisations within HYY open a field of
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opportunities and make sure you find theright people for right activities. Participatingin organisations and their events is a greatway to network and meet people, makefriends, have fun, learn new skills, challengeyourself and make the most of your studentlife. There is something for everyone: fromsport clubs and photography associations tofaculty organisations and student nations.You can find more information aboutorganisations on HYY’s website.www.hyy.fi/organisations
HYY’s Events During the Academic YearHYY arranges several events and festivitiesfor members throughout the year.
31 August: The Opening Carnival takesplace on the City Centre Campus in the MainBuilding of the University and in Porthania.30 Sep: The Freshman Adventure is a cityrace where you get to know the studentorganizations, their clubrooms and othernew students.
20–26 Nov: HYY celebrates its anniversaryon 26 November. HYY Anniversary Weekoffers various cultural activities.6 Dec: Independence Day is celebrated withuniversity students’ torchlight processionfrom Hietaniemi Cemetery to the SenateSquare.30 Apr – 1 May: May Day (Vappu) is thelargest university students’ celebration thatstarts each year on May Day Eve 30 April.On May Day thousands of students gather inKaivopuisto park for a picnic.13 May: Flora’s Day is a spring festival in theend of the academic year.
Influencing in HYYIn the Student Union, you can make adifference in many ways. You can joincommittee activities, give feedback to theBoard or the members of the RepresentativeCouncil or aim at decision-making yourself.The easiest way to influence is to vote in theRepresentative Council elections, which areheld every two years.
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V Studying in Finland
Residence Permit and Right of Residence in Finland
General requirementsA residence permit (oleskelulupa) isnecessary for foreigners wishing to stay inFinland for more than 90 days. Residencepermits must be obtained before coming toFinland (For EU/EAA regulations, see below)from the nearest Finnish embassy orconsulate. The residence permit can beapplied online. The reason for entry mustbe clearly stated. Foreigners coming toFinland as tourists will usually not be granteda residence permit in Finland. Only inexceptional cases can a residence permit begranted after you have already enteredFinland.
Citizens of the Nordic countriesIf you are moving to Finland from anotherNordic country (Sweden, Norway, Denmarkor Iceland), you must notify the local registeroffice (see contact information on pages 46-47) no later than one week after the movingdate. Remember to bring your passport withyou when registering.
EU-citizens and citizens ofLiechtenstein and SwitzerlandIf you are a citizen of the EU, Iceland,Liechtenstein or Switzerland you will notrequire a residence permit for Finland. Youwill be free to reside and study in Finland forup to three months. If your studiescontinue for longer than 90 days youmust register your right of residencebefore the end of the 90 day period. Toregister you must visit your local police (seecontact information on pages 44).
To register your right of residence, you willneed:
· an EU registration form· your national proof of identity or
passport· proof of being registered with a Finnish
educational institution and havingadequate health insurance cover
Non-EU citizensYou must apply for a residence permit ifyou plan to study in Finland for longerthan 90 days. Apply for a visa if your studieswill take less than 90 days. You can study for90 days without a visa or residence permit ifyou are a citizen of a visa-free country.
Apply for a residencepermit as soon as you have received anacceptance letter from the university. Youcan submit your application electronically athttp://www.migri.fi/studying_in_finland
If you have submittedyour application via e-service, you need tovisit a Finnish embassy to verify your identityand to present the original copies of anysupplements needed for the application. Anapplication cannot be processed until youhave visited the embassy. Take the originalsof all your documents with you to theembassy even if you have submitted yourapplication electronically. Take also yourpassport and passport photo with you to theembassy. Make sure that your passport isvalid for your entire stay in Finland or longer.At the embassy, you will also befingerprinted for a biometric residence permitcard.
You can also submit theapplication personally in paper to a Finnishembassy in your home country or in acountry in which you are legally residing.
Applying electronically isthe fastest way to get the decision to your
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application. For further information onapplying for a visa, the validity periods ofvisas and visa application fees, as well as alist of countries whose citizens do not needvisas, see the Ministry for Foreign Affairswebsite:http://www.migri.fi/studying_in_finland
Is a visa needed first? A visa is needed ifthe student has to participate in an entranceexam in Finland prior to being accepted atthe educational institution and if he or she isa citizen of a country that has not signed anagreement on the abolition of visas withFinland. For information on visa applications,please see the Ministry for Foreign Affairswebsite www.formin.finland.fi > Services >Foreign nationals arriving in Finland
You can apply for thepermit in Finland if you take an entranceexam here and start your studies soon afterthe exam. You may stay in the countrylegally during the application processingperiod, though your visa may have expired.
Apply for the permit at apolice service point in your place ofresidence. Contact the police to find outwhich service point in the area provideslicense services. The police will forward yourapplication to the Finnish ImmigrationService for a decision.
How long is a residence permit valid?A residence permit granted to a student istemporary by its nature. If the studies last formore than a year, the residence permit isusually granted for one year at a time. Atemporary residence permit bears the letterB. A new fixed-term residence permit isissued by the police. The applicationshould be submitted in good time beforethe previous one expires.
The police will issue theapplicant a new fixed-term residence permitif the criteria on which the previous fixed-term residence permit was granted remainvalid. The student must prove that he or shehas secure means of support either througha grant, stipend or other funds. The applicant
must have a minimum of 560 euro a month,or 6 720 euro a year, at his or her disposal.
What happens after the studies arecompleted?After completing the studies, the studentmay remain in Finland if he or she can begranted a new residence permit on othergrounds. The permit may be granted, forexample, for continuing studies (within thesame field) or based on family ties oremployment.
A foreigner who hasreceived a degree in Finland can also get aresidence permit for search for work.
Can the decision be appealed against?You may appeal against the decision madeon a residence permit application to anAdministrative Court. Instructions on how toappeal are appended to the decision.
Renewing your Residence PermitResidence permits for students are normallyvalid for one year from the issue date: thedate of expiration is printed on the permit. Ifyou are studying for several years, a newresidence permit is required for each year.The permit extension for studying is appliedfor using the same form as for the firstresidence permit application. When youapply for a new residence permit, you willneed:
· the appropriate form (OLE_OPI)· your passport· information on the your means of
support· information on your health insurance· a certificate of attendance from a
Finnish educational institution· information on the progress of
studies · a photograph
These documents should be submitted atthe local police office dealing with residencepermits. For more detailed instructions seehttp://www.poliisi.fi/ > In English >Licences > Licences and permits forforeigners
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Helsinki Region Immigration PoliceOffices
Helsinki (Mon-Fri 9 am – 11 am):Pasilan poliisitalo 2,AULA 2, Pasilanraitio11 00241 HELSINKI Tel. 0295417911
Note: the Helsinki Police Departmenthandles license matters by appointment.You can make the appointment by using theelectronic system at www.poliisi.fi or bycalling 0295 418 180 (between 13:00- 15:00)Please note that this number is only formaking appointments for license mattersand not for enquiries.
EU citizens: The Helsinki PoliceDepartment has a dedicated queue operatedwith queue numbers for the registration ofEuropean Union citizens at the Pasila PoliceStation 2. The queue serves EU citizensfrom Monday to Friday between 12:40 and3:15 p.m.
The dedicated queueaims to ease the congested customerservice. Other applications will continue tobe handled by appointment. The exceptionto the rule are completed documents whichmay be picked up from the INFO queuewithout an appointment.
Espoo (Mon-Fri 8.00 am – 4.15 pm):Nihtisillankuja 4 02630 EspooTel. 0295 430281Note: the Espoo Police Departmenthandles license matters by appointmentonly. You can make the appointment byusing the electronic system atwww.poliisi.fi or by calling 0295 413 160(Mon-Fri 9.00 - 11.00).
Vantaa (Mon-Fri 8.00 am – 4.15 pm):Kielotie 15 01300 VantaaTel. 0295 430 291Note: the Vantaa Police Departmenthandles license matters by appointmentonly. You can make the appointment byusing the electronic system atwww.poliisi.fi or by calling 0295 413 620(Mon-Fri 9.00 - 11.00).
Please note that in Helsinki you shouldsubmit your residence permit applicationseveral months before the permit runsout and it may take a very long time toprocess your residence permit application(six to seven months for non-EU students).Elsewhere the average processing time isshorter. For more information, seehttp://www.migri.fi/ (Finnish ImmigrationService) or http://www.poliisi.fi/ (Police).
Student’s health insuranceCitizens of third countries arriving in Finlandfor the purpose of studying are required tohave health insurance, if the period of studylasts for more than three months. Therequirement is the same for degree-seekingand for visiting/exchange students.
The term “third-countrynational” in this context refers to a personwho is not a citizen of either one of the EUcountries or a citizen of one of the followingcountries: Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein orSwitzerland. Students from Quebec(Canada) are also exempted from the healthinsurance requirement.
Health insurance must beobtained prior to applying for a residencepermit and the health insurance must bevalid upon entry to Finland. Studentsapplying for an extension of their residencepermit must also have valid health insurance.The type of health insurance policy a studentneeds depends on his/her duration ofstudies in Finland that, in turn, affects theright of domicile in Finland.
What kind of insurance will I need whenmy studies last for more than threemonths?
· The insurance deductible must notexceed 300 euros.
· Your insurance must cover medicalexpenses in the amount of 100,000euros if your studies in Finland last lessthan two years. A third-country studentwho enters Finland to study for lessthan two years is not usually grantedthe right of domicile, i.e. a home
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municipality in Finland, and therefore isnot entitled to municipal health careservices.
· Your insurance must cover medicalexpenses in the amount of 30,000euros if your studies in Finland last twoyears or longer. A third-country studentwho enters Finland to study for at leasttwo years is usually granted the right todomicile, i.e. a home municipality inFinland and is therefore entitled tomunicipal health care services. Moreabout the right to domicile below(Popular Registration.
· Do not take out a regular travelinsurance. It is meant for holiday tripslasting less than three months.
· You must have insurance for yourentire stay in Finland. Your insurancemust be valid at the time of your arrivalin Finland. Take out a one-yearinsurance policy if you intend to studyin Finland for one year or longer. Besure to renew your insurance prior toexpiry.
You can apply for insurance abroad at aninsurance company in your home country orenquire about suitable insurance at
international insurance companies. Finnishdiplomatic missions and the Finnish policewill provide further advice. Up till now,Finnish insurance companies do not grantprivate insurance equivalent to the Finnishhealth insurance scheme as separateinsurance cover.
Foreign countries andinternational insurance companies offer awide range of insurances. There are severalinternational insurance companies that offerhealth insurance policies: check theirwebsites for details and contact them directlyfor further information on prices andcoverage.
MARSH Student Insurance Package (SIP)One good option is to take out the Marsh SIPinsurance which has been preapproved bythe Finnish Immigration Service. This pre-approval will result in a quicker decision onyour application for a residence permit. Formore detailed information about the type ofcoverage you will need and its cost, pleasevisit the insurance providers website:www.sipinsurance.eu
Population RegistrationBasic information on people residing inFinland is recorded in the PopulationInformation System. Information that isregistered includes e.g. name, date of birth,nationality, family relationships and address.Under Finnish legislation, all foreigncitizens residing in Finland for a periodlonger than one year are required toregister their details in the PopulationInformation System. The registration takesplace at a local Register Office (maistraatti).
The information registered is used for suchpurposes as elections, taxation, health care,judicial administration and statisticalprocedures.
A Finnish municipality ofresidence is registered for foreigners whohave moved to Finland if they intend to stayhere permanently and if they also have aresidence permit for at least one year.Degree students, who study in Finlandfor at least two years, are usually granted
Do not terminate your insurance policy, oryou will have to cover medical andhospital expenses yourself if you becomeill.
Please note that the right to use FinnishStudent Health Service (FSHS) does notexempt a student from having to take outhealth insurance.
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a home municipality. Having the right ofdomicile, i.e. a home municipality,entitles degree students to for examplemunicipal health care services andstudent discount on the Helsinki region’spublic transportation.
To register at thepopulation register office, bring yourpassport/formal identity card with aphotograph as well as a valid residencepermit with you. Citizens of the Nordiccountries do not need a residence permit.For EU-citizens and citizens of Liechtensteinand Switzerland the residence permit is theregistration certificate confirming your rightof residence, issued by the local policestation in Finland. For non-EU citizens thefirst residence permit is usually obtained inthe home country before arriving in Finland.For more information on the different kindsof residence permits, please see the sectionResidence permit and right to reside inFinland.
More information inEnglish is available at the PopulationRegister Centre website atwww.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi
Obtaining a Finnish personalidentity code
Foreign citizens who study in in Finland forat least three months should apply the samekind of personal identity code as Finnishcitizens have. The personal identity code isused for identification purposes in banks,hospitals, schools, institutions, by variousauthorities etc.
Citizens of non EU/EEA member statesWhen you apply for a residence permit,please ask to be registered in the FinnishPopulation Information System. By doing so,you will receive a Finnish personal identitycode already before arrival, which will makeyour life in Finland easier.
Citizens of EU/EEA-member states,Liechtenstein and SwitzerlandWhen you register your right to reside inFinland at the local police station, please askto be registered in the Finnish PopulationInformation System. By doing so, you willreceive a Finnish personal identity code,which will make your life in Finland easier.
For details, please see:http://www.poliisi.fi/licences_and_permits_for_foreigners/eu_the_european_union
Citizens of Nordic countriesVisit the local register office (maistraatti)and ask to be registered in the FinnishPopulation Information System. By doingso, you will receive a Finnish personalidentity code, which will make your life inFinland easier.
For details, please see:http://www.maistraatti.fi/en/Services/place_of_domicile_and_population_data/
A personal identity code is a series ofnumbers, consisting of the person’s date ofbirth, a unique identifying number and asingle-digit control character. The uniqueidentifying number differentiates personsborn on the same day. An uneven number isissued for men and an even number forwomen. The control character is either anumber or a letter.For example, in the personal identity code131052-308T
· 131052 = date of birth (date/month/year)· 308 = unique identifying number· T = control character.
Before you have a Finnish Personal IDcode,the university will give you a temporary codethat you can use at the university. When youget your official Finnish Personal ID-code,remember to inform the Student Servicesabout it! For the contact information of
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Student Services (see page 30 for contactinformation).
Helsinki Region Local RegisterOfficesRegister Offices are local population registerauthorities. You will find the address andtelephone number of your local RegisterOffice online athttp://www.maistraatti.fi/en/
VantaaKielotie 15, PO box 112, 01301 VANTAATel: 02955 3933Fax: 02955 36466E-mail: [email protected]: Mon - Fri 09.00 - 16.15, no newqueue numbers after 16.00. Place ofdomicile and population data phone hours9-11 and 12-15.
Financing of studiesFinland and especially Helsinki is quite anexpensive place to live. Even though Finnishuniversities have no tuition fees, you have totake into consideration that you need to haveenough financial means to pay your rent,personal expenses, transportation costs,meals etc.
Please make sure thatyou make the needed arrangements foradequate funding for your entire period ofstudy before leaving your home country. Thetotal living expenses of a single studentstudying in Helsinki range from 700 to1000 euro per month - depending on yourspending habits. See more about the cost ofliving on page 48.
Finding temporary workor a part-time job in Helsinki can be difficult;especially if you do not have a sufficientknowledge of Finnish or Swedish language.Therefore you cannot count on financingyour studies in Finland by working while youstudy.
There are also a verylimited number of scholarships or grants thatcould cover the full financing your studies.
Most of the grants offered by the Universityof Helsinki and other institutions arerelatively small, ranging anything from 150euro to 2000 euro.
Exchange studentsAs a rule, exchange students (i.e. studentswho register for a limited period of studiesthrough a certain exchange programme aswell as through a bilateral or multilateralagreement) are awarded a grant on thebasis of that programme or agreement.Erasmus and Nordplus grants are alwaysawarded to students in their home country.Please contact the International Affairs orequivalent at your home institution or yourown department for more information ongrants and other benefits they may beoffering.
Visiting studentsVisiting students, who come to study at theUniversity outside the exchangeprogrammes or without any institutional ordepartmental agreements between theirhome institution and the University of
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Helsinki, have to finance their studiesthemselves.
Degree studentsInternational degree students must arrangefunding themselves. Look for the possibilitiesat your home country. Is there a studentfinancial aid system in your country? Whatabout grants and scholarships for studyingabroad?
The University of Helsinkioffers some start-up grants for studentsaccepted to study in an InternationalMaster's Programme. More information isprovided in the next chapter.
Students alreadystudying at the University of Helsinki canapply for e.g. the scholarships offered by theUniversity of Helsinki Funds. Moreinformation is available in the next chapterand at the UH Funds websitehttps://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/during-your-studies/apply-for-a-grant
Doctoral studentsPhD studies at the University of Helsinki maybe either employed under a contact with theuniversity, grant-funded or self-funded. Thefunding source does not necessarilyinfluence the content of the research, but itdoes affect the PhD student´s status at theUniversity and also other practical matterssuch as immigration, health care, housingoptions etc.
You can ask for moreinformation from your home faculty ordepartment at the University of Helsinki.
PhD students alreadystudying at the University of Helsinki canapply for e.g. the scholarships offered by theUniversity of Helsinki Funds. Moreinformation is available in the next chapterand at the UH Funds websitehttps://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/during-your-studies/apply-for-a-grant
Student's incomeThe Finnish government does not usuallyfund the stay of foreign students in Finland.The applicant must show that his or her
income is secured with a scholarship, a grantor other funds with which the student cansupport him- or herself during the academicyear. Students must be able to prove thatthey have at their disposal at least 560 euroa month or 6720 euro for a year. If theeducational institution offers free tuition,accommodation and meals, the requiredamount can be reduced.
Cost of livingAll students have to pay for theiraccommodation and living expenses as wellas their books and other study materials.The total living expenses of a single studentrange from 700 to 1000 euro per month -depending on your spending habits.
For rent in a studentdormitory and residence hall you shouldbudget about 400 euro a month (in asingle room). The rent for a studio orfamily flat is higher; it ranges from 500 to850 euro a month depending on the flat andthe location.
Lunch at the Unicafestudent cafeterias costs between 2,60 and4,40 euro for undergraduate and graduatestudents, for doctoral students the cost is4,60 to 6,40 euro. The price depends on thelunch and the method of payment.
Local transportation costsare about 24,80 euro / 30-days travels inHelsinki and 49,30 euro / 30-days regionaltravels from Espoo and Vantaa to Helsinki(prices shown include the student discountwhich is available to undergraduate andgraduate students under the age of 30).
Your student status, andespecially the Student Union membership,entitles mainly undergraduate and graduatestudents to various services at affordableprices as well as to an abundance of studentdiscounts. The discounts for doctoral(Ph.D.) students are more limited.
Is a student allowed to work whilestudying?Students who have a residence permitgranted on the basis of studying may engagein gainful employment without restrictions
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when the work consists of practical trainingor diploma work as part of a degree.
During study termswhen actual instruction is being given,you are allowed to do an average of 25hours of part-time work weekly. Thenumber of working hours is not restrictedweekly but the restriction concerns eachterm during which work can be periodisedaccording to the situation. During holidays,i.e. during summer and Christmasholidays, you can work full-time withouthourly restrictions.
Income from part-timework done during study terms may be takeninto account in a discretionary manner inassessing the amount of available meansrequired for livelihood. However, this is notpossible in the case of first residence permits.
Citizens of EU/EEA-countries or Nordic countries can workwithout restrictions during the studies.You will also require a Finnish personalidentity code (henkilötunnus) and a tax card(verokortti).
Grants and scholarshipsThere is a wide range of grants andscholarships offered by the University ofHelsinki and other institutions forundergraduate, graduate and doctoralstudents. However, there are a very limitednumber of scholarships or grants thatcould cover the full financing yourstudies! The majority of the grants offeredby the University of Helsinki and otherinstitutions are relatively small, ranginganything from 150 euro to 2000 euro.
A good way to start is toask about grants and scholarships from aprofessor or a teacher in your owndepartment. In addition, your fellow studentsmight have some good ideas. As the rangeof different grants and scholarships is wideand many of them are meant for a limitedfield of study it is very hard for anyoneoutside your field of study to give hints orsuggestions on suitable grants orscholarships to apply for. However, belowyou will find information designed to makethe start a little bit easier.
The University of Helsinki offers thefollowing grants for its students:
International Student Grant
· The International Student Grant coversabout 50 start-up grants to qualified
students who are accepted to study inan International Master's DegreeProgramme.
· The amount of each grant is 1000-1500euro.
· The application period is during April-August. Grants are awarded in October
· More information is available onlinehttps://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying /new-students/costs-and-finance#grants- and-scholarships-at-uh
· Grants offered by the University ofHelsinki Funds
· The University of Helsinki Funds arebased on donations by privateindividuals and various organizations.The total value of grants andscholarships given out by the Funds isannually around 600 000 euro.
· Grants and scholarships are availablefor gifted and successful students,researchers and teachers of theUniversity of Helsinki once a year.
· The application period is in January.Grants are awarded in late March.
· Further information available athttps://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/during-your-studies/apply-for-a-grant
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Grants for student groups
· Student groups planning a study circlecan apply for a study circle grant tocover the expenses of the teacher’ssalary. Application time is annuallyduring October-November. Moreinformation is available in Flammahttps://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/grants-students/HY100235
· Grants for student organisations areavailable to student organisationswithin the University of Helsinki who areplanning a study trip or a seminar.Application time is annually duringOctober-November. More informationis available in Flammahttps://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/grants-students/HY1002355
Travel Grant for Master’s thesis students
· For advanced students who need totravel abroad because of their thesiswork.
· No fixed grant.· Application closing dates vary
according to the Faculty or theDepartment.
· Application forms and furtherinformation available at the StudyOffices of the Faculties and/ordepartments.
Get Your Master’s Thesis Written! Grants
· The aim of the grant is to promote thefinalizing of the master’s thesis byproviding for an intensive thesis writingperiod (1-2 weeks) at one of the fieldstations of the University in Hyytiälä,Kilpisjärvi, Lammi, Tvärminne or Värriö
· The grant covers room and meals.· Offered twice a year, application time
during October-November and April-May.
· More information is available inFlammahttps://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/grants-students/HY1002351
Chancellor’s Travel Grant
· For researchers and teachers as wellas post-graduate students at theUniversity for congress or otheracademic travel abroad.
· No fixed grant.· Application instructions available in
· For finishing doctoral dissertations,available round the year.
· 1-3 months, 1200 euro a month.· Application instructions and form
available in Flamma Intranet:https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/HY278529
· Further information available from theoffice of your own faculty.
How to apply for a grant?1. Make sure that you satisfy all therequirements set for the applicant.2. If a specific form is required, you shouldabsolutely use it.3. Find out in which language you areexpected to write the application.4. Make sure that all necessary informationis given on the application.5. The application should be clear in everydetail.6. Do not chatter. A research plan orexplanation how you use the grant is oftenenough.7. Submit the application before the closingdate.
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Support for Dissertation Printing Costs
· Available round the year.· The maximum amount per person is
the amount that the doctoral candidatehas used to cover the expenses ofprinting the dissertation, up to 1000euro.
· Application instructions and formavailable in Flamma Intranet:https://flamma.helsinki.fi/en/HY278535
· Further information, tel. 02941 22386
More information about grants andfunding databases for Degree Studentsand PhD Studentshttps://flamma.helsinki.fi > Directory andservices > Students > Financing of studies >Grants and scholarships andhttps://flamma.helsinki.fi > Directory andservices > Researchers > Research Funding
Planning a career and finding a job in Finland
Finding a job and planning a career are oftenchallenging tasks, especially in a foreigncountry. The Career Services guides youwhen you’re developing your careermanagement skills.
The Career Servicesorganizes career planning and work lifeorientation courses in cooperation withMaster´s programs and Faculties throughoutthe academic year. Please ask yourprogram/department for more information.You may also participate in the Curriculumfor Career course in the spring of 2016 whichis open for all university students. Updateyour skills on our courses and events, or visitour customer service for more information.
There are four steps to successful careermanagement:
· Career opportunities: Explore youroptions in the labour market.
· Decision making: Make careerdecisions and plans to achieve yourgoals.
· Job-hunting skills: Write a good resumeand succeed in an interview.
You'll find up-to-date information aboutevents and workshops as well as the latest
job openings on the Career Services’website and Flamma.http://www.helsinki.fi/urapalvelut/english/Flamma: Directory and services » Students» Studies and employment
How to get started with job hunting inFinland?Finding a temporary job is often a matter ofluck and/or right connections − and aworking knowledge of Finnish. Bepersistent and don’t give up if you don’tsucceed at first.
· Look for a job you have education orother competence for. Don’t forget the
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competence you have gained throughyour hobbies, volunteering etc.
· Think of possible places of work andopportunities for international students:international companies and projects,embassies, etc. Use your imaginationand be creative, for instance aChinese student may be a good coachfor a person about to leave for Chinain business.
· Look for a place of work where yourcolleagues are educated and knowforeign languages.
· Make a good CV (curriculum vitae) ingood English.
· Sending open applications andphoning the employers afterwards ismuch more effective than just filling inan application form. Remember thatonly 30% of vacancies are announcedpublicly.
· Be energetic and daring − not humble,aggressive or arrogant!
· Emphasize your skills: language skills,computing skills, knowledge of variouscultures, etc. Hiring an international
student will for instance enrich theorganization’s working culture andimprove the staff’s languagecompetence.
· There are several language courses inFinnish available for internationalstudents. Join in - even a little Finnishis very helpful, both in job hunting andin your student life.
Remember networkingThe most efficient way to find a job isnetworking, especially with Finns: ask allyour friends, colleagues, teachers etc. forhints about job opportunities. Anotherefficient way to find a job is to contactactively the organizations where you wouldlike to work. In advance, think what you canoffer them (i.e. what you have done before),the skills you have, and what kind a work youwould like to do. Don’t forget LinkedIn andFacebook!
Helsinki region employment andeconomic development officesThe general website for employmentservices is http://www.te-services.fi/te/en/
TaxationIf you are a foreign student, your income willnot usually be taxed in Finland if it is sourcedoutside Finland. On the other hand, if youwork for and are paid by a Finnish employer,you should pay Finnish tax.
If you work in Finland,contact the tax office and request a tax card.When you visit the local tax office, take alongyour passport and student's ID card.
For more informationabout taxation in Finland, please see:http://www.vero.fi/en-US
Helsinki Area Tax OfficePääkaupunkiseudun verotoimisto
Postal address: P.O. Box 400, 00052 VeroVisiting address: Rajatorpantie 8 A, Vantaa(Myyrmäki) (1st floor)
Kaisaniemi, Helsinki Vuorikatu 14Visiting hours: Mon-Fri 9:00–16:15
In To FinlandSalomonkatu 17, doorway A, 2nd storeyOpening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00-12:00, 13:00-16:00 www.intofinland.fi
In To Finland is the service point of theSocial Insurance Institution of Finland
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(Kela) and the Finnish Tax Administrationfor those coming to work or study inFinland. It gives advice and instructions to
those moving to the Helsinki MetropolitanArea about the matters that first arise oncoming to Finland.
HousingReserve time for finding an apartmentFinding suitable accommodation in thecapital region can be challenging as there islack of housing in the area. You should startsearching right away when you receive theacceptance letter. The peak time is in thebeginning of the academic year. There is noguarantee that you will get a flat – you haveto be active yourself.
Be prepared to pay 400-600€ per monthBe prepared to have 700-1000€ for livingexpenses per month of which 400-600€ permonth for housing. For the residence permityou are required to have 500€ per month onyour bank account but this is not enough forliving in Helsinki!
Apply for an apartment simultaneouslythrough various channelsIf you get a housing offer – take it! Youprobably won’t get another offer and there isno temporary housing available.
Be prepared to live further away from thecentre or campus areasThe public transport in Helsinki is rankedamong the best in Europe. You can checkthe transport connections from yourapartment to the campus from the HelsinkiRegion Transport Journey Plannerwww.reittiopas.fi/en
Never send money or your passportinformation to anyoneDo not send this information to anyone onthe open market before you have seen theapartment and signed a contract! An offerthat sounds too good to be true (e.g. a studioflat under 500 euro in the centre) is usually ascam.
Cancel unnecessary applicationsRemember to cancel the unnecessaryapplications after finding accommodation,because there are other students needinghousing in the queue.
Housing optionsBelow are a few options for where to look forhousing. Some options are targeted only forstudents and some are open market options.
HOAS – the foundation for studenthousing in the Helsinki region20 % of the students in Helsinki MetropolitanArea live in a HOAS apartment. HOAS is anon-profit organisation providing studenthousing. For arriving students, HOAS offersrooms in shared apartments as well asfamily apartments and friend apartments.
It is advisable to applyfor an apartment as soon as you receivea confirmation on your place of study -but no sooner than four months beforeyou need the apartment. Your possibilitiesto receive an apartment from HOAS areimproved if you are willing to live outside thecentre and campus areas. However, pleaseremember that applying as soon as possibledoes not guarantee that you will get anapartment when your studies begin! HOAScannot guarantee housing for all students.If you haven’t received an offer by mid-August it is likely that you won’t get a flatfrom HOAS by the beginning of September.Housing applications can be done online onthe HOAS webpages:http://www.hoas.fi/www/hoaswww.nsf/sp?open&cid=homepage
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Note: for exchange students coming throughan official exchange programme there is aseparate application procedure. For thoseexchange students the applications can bedone online at:http://www.hoas.fi/www/hoaswww.nsf/sp3?open&cid=Content1082A
HOAS also has a Facebook page whereyou can e.g. ask questions.http://www.facebook.com/hoashelsinki
Housing Option for Degree StudentsThe University of Helsinki has a housingquota for Master’s degree students that aremoving to Finland and accepted to one of theprogrammes listed on the Masterprogrammes housing websitehttps://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/new-students/housing#housing-option-for-master%27s-degree-studentsThe residence period is from August 1st2015 to May 31st 2016 with a fixed-termcontract that cannot be terminated in themiddle of the term. The agreement is madefrom the beginning of August but there is norental payment for that month. You canmove in during August or in the beginning ofSeptember as you wish.
Agronomy and forestry apartmentsLatokartano student village providesapartments for students of the Faculty ofAgriculture and Forestry at the University ofHelsinki. http://www.latokartanonyokyla.fi
Forestry apartmentsThe applicant has to be a student offorestry. The freshmen of forestry arepreferred as applicants.http://silvica.kotisivukone.com/11
ForenomForenom is an accommodation andrelocation service provider. The servicecovers the supply of accommodation inapartments from studios to family houses,and from basic apartments to luxury housing.Apartments are fully furnished and equippedfor quick moving in and comfortable living.
Forenom offers flats for both short and longterm needs. The rent starts from approx.500€/month/person (basic apartments).Forenom apartments are best rented with agroup of flatmates (notice that you have toform the group yourself!).http://www.forenom.fi/en/
Other websites for rental apartments
Vuokraovi: www.vuokraovi.com
Oikotie (in Finnish):www.oikotie.fi/vuokra-asunnot
Find flat matesYou can get in touch with other newinternational students and potential flatmates on Facebookwww.facebook.com/newstudentsuh
No apartment before arriving inFinland?If you haven't received a housing offer bymid-August it is likely that you won't get a flatby the beginning of September. In this caseit can be a good idea to secure yourselftemporary accommodation for the whole ofSeptember right away. Most flats and roomsare vacant from the beginning of the month.On the list below you will find some hosteloptions.
Other optionsYou can search for a hostel online or try tofind accommodation through couchsurfing.Also visit Helsinki accommodation pagesonline to find temporary accommodation.
Helsinki accommodationhttp://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/stay-andenjoy/accommodation
Couchsurfinghttp://www.couchsurfing.org/
Traveller’s home - MatkamajoitusLönnrotinkatu 16 D 00120 Helsinki Tel.+358-44-211 9526 [email protected]://www.matkamajoitus.fi/
Contact usIf the semester is already about to start andyou still haven’t managed to find a place tostay you can contact the University ofHelsinki’s Student Services [email protected]
Please note that theUniversity of Helsinki does not provideaccommodation for students and we cannotguarantee that you will find a place to stay –but we will do our best to inform our studentsabout different providers of housing andpossible last minute housing options.
Student health careFinnish Student Health Service - BetterStudent Health
The Finnish Student Health Service FSHS(in Finnish: Ylioppilaidenterveydenhoitosäätiö YTHS) A healthylifestyle and good interpersonal relationshipsaffect your health, physical condition andability to cope.
An important aspect oftaking care of your wellbeing is to seek helpfrom health care professionals early enough.During your studies you can turn to theFSHS for issues related to health and illhealth. FSHS provides general, mental andoral health care services. Many of ourservices are free of charge.
You can use our servicesif you are studying for a Bachelor’s orMaster’s degree at a university or otherinstitution of higher education and you havepaid your student union membership fee to astudent union that is affiliated to the FSHS.Those studying for a Licentiate of Medicine,Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine degree are
also entitled to use the FSHS’s services.International university students are alsoentitled to use FSHS services, provided thatthey have paid the annual health care fee aspart of their student union membership fee.If you need more information about studentunion membership, please turn to your ownstudent union.
Please remember thatFSHS only provides basic health careservices and does not e.g. perform extensivemedical operations. It is important that youhave your individual insurance.
FSHS is closed during theweekends and public holidays. If you shouldrequire acute treatment when the FSHSHelsinki is closed, please contact yourmunicipal health centre.
FSHS Helsinki Töölönkatu 37 A 00260Helsinki www.yths.fi/en > Appointments:Helsinki.
Contact us online: www.yths.fi/en/e-communications
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Read more:www.yths.fi/en/internationalstudents
Health care services and health insuranceHealth care servicesMore information on health care servicesoutside of the Student Health Care Services,which were introduced in the section above,can for example be found on the Infopankkiwebsite, http://www.infopankki.fi/> Health
A foreigner who is not apermanent resident of a municipality inFinland must pay the actual cost of treatmentwhen using public health care services.Therefore it is very important that youhave a private health insurance to coverthe costs of emergency treatment andhospitalisation. EU-citizens should havetheir European Health Insurance Card.
Health Counselling ServiceFor more information about health careservices or advice about how to treatillnesses, you can always call the HealthCounselling Service (09) 310 100 23. Theservice is also available in English and itoperates around the clock. The service isconfidential and enquiries are answered byexperienced nurses and health careprofessionals. The cost of the call is basedon the operator’s charge plus the localnetwork fee.
Health insuranceAll non-EU citizens are required to havehealth insurance when applying for aresidence permit. For more information, seethe section Residence Permit and Right toReside in Finland. All EU citizens shouldmake sure they have acquired a EuropeanHealth Insurance Card, which gives accessto medical care during a temporaryresidence in another EU/EEA country or inSwitzerland. Residents of an EU/EAAcountry are entitled to medical care whilestaying temporarily in another EU/EEAcountry or in Switzerland. The EuropeanHealth Insurance Card serves as proof ofsuch entitlement.
Anyone, covered underhis or her home country’s social securitysystem, who intends to travel to an EU/EEAcountry or to Switzerland on holiday, for thepurpose of study, on a secondment(temporary work) or to seek employment canapply for the card. The card is available freeof charge.
More information aboutthe European Health Insurance Card, canbe found athttp://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langId=en&catId=509
KELA benefits – residence-based social securityTo be eligible for social security benefits, thegeneral rule is that you must be living inFinland permanently. Please note thatstudents, who have come to Finland onlyto study, are usually considered to behere only temporarily and are thus
generally not covered under theresidence-based social security system.Your right to social security benefits inFinland is decided by reference to the lengthof your residence in Finland. If you intend tomove to Finland permanently, you willnormally be covered by the Finnish social
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security system and will qualify for Kelabenefits as soon as you move to Finland.Kela evaluates whether the residence ispermanent or temporary. This evaluationtakes into account the whole situation of theapplicant, which is affected by, for example,an employment contract in Finland, familyties to a permanent resident of Finland or aprevious permanent residence in Finland. Ifthe residence isn't considered permanent,social security coverage may be based onthe lenght of employment. As a furtherrequirement, you are expected to have beenissued a residence permit, which shouldmainly be valid for at least one year(assuming a residence permit is required inthe first place). Residence permits areissued by the Finnish Immigration Service.Persons living in Finland solely for thepurpose of studying cannot normally becovered under the Finnish social securitysystem. However, if you have other reasonsbesides studying for living in Finland, youmay be considered to have taken uppermanent residence in Finland, in whichcase you will qualify for social securitycoverage.
If the circumstances ofyour residence in Finland change, and youmeet the requirements for permanent
residence, you may qualify for social securitycoverage from the date the change becameeffective. One example of such a change ismarriage to a person who lives permanentlyin Finland.More informationRegarding residence-based social security,more detailed information is available on thewebsite of the Finnish Social SecurityInstitution - Kela, at http://kela.fi/web/en >Our Services > Moving to or from Finland.
In To service pointSalomonkatu 17, doorway A, 2nd floorP.O. Box 82, 00601 HelsinkiOpening hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am - 4:00pm
In To is the service point of the SocialInsurance Institution of Finland (Kela) andthe Finnish Tax Administration for thosecoming to work or study in Finland. It givesadvice and instructions on social securityand taxation matters.
Please note that the In To service point doesnot have a telephone service.
Student financial aidFinnish citizens studying at highereducational institutions are eligible forfinancial aid, which consists of a grant, astate-guaranteed loan and housingsupplement. The study grant (opintoraha)amounts to about 300-335 euro per monthand does not have to be repaid. The studentloan guaranteed by state (opintolaina) isapplied for at a bank and its repaymentbegins after the completion of studies. Theamount of the loan is 400 euro per month.The amount of the housing supplement(asumislisä) depends on the rent and theform of housing. Those students who have
other (sufficient) income or progress poorlyin their studies are not eligible for the aid andthe aid can be required to be repaid.
International studentsInternational students who do not have aFinnish citizenship can get financial aid forstudies in Finland if they live in Finland on apermanent basis and they have come toFinland for a purpose other than studying(for example, work, family ties or returnmigration). They have to be registered aspermanent residents in the Finnishpopulation register system and the purpose
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of residence in Finland is determined byreference to such matters as the residencepermit, registration or acceptance to aneducational institution.
Even persons who are inFinland for the purpose of study may beeligible for financial aid on the grounds ofemployment if· The employment will last at least 4
months and they will work at least 18hours a week on average,
· The self-employment will last at least 4months and the earned income under
the Self-Employment Persons'Pensions Act comes to at least €1,000per month.
Even persons who are in Finland for thepurpose of study may be eligible if they arefamily members of a citizen of an EU/EEAcountry or of Switzerland who is employed inFinland.
More information is available athttp://kela.fi/web/en/financial-aid-forforeign-students
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Vl Living in Finland
Advice and help for people moving to FinlandFinnish Immigration ServiceMaahanmuuttovirasto
Registry Office, for sending additionalinformation regarding matters pending at theFinnish Immigration Service.
No appointment is necessary, but there is aqueue number system in place. No numbersdispensed after 14.30.
Customer service is open Monday-Friday11:30-15:00. Requested details and otherdocuments may be delivered at any timeduring office hours, Monday-Friday, 8:00-16:15.
Please note, no applications can besubmitted directly to the Finnish ImmigrationService. Applications must be submitted atthe local police: for more information, see thesection Residence permit and right to residein Finland in this handbook.For application fees, see the webpages:http://www.migri.fi/services/processing_fees
Virka Info - information services ofthe city of Helsinki
Virka Info is a public information service thatanswers questions about the City of Helsinkiand its services at the information desk ofthe City Hall lobby, as well as by the phoneand e-mail. In addition to Finnish and
Swedish, service is also available in severalother languages.
Visiting address: City Hall, Pohjoisesplanadi11-13 or Sofiankatu 1Postal address: P. O. Box 1, 00099 City ofHelsinkiVirka-info tel. information service +358 (09)310 11 111Mon-Fri [email protected]://www.virka.fi/en/info
The Virka Info Public Information servicedesk is open Mon–Fri 9–19, Sat–Sun 10–16.
Information services for immigrantsVirka Info is specialized in helpingimmigrants with questions concerning work,education, housing, residence permits,general legal justice, social and healthservices and any other question connectedwith living in Finland.
An appointment to see a consultant can bemade by phone or in person.
Infopankki - Info BankInfo Bank is a web portal that contains basic
information about Finnish society and culture,permits needed by those settling in Finland,housing, studying Finnish, findingemployment and starting a business,education, health care, social services,getting help in a crisis, cultural and leisureservices, and NGOs and associations, aswell as links to websites where you will findadditional information. Information isavailable in 14 different languages.www.infopankki.fi
The Ombudsman for Non-Discrimination isan independent and impartial authorityresponsible for promoting equality andtackling discrimination. The Ombudsmanprovides counselling and advice to victims ofdiscrimination. The Ombudsman canprovide both legal advice and assist thevictim in reporting the incident to theappropriate authorities.
The Ombudsman forNon-Discrimination may be contacted bythose who have experienced or observeddiscrimination on the grounds of origin,language, nationality, religion or belief,opinion, political or trade union activity,family circumstances, age, sexualorientation, health, disability or any otherpersonal characteristics. Issues relating todiscrimination on the grounds of gender andgender identity are dealt with by theOmbudsman for Equality.
Customer service number: 0295 666 817,weekdays 10:00-12:00E-mail: [email protected]
· If you need to see one of our officials,you must make an appointmentbeforehand.
· The caller has to pay the standard callcharge, although there is no separateservice charge. The office can returnyour call on request.
· If you do not know any Finnish,Swedish or English, you can write aletter or e-mail in your native language,in which case the office will have theletter or e-mail translated. This will notcost you anything. We kindly ask you tokeep your letter to a maximum of twopages.
Internet: http://www.syrjinta.fi (On thewebpages information is available in over20 different languages)
Postal address: Office of the Non-Discrimination Ombudsman, P.O.Box 24,FI-00023 Government, Finland
Street address: Vuorikatu 24, Helsinki
The duties of the ombudsman include:customer service (helping victims ofdiscrimination) promoting good ethnicrelations, improving the status and rights ofminorities, foreigners and immigrants insociety, the implementation of equality,taking initiatives, drawing up reports,proposals and recommendations andissuing public statements on discriminationand co-operation between public authoritiesand minority organisations.
Refugee Advice CentrePakolaisneuvonta ry.
The Refugee Advice Centre (RAC) is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1988by other Finnish NGOs. RAC provides legalaid and advice to asylum seekers, refugeesand other immigrants in Finland.
SOS Center - crisis prevention forforeignersThe SOS center helps foreigners and theirfamily members living in Finland in differentcrisis of life. The center serves adult clients.Help is short term therapeutic conversationhelp. It is important to make an appointmentbeforehand. You will find more informationon the website of the SOS Center at
Maistraatinportti 4 A, 4th floor00240 HelsinkiTel. +358 9 41350 510
The crisis services are open on Mon-Thu9:00–12:00 and 13:00–15:00, on Fri 9:00–12:00.
Legal Aid OfficeHelsingin oikeusaputoimisto
The Legal Aid Office offers legal aid forpersons living Finland, entirely or partly freeof charge, depending on the client’s income.You can have advice, documents orassistance during a trial both in civil andcriminal cases.Porkkalankatu 13 G, 2nd floor00180 Helsinki Tel. +358 29 56 60120(Appointments)Mon-Fri 8:00-16:[email protected]://www.oikeus.fi/oikeusapu/en/index.html
Transport and travelTransport in the Helsinki Regionhttp://www.hsl.fi/EN/
Travel cardThe Travel Card is an electronic card, whichmakes it easy to use public transportation inthe Helsinki Metropolitan Area. You can usethe travel card on local busses, metro, trams,trains and the Suomenlinna ferry. You caneither buy a personal travel card (advisableis you use public transportation regularly) ora multiuser travel card. A multi-user travelcard can be used by any person holding thecard who belongs to the same customergroup. A personal travel card can only beused by the owner of the card.
Where to buy the cardA Travel Card can be purchased at any ofthe public transport service points. The cardpayment is 5.00 euro. The validity of thecard is 5 years from the date the card issold. You will need a passport or an ID cardto prove your identity.
For more informationabout the travel card, please read:https://www.hsl.fi/en/information/travel-card
LoadingThe Travel Card can be loaded at over 300locations throughout the HelsinkiMetropolitan Area. You can load your TravelCard at any loading point regardless of yourresident municipality or the period (internalor regional) you want to load on your card.All loading points display the Travel Cardsign.
You can load both valueand season for the card. For single travelsvalue is the best option but if you are aregular user a season ticket will be thecheapest. A season ticket can be 14 - 366days and the value anything between 5 - 400euro. You can load the period so that it willbe valid from the day the card is loaded orfrom a chosen day during the subsequent 60days. You can also load two consecutiveperiods on your Travel Card. The intervalbetween the periods i.e. the end of the firstperiod and the beginning of the next periodcan be 0 - 60 days. The periods are pricedseparately.
Prices and student discountYou can find the complete list of fares inHelsinki on the Helsinki Region Transportwebsite, https://www.hsl.fi/en/tickets-and-fares.
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A student discount isavailable for undergraduate and graduatestudents under the age of 30. (Studentsaged 30 or over must receive StudentFinancial Aid fom the Finnish Social SecurityInstitution (Kela) in order for them to begranted the student discount.)
Both degree studentsand exchange student get the studentdiscount for the first study year with acertificate that will be available at theWelcome Fair (26– 27.8.2015 and 14–15.1.2016) and the Student Services.Degree students – second year andbeyond
From the second studyyear on degree students can update theirdiscount status at a Helsinki RegionTransport service point.
Before the studentdiscount can be granted degree studentmust register as permanent residents of themunicipality at the Register Office (see thesection Population Registration). Studentsalso need to complete their annualregistration as attending students before thediscount can be granted. Students need toobtain either a valid year tag on their studentcard or a certificate that proves that they areattending students for the following studyyear to get the discount.
For more informationabout the annual registration, please seepage 26.
Lost cardsIf you have lost your Travel Card, you cancontact the Travel Card customer service, tel.(09) 4766 4000 (Mon-Fri 7:00am- 7:00pm,Sat-Sun 9:00am-5:00pm). You can alsocontact a Travel Card service point.
InspectionsPersons that travel without a valid ticket willbe charged a penalty fee of 80 euro and theprice of a single ticket. You must have a validticket also on the platform area of the metro.
Service points in Helsinki
Central Railway Station Metro Station,Open Mon-Thu 7.30am-7pm, Fri and oneves of public holidays 7.30am-5pm, Sat10am-5pm
Itäkeskus Metro StationOpen Mon-Fri 10am-5.15pm
PasilaOpastinsilta 6 A, HSL Main Office OpenMon-Fri 8.30am - 4pm
You can also use the sales point search onthe Helsinki Region Transport webpages tofind your closest service point:https://www.hsl.fi/en/tickets-and-fares/sales-points
TaxisTo order a taxi in Helsinki, call 0100 0700. Ifthe need for a fare is immediate, for advancebookings the number is 0100 0600. The costof an advance order is 7,10 euro (March2015), and it will be added to the fare asshown by the meter.
For taxi rates please seethe website of Taksi Helsinki,http://www.taksihelsinki.fi/en/ > Taxi fares
There is also a ratecalculator on the website that helps you toestimate the cost of the trip.
Have the pick-up addressready when you call, also mention if youhave any special requests for the ride (e.g.you need a mini bus, you have a lot ofluggage etc.). Also mention if you areplanning on paying with a Visa Electron card.
The central taxireservation number in Espoo and Vantaa is0100 7301.
KutsuplusAn alternative to taking the taxi is theHelsinki region transport HSL’s Kutsupluson-demand minibus service. You can book aride online with your computer or mobilephone. Kutsuplus buses operates in an areathat extends to Tapiola and Leppävaara in
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the west, to Ring Road I in the north and toItä- keskus in the east. The buses run fromMonday to Friday from 6.00 am to 12.00midnight. For more information, see:https://kutsuplus.fi/home
Driving in Finland
Foreign driving licensesDriving licenses issued in another EU orEEA country and interim driving licensesissued in the Nordic countries entitle theholder to drive motor vehicles in Finlandequivalent to those indicated on the non-Finnish license. The driver must be at least18 years old. The right to drive is validregardless of whether the person is inFinland as a tourist or residing permanently.
A person residingpermanently in a country that has signed theGeneva or Vienna Road Traffic Conventionand who holds a national or internationaldriving license or an official Finnish orSwedish translation of a national drivinglicense is entitled to drive motor vehiclesequivalent to those indicated on the non-Finnish license provided that the personfulfils the Finnish age requirement to drivesuch vehicles. The afore-mentioned drivinglicense is valid in Finland for two years fromthe start of the holder's period of permanentresidence in Finland provided that thelicense is valid and no other reason exists forthe termination of its validity.
The above also applies todriving licenses issued in Hong Kong, Macaoor Taiwan under the regulations of the areaand international driving licenses.
The right to drive is basedon the possession of a driving license issuedto a person living permanently in a countrythat has signed the Convention. A drivinglicense acquired in such a country duringtemporary residence (for example as anexchange student) does not entitle theholder to drive in Finland.
For more information,please see: http://www.poliisi.fi/> InEnglish > Driving License.
Driving license permitIf you would like to obtain a driving licensewhile in Finland, you will find moreinformation on the website of the Policehttp://www.poliisi.fi/> In English > DrivingLicence. The site gives comprehensiveinformation on the driving licence and theapplication process.
Drunken driving and drugsIn Finland, under the Penal Code, the driverof a motor vehicle is guilty of drunken drivingif he/she has a minimum of 50 mg of alcoholper 100 ml of blood, or a minimum of 0.22mg per litre of exhaled air. The limits foraggravated drunken driving are, respectively,120 mg (blood) and 0.53 mg (exhaled air).
A driver can also be guiltyof drunken driving or aggravated drunkendriving when under the influence of otherintoxicants than alcohol if his/her drivingability is impaired or seriously impaired.
For more information, seethe website of the Police athttp://www.poliisi.fi/trafficsafety/surveillance_of_intoxicant_use
Helsinki by bikeUsing a bike is by far the cheapest - andoften also the fastest - way to move aroundwithin the Metropolitan area. Remember towear a helmet! A great help in findingbicycle routes is the Journey Planner forCycling which can be found on the HelsinkiRegion Transport (HSL) website:http://pk.hsl.fi/en
Bicycle centreThe bicycle centre at the Narinkka Square inKamppi offers emergency repair, facilitiesthat allow cyclists to service their bikes, andinformation. There is also a supervised bikeparking area. Fore more information, see:http://www.hel.fi/www/Helsinki/en/maps-and-transport/cycling/centre/
Bicycle rentals
GreenbikeBulevardi 32,
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tel. 050-550 1020,http://www.greenbike.fiThe shop also sells second hand bikes.
Bicyclean HelsinkiLuotsikatu 2, Katajanokka (May –September)Tel. +358 41 4763 317Selkämerenkatu 6, Ruoholahti (May –September)Tel. +358 41 4763 318Luotsikatu 2, Katajanokka (October – April)Tel. +358 41 4763 317http://www.bicycleanhelsinki.com/The shop also sells new and second handbikes.
You can also look for more options on theInternet!
RailwaysThe railway network in Finland covers mostof the country reaching all the way fromHelsinki to Kolari, Lapland. There is also adirect connection from Helsinki to St.Petersburg. All long distance trains areoperated by VR – the Finnish Railways.
VR offers undergraduateand graduate students studying in Finlandreduced-fare travel on long-distance trains.There is an up to 45-55 per cent discount forsingle tickets. When purchasing and usingthe student ticket, the Finnish student card,valid for the current academic term, mustalways be shown.
You can also get astudent discount with VR and Matkahuolto(long distance busses) joint student card onbus and train services. The card is free ofcharge but you need an €8 semester or yearsticker as proof of validity. Joint studentcards and semester and year stickers areavailable at VR ticket offices andMatkahuolto service points.
For further informationcontact the Student Services (see page 30)or directly from: VR Ltd, Finnish Railways,information in English, tel. 0600 41 902(€1,99/answered call + lnc) Mon-Sun 7.00am -10.00 pm or online at www.vr.fi
Long distance bussesThere are three main private long distancebus companies and several smaller onesoperating in Finland. Most companies offerstudent discounts for undergraduate andgraduate students. By purchasing ticketsearly you can also get good discounts!
MatkahuoltoUndergraduate and graduate students aregranted a 50 per cent discount on longdistance coaches if the trip covers at least 80km and the ticket is purchased in advance.In order to benefit from this discount thestudent must present a valid student cardbearing the Matkahuolto emblem and issuedby a student organisation.
You can also get astudent discount with VR and Matkahuolto(long distance busses) joint student card onbus and train services. The card is free ofcharge but you need an €8 semester or yearsticker as proof of validity. Joint studentcards and semester and year stickers areavailable at VR ticket offices andMatkahuolto service points.For more information, please see:www.matkahuolto.fi/en/
ExpressBussUndergraduate and graduate students aregranted a 50 per cent discount of the price ofa normal single ticket for a one-way trip of atleast 80 km. The discount is granted bypresenting a student card jointly issued byMatkahuolto and VR or by presenting astudent card bearing the Matkahuoltoemblem and issued by a studentorganisation. Discount tickets can bepurchased on buses or at bus stations.For more information, please see:http://www.expressbus.fi/etusivu
OnnibusThis bus company operates between certainlarger cities in the Southern Finland.Onnibus doesn’t offer student discounts, butis otherwise very affordable. Prices rangebetween 3 to 20 euro depending on the route.
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For more information, please see:http://www.onnibus.fi/
Travelling by boatBoat lines - the floating hotels - operatingregularly between Finland and othercountries may grant discounts to students. Inorder to receive the discount, you mustpresent valid proof of your student status: i.e.a student card or some other proof. Veryoften, they have special price campaigns,when they do not offer any discount. Inaddition, the amount of the discount variesfrom one company to another. Next arementioned some of the boat lines that offertrips to neighbouring countries.
Operating companies
Viking Line offers cruises and rides toStockholm and Tallinn www.vikingline.fi
TallinkSilja offers cruises and rides toStockholm, Riga and Tallinwww.tallinksilja.com
Linda line offers fast boat rides to Tallinwww.lindaline.fi/en/Nordic Ferry Center offers cruises to St.Petersburg www.ferrycenter.fi
St. Peter Line offers cruises to St.Petersburg http://www.stpeterline.com
Kilroy Travels HelsinkiKILROY travels is a full service travel agencyspecialised in student travelling withcomplete travel bureau services. It providesthe cheapest possible flights, hotels, trains,adventure trips, study tours, student andyouth tours as well as regular flight, train andboat tickets. Travel information is alsoavailable. KILROY issues InternationalStudent Identity Cards (ISIC) and IYTCcards.Kaivokatu 10 D (Kaivopiha)00100 HelsinkiTel. +358 9 680 78 [email protected]://travels.kilroy.eu/
Mail and telephoneMailStamps can, among other places, bepurchased at post offices and R-kiosks.Stamps are also available at the ThinCorner shop in Porthania (Yliopistonkatu 3).More information is available online atwww.posti.fi/ > In English
There are two kinds ofletterboxes; a blue and a yellow. In placeswhere both letterboxes are found side byside, first class letters should go in the bluebox and second class letters in the yellowbox. In locations with just the yellowletterbox, both first and second class lettersshould be placed in the yellow box.There are dozens of branch offices inHelsinki: for the one nearest, seehttp://www.posti.fi/private/postisservices/tools/postofficesearch/
Telephone
Regular phoneA regular home phone (lankapuhelin) is notrecommendable for the high price of thephone and connection when compared to amobile phone. However, if you wish to havemore information on this option, you can seeonline for phone operators.
Mobile phonesA mobile phone may be the best solution toyour communication needs. They are arelatively cheap way of communicating inFinland, especially if you tend to move oftenor want to keep in touch with your family andfriends. There are several providers ofmobile phone networks: DNA, TeleFinland,Kolumbus, Saunalahti, Sonera and others.New operators come and go with every
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passing year and companies merge to forma new brand: these are just a few examples.
For more information visita phone shop and see which one offers thebest deal on phones and network solutions.The prices of new phones vary from 40 euroto several hundred euros, depending on themodel and additional features.
You can either first buy aphone and then choose your operator freelyor choose a phone-plus-airtime package.With a monthly charge, you can have astate-of the- art cell phone and a certainamount of airtime. Note: most of the phone-plus airtime packages are fixed term (cannotbe terminated before the end of the contract)and the contracts are often up to 24 months.
If you have a smartphone(a phone with advanced computingcapability and connectivity) you can alsochoose to have an internet connection on topof your airtime.
Some operators (e.g.Sonera, Kolumbus, Saunalahti and DNA)also offer prepaid subscriptions. To getstarted, buy a prepaid starting package,which normally costs round 20 euro andincludes varying amount of airtime. Theprepaid subscription’s coverage area is thewhole Finland, but you cannot usually makeinternational calls. You can recharge yoursubscription with more airtime by purchasing
a refill voucher from a prepaid dealer. It isalso possible to reload airtime from theInternet.
A word of warning!Using the mobile phone for internationalcalls in Finland can become very expensive:especially for the receiving person! Thecharge per minute can be several euros.Telephone calls are normally billed on one-month cycle and can add up to a large total- the first bill is usually a shocker! Use thephone wisely and remember to pay all billsdue before you leave the country.
Calls from Finland
· Dial the international prefix (e.g. 00,990, 994, 996 or 999)
· The country code (without the generalprefix 0)
· The area code (without the generalprefix 0 or to Spain without 9)
· The subscriber's number
Calls to FinlandTo call Finland from abroad first dial theinternational prefix of the country you callfrom, second the country code to Finland(358), third the area code without the prefix0, and fourth the subscriber's number.
Calls in FinlandTo make an automatic call in Finland, thearea code is used with the prefix 0. Fornumber enquiries dial 118, please note thatcalling number enquiries is usuallyexpensive.
Area Codes in Finland02 Turku and Pori03 Häme05 Kymi06 Vaasa08 Oulu09 Helsinki013 North Karelia014 Central Finland015 Mikkeli
EMERGENCY CALLS: 112(Police, ambulance, fire department and/orsocial worker)
How to make an emergency call:1. If you can, make the call yourself to makesure that the information got through.2. First, tell what has happened.3. Tell the exact address and municipality ortown.4. Answer the questions put to you.5. Act according to the instructions given toyou.6. End the call only when you have been givenpermission to do so.
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016 Lapland017 Kuopio018 Åland019 UusimaaMobile Phones: 041, 044, 045, 046, 049,040, 050, 0400, 0500 and many more.Cheap international calls on the internet
The cheapest way is to use your PC forcalling. You must have a computer with asoundcard, microphone and loudspeakers.A more recommendable combination is aheadset (headphones) with a microphone.One option is using Skype:www.skype.com
Money and bankingIf you are studying in Finland for a longertime it is advisable to open a Finnish bankaccount. Opening an account will be easierif you make some preparations even beforeyou leave your home country. EUregulations regarding opening a bankaccount define that the following documentsare usually needed in order to open a bankaccount:
· Your passport· Residence permit card (if applicable)· Finnish Personal ID number (if
applicable, see page 46)· A registration certificate from the
university· Reference letter from your own bank in
your home country/previous countryof residence. The Reference letter is acertificate, given by the bank that youhave been using, of an existing,satisfactory customer relationship andtaking care of matters on time. It is alsoa recommendation for establishing acustomer relationship. The Referenceletter should be written for the purposeof opening a bank account
· Bank account statements for the past 3months from your own bank in yourhome country/previous country ofresidence
· An address in Finland
NB! The practice of opening a bank accountvaries according to bank and branch inFinland. Each case is decided individually bythe bank. Also getting acces to internet
banking usually takes two to four weeks afterthe account has been opened.
When you open anaccount, you will be given a bank card(automaattikortti), by which you can checkyour balance and withdraw money fromATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) inFinland: Otto (withdraw) machines are forwithdrawing money and maksut (payments)machines are for paying bills. When a bankaccount is opened, most banks offer servicepackages for their customers. Note: Majorcredit cards are accepted throughout Finland.
Paying billsIn Finland bills are largely paid on theInternet on-line bank services or on banktransfers. You can move the money directlyfrom your account to your billers with atransfer. Note: getting access to internetbanking usually takes two to four weeks afteran account has been opened.
Banks also have ATMsthat can complete these transfersautomatically, which cuts down considerablyon bank time and charges. Even then, youare charged a few cents, but it is still muchcheaper when compared to the option below.If you do not use the on-line service or amachine, bank-to-bank transfers are themost common way to pay your bills. Thesetransfers, to pay, for example, your rent, canbe made for fees that can be very high: theso-called processing fee can be as high as8.00 euro! Check the rates with your bank!And use an ATM or the internet instead.
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Money exchangeIf you want to save, change your currencyfree of charge at Forex or a similar service.Three central locations in Helsinki are theRailway Station (Rautatieasema), the
Stockmann department store and Mikonkatu11. In addition to Forex, there are severalsimilar places operating along the sameprinciples.
Schools and day careThere are some state run and privateinternational schools and privateinternational day care centres in the Helsinkiarea. Please contact the appropriate schoolsand day care centres for further information.Below are links to some relevant sites.
City of Helsinki Education Departmenthttp://www.hel.fi/www/opev/enDay care and educationhttp://www.hel.fi/www/helsinki/en>Daycare and education
International School of Vantaahttp://www.edu.vantaa.fi/isv/International School of Helsinkihttp://ish.edu.hel.fi/
VotingYou have to be a citizen of Finland to be ableto vote in the Finnish presidential orparliamentary elections. In the EU(European Union) parliamentary elections,citizens of other EU countries have the rightto vote in Finland. To be able to vote, youhave to be over 18 years old and to have aregistered municipality of residence(kotikunta) in Finland 51 days prior to theElection Day. You should contact your localregister office for registration. A prerequisitefor the right to vote is that you enrol with thevoting register in Finland. In municipal
elections(kunnallisvaalit) citizens of otherEU countries andalso citizens of other non-EU NordicCountries (i.e. Iceland and Norway) have theright to vote under the same conditions as inthe EU parliamentary elections. In municipalelections, also other residents besidescitizens have a right to vote, if the persons inquestion are over 18 years old, have aregistered municipality of residence 51 daysprior to the Election Day and have lived inFinland for the minimum of two years.
For more information,please seehttp://www.vaalit.fi/en/index.html
Climate and survival tips for winterClimateFinland’s climate is milder than that of manyother areas of the same latitude. However,
owing to the humid atmosphere and seawinds, it always feels colder in Helsinki thanthe temperature might suggest. Although thetemperature may on some days exceed
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even +30 degrees centigrade in the warmestsummer months, in southern Finland thelong-term average is between 14 and 18degrees centigrade for July and between -6and -13 degrees centigrade for February.
The annual precipitationin the south is about 700 millimetres. Theground is covered with snow three to fivemonths in the south and up to seven monthsin the north. The average depth of the snowvaries between twenty and eightycentimetres and lakes are frozen six monthsa year. During the summer, it never reallygets dark, and in the north, the sun does notset. In the winter, the days are six hours longin the south, and in the north, the sun cannotbe seen for two months (kaamos).
Some survival tips for winter
ClothingDo not take chances with the winter cold!Warm winter clothing should not beconsidered a luxury. Seek advice from thosefamiliar with the climate. Look for comfortand simplicity in clothing. In order towithstand slush, snow, sleet and rain as well
as the sand and salt used on icy sidewalksand roads, winter boots should bewaterproof, warm, lightweight and stainrepellent. Winter clothing essentials mightinclude a down (or polyester) coat or parka,mittens or gloves, a wool hat or earmuffs andlong underwear. Dressing in "layers" isadvisable, since you will often move fromwell-heated buildings into the wet and coldand then back. In Finland all the houseshave central heating and warm water isavailable around the clock.
Wind chill factorTake into consideration the wind chill factor.High winds blowing on a cold day lower thetemperature even further and a temperatureof -20 degrees centigrade with a wind of 10kilometres per hour (that is quite normal forHelsinki) feels like -25 degrees. Ears, fingers,toes or cheeks that have been exposed tofreezing temperatures for even a shortperiod may be severely damaged. If any partof your body should lack feeling or becomepale or slightly blue, seek medical helpimmediately. Helsinki is a windy city - roundthe year!
Food and shoppingStudent cafeteriasThe cheapest meals in town are served inthe 19 student UniCafe restaurants run bythe Student Union. Show your Lyyra Card toget the discount during the lunch time hours:normally between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm(these might vary). Check the UniCafewebsite for updates and menus:www.hyyravintolat.fi/en/ See appendix Efor a Menu and grocery guide.
· University Main Building, Yliopistonpäärakennus, Fabianinkatu 33
The traditional market hallsThe small shops in traditional market hallssell local specialties as well as internationaldelicacies, for more information, see:http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/see-and-experience/shopping-in-helsinki/markets- and-market-halls-in-helsinki
“The Kallio Bazaar”The Hämeentie area of the Kallio District isknown for its range of ethnic food stores.Some of them are listed on the followingwebage:http://www.lintulaakso.net/kallionbasaari/luettelo.php
Behnford’sCity Center (Keskuskatu 6)U.S. and U.K imports and others: Vegemiteand Marmite available!
Tax free purchasesIf you plan to study in Finland for a shortertime and would like to save money on someof your larger purchases, you can buy itemstax-free at most department stores andsome shops (Look for a "tax free for tourists"sticker on the door!). If you present a foreignpassport, you will receive a slip, which willentitle you to a percentage refund uponleaving the country. Remember that thecustoms officials may ask you to produce thesealed items you declare for reimbursement.
Clothing and furnitureHere you can find tips for finding clothing toget through the three cold seasons (and thewarm one, too). Furniture for reasonableprices can be bought at second hand shopsand flea markets. Good palces to start arethe Recycling Centre (kierrätyskeskus)service points; you can find them online atwww.kierratyskeskus.fi
There are also two Ikeastores near Helsinki in Espoo and Vantaa,for contact information and instructions onhow to get there, seehttp://www.ikea.com/fi/> Services inEnglish.
For one-stop shopping, check out theshopping centres in Helsinki and thesurrounding area.
Clothing and other things at reasonableprices
TokmanniNot the latest fashion, but cheap. Also sellshousehold items. Vilhonkatu 5 (Kaisaniemi)Hämeentie 111 (Arabia) Insinöörinkatu 2(Herttoniemi) Turunlinnantie 4 (Itäkeskus)
AnttilaReasonably priced fashion and householditems. Salomonkatu 13 (Kamppi) Itäkatu 3-5(Itäkeskus)
H&MReasonably priced fashion.Aleksanterinkatu 48 Mannerheimintie 20(Forum) There are dozens of others! Talkwith your fellow students to find the bestplaces to shop for clothes. Look for sales!
Department stores in the centre
StockmannAleksanterinkatu 52, especially on the”CrazyDays” (Hullut päivät) in October and April.
City SokosMannerheimintie 9
Shopping centres in the Helsinki area
ForumMannerheimintie 20 (Helsinki)
KamppiUrho Kekkosen katu 1 (Helsinki)
ItäkeskusItäkatu 1-7 (Helsinki)
JumboVantaanportinkatu 3 (Vantaa)
SelloLeppävaarankatu 3-9 (Espoo)
Iso OmenaPiispansilta 11 (Espoo)
Second hand shops and flea markets
Helsingin kirpputoritOn this webpage are listed 80 flea marketsall over Helsinki. A map is also available.http://www.kirpputorihaku.com/kirpputori/helsinki
Recycling Centre(Clothes, furniture and other stuff)Kierrätyskeskushttp://www.kierratyskeskus.fi/Kyläsaarenkatu 8 (Large things!)Kauppakartanonkatu 12Kutojantie 3 (Espoo)Rusthollarinkatu 1 (Espoo)Hosantie 2 (Vantaa)
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Libraries and cultural centres
Helsinki Metropolitan Area LibrariesThe extensive services and collections ofHelsinki Metropolitan Area Libraries areavailable to everyone and free of charge.The libraries form together the HelMet librarynetwork consisting of all the public librariesin the capital region. Customers have accessto both national and international librarynetworks and can very often find herematerials that are unavailable,reserved or in use in the university libraries.You are never far from a public library; apartfrom the main library in Itä-Pasila, there areover 60 branch libraries in Helsinki, Espoo,Vantaa and Kauniainen
Library ServicesTo obtain a HelMet Library card and userID, you need a valid identification card withyour photograph and date of birth. In addition,you need to give your address in Finland. AHelMet Library Card can be used forborrowing books and other materials fromthe Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen and VantaaCity Libraries. In addition to lending books,public library services include informationretrieval, newspapers and magazines, audiobooks, language courses and CDs, DVDs,Blu- Ray discs, console games, sheet music,recordings as well as e-books, e-magazinesand other e-material.
More information:http://www.helmet.fi/elibrary
The Helsinki City Library has more than onehundred thousand books in English andsubscribes to over 200 newspapers andmagazines in English. In some cases Itemsmay also be borrowed through theinterlibrary lending service. In addition tofree-of-charge workstations, you haveaccess to several Finnish or foreigndatabases online. For opening hours andfurther information, see the web page of
Helsinki Metropolitan Area Librarieshttp://www.helmet.fi/.
Virtual LibraryYou can also use library services on the Web.From the website http://www.helmet.fi youget information about our service andhappenings and you have access to thecatalogue database of books and othermaterials. You can search for information;reserve items and renew your loans.http://www.helmet.fi/. is also available viamobile phones http://m.helmet.fi/
Pasila LibraryRautatieläisenkatu 8,Itä-PasilaEntrance from Kellosilta 9http://helmet.fi/pasilalibrary
The collection contains books, newspapersand magazines in several languagesincluding more than twenty thousand booksin English. As the Multilingual Library inFinland, the library has books in over 80languages. The book stacks of HelMetLibraries are situated in Helsinki MainLibrary. Workstations for using internet,email and other software are also available,as well as a wireless net connection.
Rikhardinkatu LibraryRikhardinkatu 3For opening hours and more, please see:http://helmet.fi/rikhardinkatulibrary
The library contains a British Collection withmaterial about Great Britain and its culture.This collection is a donation from the formerBritish Council Library. In addition, thelibrary's specialities include a large selectionof Swedish fiction and books on the arts.
Library 10Elielinaukio 2 G Main Post Officehttp://helmet.fi/library10
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The Library 10 is a combination of music andIT. The Library 10 has a collection of over 40000 music recordings and a wide array ofmusic books, sheet music and videos. Thelibrary also has magazines and newspapersin English, books on IT, publishing andmedia, countries and travelling. The library’swell-equipped customer workstations can beused in processing images, sounds as wellas videos. Also using your own laptop in thelibrary is easy. In the Audio-editing andRehearsal rooms, one can practice orrecord music. In maker´s space you canuse for example 3D-printer and vinyl cutter.The Stage functions as a venue for culturalperformances, discussions, and otherexhibits.
Library of the ParliamentEduskunnan kirjastoAurorankatu 6FI-00102 [email protected]://www.parliament.fi/librarywww.facebook.com/Eduskunnankirjastowww.twitter.com/EdarifiThe Library of Parliament not only serves theParliament but also serves anyone whoneeds information concerning Parliament,law or society. The collections includedomestic and foreign literature in the fields oflaw, social sciences and parliaments as wellas materials on the European Union and theUnited Nations, the Council of Europe, theOECD and other international organisations.The Archive of Parliament is part of theLibrary of Parliament. Electronic informationresources are available via the Library’swebsite.
Centre for International Mobility(CIMO)Kansainvälisen liikkuvuuden ja yhteistyönkeskus CIMO
Are you interested in pursuing highereducation studies or practical training inFinland? Do you wish to know more aboutscholarship opportunities in Finland?CIMO's web service www.studyinfinland.ficontains a database of English-languagedegree and non-degree programmes,information about Finland as a studydestination, our higher education institutions,and practicalities concerning scholarships,admissions systems and living in Finland.
CIMO operates under theFinnish Ministry of Education. It administersscholarship and exchange programmes andis responsible for implementing EUeducation, training, culture and youthprogrammes at national level in Finland.CIMO also promotes and organisesinternational trainee exchanges. In addition,CIMO advances teaching of Finnishlanguage and culture in universities abroad.
Please note that in orderto apply for trainee exchange programmes inFinland you have to contact the appropriatecontact organisation in your home country.Please do not hesitate to contact CIMO'sInformation Services by telephone or e-mailfor more information.
Information service Tietosilta is open forvisitors by appointment.
The Fulbright Center offers severalscholarship programs for Finnish and U.S.citizens for study, research and professionalopportunities in the United States andFinland, and provides information andadvising on studying in the United Statesand Canada.
For up-to-date opening hours, please seethe website of the Deutsche Bibliothek.
The German library hasan extensive collection with volumes onGerman language literature, linguistics andstudy of literature and the history andgeography of the German speakingcountries. In addition, Deutsche Bibliothekhas a German language Fennica collection.
Institut FrançaisFrench Institute of Finland
Kaapelitehdas C 2Tallberginkatu 1 C 135FI-00180 HELSINKITel. 09-2510 [email protected]://www.france.fi/
For up-to-date opening hours, please seethe website of the French Institute of Finland.
The Institut français deFinlande offers a wide range of Frenchcourses for all levels and organises theinternational French language tests anddiplomas TCF, DELF and DALF. The Centrealso has a library and houses the CampusFrance agency that gives advice on studyingin France
Istituto Italiano di CulturaItalian Cultural Institute
Vuorimiehenkatu 11 B (Office)Ullankatu 3 A 2 (Library)00140 HelsinkiTel. 09-68113321, fax 68113333
For up-to-date opening hours, please seethe website of the Italian Cultural Institute.
The Italian CulturalInstitute offers a wide range of Italiancourses for all levels. Furthermore, it givesinformation about studying in Italy. TheInstitute also has a library.
Russian Centre of Science andCultureNordenskiöldinkatu 100250 HelsinkiTel. 09-436 0040, fax 09-444 [email protected]://fin.rs.gov.ru
For up-to-date opening hours, please seethe website of the Russian Centre. TheRussian Scientific and Cultural Centre offersinformation on various aspects of today’sRussian life. It also organizes cultural andscientific exhibitions, concerts etc. TheRussian Centre of Science and Culture alsohas a library and offers language courses forstudents of all levels.
CaisaInternational Cultural CentreHelsingin kansainvälinen kulttuurikeskus
Caisa is an International Cultural Centre inthe heart of Helsinki. Caisa's main goal is tosupport the multicultural development of thecity by promoting the interaction of peoplefrom various cultures, and by providinginformation to all its visitors about differentcultures as well as about Finnish society.Caisa organises events open to the public,such as cultural festivities and evenings,discussion forums, exhibitions and concerts.Caisa also provides for its visitors freeaccess to the Internet in the Caisa'sITworkroom.
Entrance via Mikonkatu 17 C orVuorikatu14 or Kaisaniemi metro station
Please also check out INFOPANKKI atwww.infopankki.fi, a web-based service,which provides information and links in 14languages to most areas of life in Finland.
FamiliaMulti-cultural Association Familia Club Ry
Open on weekdays from 9:00am to 4:00pm,Familia offers a unique opportunity to meetpeople from different parts of the world andlearn about various cultures and customs.The club arranges club nights, courses (e.g.Finnish language courses), Play Groups forChildren, cultural evenings, discussiongroups, group outings etc.
Monikulttuuriyhdistys Familia Club ryYrjönkatu 29 A, 4th floor00100 HelsinkiTel. 044 7738 [email protected]
Leisure activities
Tourist and traveller information
Helsinki city tourist & convention bureauPohjoisesplanadi 19Tel. 09-3101 [email protected]
Espoo tourist informationVisit one of Espoo's Citizen's Offices fortourist information, for more information,see: http://www.visitespoo.fi/[email protected]
Vantaa tourist informationCitizen's Offices in Tikkurila and in Myyr-mäki provide information about tourism inVantaa and adjacent areas:
ConcertsThere are two major event sites Lippupalveluand Tiketti that provide you with tickets forconcerts, summer festivals, entertainment,cultural events and sporting events in the city.You must register for membership to reservetickets on-line. You can see the monthlyprogramme available at teir webpages.Show your student card for possible studentdiscounts.
CheckFor what’s going on in the City ofHelsinki:http://www.hel.fi/www/Helsinki/en/culture/For various attractions:www.visitfinland.comFor Finnish Art:http://www.kansallisgalleria.fi/en/
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Lippupalvelu: www.lippupalvelu.fi
Tiketti: www.tiketti.fi/
Lippupiste www.lippu.fi
Theatres
KansallisteatteriFinnish National TheatreLäntinen Teatterikuja 1Tel. 010 733 1331 (tickets)www.kansallisteatteri.fi
Helsingin KaupunginteatteriHelsinki City TheatreEnsi linja 2(tickets from Lippupiste)www.hkt.fi
Svenska TeaternSwedish-speaking TheatreNorra Esplanaden 2Tel. 09-6162 1411 (tickets)www.svenskateatern.fi
Lilla TeaternPlays mostly in SwedishEriksgatan 2Tel. 09-3940 310 (tickets)www.hkt.fi/lillateatern/
KOM-teatteriKOM TheatreKapteeninkatu 26(Tickets from Lippupalvelu)www.kom-teatteri.fi
RyhmäteatteriPengerkatu 11 and Helsinginkatu 25(Tickets from Lippupalvelu)www.ryhmateatteri.fi
Helsinki City MuseumSofiankatu 4 (Office)Tel. 09-310 36630www.hel.fi/hki/Museo/en/Etusivu
Helsinki City Museum has various divisionsat different addresses with varying openinghours (see the Museum’s website for detailsand opening hours), such as:
· Burgher’s House· City Museum· Hakasalmi Villa· Sederholm House· Tram Museum· Worker Housing Museum
The admission to all museums andexhibitions of the Helsinki City Museum isfree.
Helsinki Art Museumhttp://www.hel.fi/hki/Taimu/fi/Etusivu
The Helsinki City Art Museum has it’sexhibition space in the Tennis Palace(Tennispalatsi).In addition to holdingexhibitions, theMuseum operates as theregional artmuseum for Uusimaa, maintainsthe KluuviGallery and looks after andaugments theCity of Helsinki’s art collections.
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Thesecollections also include the city’spublic works of art.
Art Museum Tennis PalaceSalomonkatu 15Tel. 09-310 87001
For up-to-date opening hours, please seethe website of Helsingin taidemuseo.
Public ArtThere are about four hundred outdoorsculptures, environmental works andhistorical monuments in Helsinki. The oldestworks date from the late 19th Century, andthere are some individual monuments of aneven earlier provenance.
National Museum of FinlandMannerheimintie 34Tel. +358 40 128 6469 (ticket office)[email protected]/en/nationalmuseum
Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00, Mon closed
The museum presents Finnish life fromprehistoric times to the present.
Amos Anderson Art MuseumYrjönkatu 27Tel. 09-684 [email protected]://www.amosanderson.fi/
For up-to-date opening hours, please seethe website of Amos AndersonThe Amos Anderson Art Museumspecialises in 20th century Finnish art. It alsoarranges a large number of exhibitions onspecial themes, covering both contemporaryand more traditional art. Most of the dozenor so special exhibitions held every yearconcern the visual arts, but applied arts andcultural history are also covered.
Finnish national gallerywww.fng.fi/
The Finnish National Gallery is the largestart museum organisation in Finland and anational cultural institution. The main units ofthe organisation are the Ateneum ArtMuseum, the Museum of Contemporary ArtKiasma, the Sinebrychoff Art Museum, andthe Central Art Archives.
Ateneum – Museum of Finnish ArtKaivokatu 2Tel. +358 294 500 401www.ateneum.fi/
Ateneum houses large collections of both oldand modern art. The Art Museum of theAteneum includes Finnish art from the 18thcentury to the 1960s as well as foreign worksof art from the latter half of the 19th century tothe 1960s (van Gogh, Gauguin, Munch, etc.)
Sinebrychoff – Museum of ArtBulevardi 40Tel. +358 (0)294 500 460www.sinebrychoffintaidemuseo.fi/
Kiasma - Museum of Contemporary ArtMannerheiminaukio 2Tel. +358 294 500 200www.kiasma.fi/
Central Art ArchivesKaivokatu 2 tel.+358 294 500 200www.fng.fi/
The Central Art Archives is a diverseinformation centre for visual arts that collectsand stores materials related to Finnish visualarts in particular.
For up-to-date opening hours of the units ofthe The Finnish National Gallery, please seetheir respective websites.
Finnish Science Centre HeurekaKuninkaantie 7Tel. 09-85 799Tikkurila (Vantaa)www.heureka.fi/
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Opening hours vary; please see the centre’swebsite for up-to-date information.
What else?For more information on smaller and uniquemuseums, contact the Helsinki City Tourist &Convention Bureau, Pohjoisesplanadi 19(see above). There are excellent museumsalso in Espoo, Järvenpää, Kerava, Tuusulaand Vantaa. For more information, contactthe local tourist offices. For suggestions, seehttp://www.museot.fi/
MoviesAll films are shown in the original languagewith Finnish and/or Swedish subtitles. Themajority of films are foreign with a highpercentage of Hollywood features. A weeklyprogramme is available in every cinema.Prices vary from 7.50 to 17.50 euro. Matineeshowings tend to be cheaper.
Finnkino – the largest chain of moviethreatres in Finland, several locations in theHelsinki Region http://www.finnkino.fi/
OrionEerikinkatu 15https://kavi.fi/fi/ohjelmisto
A movie threatre run by the NationalAudiovisual Archive that screensindependent and classic films in their originallanguage. Ticketscan be bought from thebox office or online.The box office opens ahalf an hour beforethe first show.
Kino EngelSofiankatu 4http://www.cinemamondo.fi/kino-engel/
A movie theatre run by Cinema Mondo thatscreens films from around the world. As aspeciality there are outdoor shows duringsummer time.
Dubrovnik & Kino Eerikinkatu 11 Tel.0201751620 http://andorra.fi/
Movie theartres run by the Andorra Cultureand Entertainment Center are used formovie showings during most of the moviefestivals and events in Helsinki.
This list is by no means exhaustive. Formore information on movie threatres inHelsinki area search online.
Movie FestivalsThere are several movies festivals and clubsin the Helsinki Region through out the year.Below is a list of the largest ones and youcan search online for more options!
Rakkautta ja AnarkiaaLove and Anarchy is an international moviefestival that seeks to screen films that wouldotherwise not be seen in Finnish theatres.http://hiff.fi/en/
DocPointDocPoint Helsinki is one of the largestdocumentary film festivals in the Nordiccountries. In Finland, it is the only festivalsolely dedicated to documentary films.http://docpoint.info/en
Espoo CineThe Espoo Cine International Film Festival isconcentrated on new European movies withyearly around 100 movies on show.http://www.espoocine.fi/
Season Film festivalSeason is an international movie festival thatholds a special place for films with a focuson women’s issues, female filmmakers andactresses, as well as films that questiongender roles as a whole. Season alsoincludes the Fashion Film Festival whichshows a wide range of movies for fashionlovers. http://www.seasonfilmfestival.fi/
CINEMANIAis your guide to the wide ranging filmfestivals and movie events in the CapitalRegion. You can see various movie eventson their webpages and like CINEMANIA onFacebook. The printed guide is also in free
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distribution in libraries, bars and culturalvenues around Helsinki.http://www.cinemania.fi/english/
Outdoors activitiesVast areas of forest and waterways as wellas traditional public rights of access provideexcellent opportunities for enjoying the greatoutdoors. The term "public rights of access"refers to specific rights everyone has whenmoving about no matter who owns the landin question.
Everybody has the right to
· Walk, ski or cycle freely in thecountryside, except in gardens, in theimmediate vicinity of people’s homes,and in fields and plantations whichcould easily be damaged.
· Stay or set up camp temporarily in thecountryside, a reasonable distancefrom homes.
· Pick wild berries, mushrooms, andflowers, as long as they are notprotected species.
· Fish with rod and line.· Row, sail or use a motorboat on
waterways, with certain restrictions;swim or wash in inland waters and thesea.
· Walk, ski and fish on frozen lakes,rivers and the sea.
It is forbidden to
· Disturb other people or damageproperty.
· Disturb breeding birds, or their nests oryoung.
· Disturb reindeer or game animals.· Cut down or damage living trees, or
collect wood, moss or lichen on otherpeople’s property.
· Light open fires on other people’sproperty, except in an emergency.
· Disturb the privacy of people’s homes,by camping too near them, or makingtoo much noise, for example.
· Leave litter.
· Drive motor vehicles off road withoutthe landowner’s permission.
· Fish or hunt without the relevantpermits.
Related sitesCollection of sports and outdoorsopportunities in Helsinkihttp://www.hel.fi/www/helsinki/enThe green areas of Helsinkihttp://www.hel.fi/www/helsinki/en/housing/nature/nature-green-areas
Outdoor recreation in Helsinkiwww.hel.fi/hki/liv/en/Recreation
Outdoors recreation in Espoohttp://www.espoo.fi/en-US/Culture_and_sport/Outdoor_Recreation
Everyman’s rights in Finlandhttp://www.outdoors.fi/en/hikinginfinland/rightsandregulations
Restaurants and coffee shopsIn Helsinki, there are hundreds ofrestaurants licensed to sell alcohol as well asdozens of coffee shops. The restaurantsrange from small, intimate eating stops toconference and congress centres andcrowded pubs. Bar and restaurant guides listsome choices, but ask for local advice orwander around and you may find places farmore fascinating than those listed. Tipping isnot common in Finnish restaurants andnightclubs, although it is standard thatcloakroom attendants expect 2 to 5 euro fortaking your coat.
Eat.fiA good way to locate restaurants and coffeeshops is to use the eat.fi website whichoffers information of almost all therestaurants in Helsinki area. On the site youcan find contact informations of restaurants,locations on map and reviews by othercustomers http://eat.fi/en/helsinki
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Restaurant dayRestaurant Day originated in Helsinki, inMay 2011 and it happens four times a year,about every three months. On RestaurantDay anyone can set up a restaurant or caféfor a day. It can be anywhere: at your home,at the office, on a street corner, in yourgarden or inner courtyard, at a park, or onthe beach – only your imagination is the limit!More information about Restaurant Dayonline http://www.restaurantday.org/
RefreshmentsAll alcoholic beverages, except mediumstrength alcohols (max. 4.7% alc.), are soldexclusively in ALKO shops. Mild alcoholicbeverages (wines and strong beer and cider)are sold to 18-year-olds, but to buy spiritsyou have to be 20. Be prepared to show yourID. Alcohol in Finland is either quite orextremely expensive (depending where youcome from…). However Alko’s selectionsare very wide, the service very professionaland you can for example find high qualityimported wines and beers that you might notfind anywhere else. More information at Alkowebpages http://www.alko.fi/
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Appendix A: From student to students: TSEMPPI’ssurvival guide for new international students and
researchersThe following is a guide to the things you willneed to do before and after you arrive inHelsinki. It was written by members ofTsemppi, the organization for internationally-minded students and researchers. We hopethis gives you useful information about livingand studying in Helsinki, and we lookforward to seeing you at our events offeredall year round.
Please note that youshould also check the university’s studyingpages as they provide you with official andessential information about other matterswhen starting your studies at the Universityof Helsinki. There are also several usefulmanuals, which you may have receivedduring Orientation Week. You can also findsome useful resources on the University ofHelsinki Orientation website:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/new-students/orientation-and-welcome-fair
Things to do before you arrive:1. Find TSEMPPI on Facebook and Visitour blogMoving to another country and starting yourstudies at a new university is a greatadventure, but you might face somechallenges on the way. Remember, you'renot alone! There have been others who havegone through the same process as you; theycan provide support and help you get settledin!
We at Tsemppi help newinternational students adjust to life in Finlandand to get involved at the university asquickly and smoothly as possible. There arealso other people and institutions thatprovide assistance, from your studycoordinator, to the student union and otherstudent organizations. While you might getto know them in time, we're here to help withany problems you might have from thebeginning! You can get the latest updates
about what's going on with Tsemppi andTsemppi PhD through our Facebook groups:Tsemppi:http://www.facebook.com/groups/Tsemppi/Tsemppi PhD:http://www.facebook.com/groups/TsemppiPhD/
The ‘Tsemppi’ group is intended for all, andthe ‘Tsemppi PhD’ group concentrates moreon doctoral students and postdocresearchers. You can also find informationabout us on our official blog:http://blogs.helsinki.fi/tsemppi-hy/
2. Arrange housingThe Foundation for Student Housing in theHelsinki Region (HOAS) owns quite a bit ofreal estate in the Helsinki area. They offeraffordable housing to students, includingsingle/shared/family apartments and studioflats.
Note: You should do thisas early as possible! It may take some timefor HOAS to find accommodations for you,and they work on a first come first servebasis. For more information about theirapartments and the application process, goto the HOAS website: http://www.hoas.fi
While HOAS is by far yourbest bet, it is also possible to find apartmentson the private market. You can either subletfrom an individual apartment owner, or rentfrom a rental agency. Contract length andterms depend on particular agreements.You'll find both open-ended month-to-monthand longer term one or two year contracts.But beware! It can be very difficult to findhousing on the private market. Mostapartments in Finland are owner-occupiedand the Helsinki market is extremelycompetitive!
Another very convenientoption is to look for a room in a sharedapartment. If you are looking for a room to
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rent or a flatmate to share the costs of abigger flat join the Facebook group forstudent apartments:https://www.facebook.com/groups/112489548797522/
Remember that if you are offered a place torent, DON’T TURN IT DOWN thinking thatyou will probably find something better; in alllikelihood, you will not find another placeright away and having a roof is essential in acountry where temperatures get well belowzero in the winter.
3. Mandatory health insuranceHealth insurance is now mandatory forinternational students, for more informationabout exactly what type of insurance isrequired for you, check the following link:https://university.helsinki.fi/en/studying/new-students/before-arrival#health-insurance
4. Get your student ID cardWith the official student card you’ll be able toprove your student status whenever it isneeded. For example, you'll need to show itto get student discounts in numerous shopsand businesses in Finland. It also serves asyour library card and provides a convenientpayment system for the UniCafe studentcafeterias. You'll be using it a lot, so be sureto order one! You can order your card fromthe student service website:https://frank.fi/en/student-card/
Keep in mind that thereare thousands of students ordering the cardonce the semester has started and makesure to order it as soon as you have paid thestudent union’s membership fee. Being amember of the student union is notmandatory if you are an exchange student orPhD student, but it brings many benefits, notthe least health care in the student union’shealth services (for all except PhD students,sorry!), which is definitely a big plus.
You'll need to have paidthe student union's membership fee, andsubmit a digital photograph. The card costsabout 15 euros and you’ll need internetbanking or Visa/MasterCard to pay for it.
The cards will be ready inlate- September/early-October. Once yourcard is ready (they will send you an email tolet you know), you can pick it up from theStudent Union's central office in the NewStudent House (Finnish: Uusi ylioppilastaloor just Uusi), Mannerheimintie 5A, 2nd floor.More information about the card and how touse it can be found at: http://myfrank.fi
5. Pack warm clothesThe average temperature in Helsinki inSeptember is between 8 and 15 degreesCelsius - and it only gets colder from there!But no worries, there are plenty of storeswhere you can buy warm clothes,secondhand and new. And of course, it is notalways cold! Summer in Helsinki might beshort, but it is warm and beautiful. Moreinformation about the weather in Helsinkican be found on the English pages of theFinnish Meteorological Institute:http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/
Things to do once you arrive inHelsinki:1.Get a Finnish identification numberForeign citizens who study in in Finland forat least three months should apply the samekind of personal identity code as Finnishcitizens have. The personal identity code isused for identification purposes in banks,hospitals, schools, institutions, by variousauthorities etc.
Citizens of non EU/EEA member statesWhen you apply for a residence permit,please ask to be registered in the FinnishPopulation Information System. By doing so,you will receive a Finnish personal identitycode already before arrival, which will makeyour life in Finland easier.
Citizens of EU/EEA-member states,Liechtenstein and SwitzerlandWhen you register your right to reside inFinland at the local police station, please askto be registered in the Finnish PopulationInformation System. By doing so, you willreceive a Finnish personal identity code,which will make your life in Finland easier.
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For details, please see:http://www.poliisi.fi/licences_and_permits_for_foreigners/eu_the_european_unionCitizens of Nordic countriesVisit the local register office (maistraatti)and ask to be registered in the FinnishPopulation Information System. By doingso, you will receive a Finnish personalidentity code, which will make your life inFinland easier.
For details, please see:http://www.maistraatti.fi/en/Services/place_of_domicile_and_population_data/
2. Get a Helsinki travel cardTo avoid unnecessarily high transportationcosts, it's important to get a Helsinki travelcard as soon as possible. There is a reducedrate for Helsinki residents, as well as forstudents (though the latter doesn’t apply todoctoral students).
You will receive a specialform with a university stamp at theWelcoming Fair. Take this to the HelsinkiRegion Transport (HSL, Helsingin SeudunLiikenne) service point under the mainrailway station. Bring your passport, and ifyou already have it, proof of your registrationin the population system and your Finnish IDnumber. In order to get the travel card, youneed to live in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa,Kirkkonummi, Sipoo or Kerava. When yougo to get your card you’ll need to have a validaddress in one of these cities. The cardcosts 5 euros.
If you plan to travelregularly outside of Helsinki city limits, andwant to pay with time, you should ask forregional (seutu) time when loading your card.It's more expensive, but you will need thisoption if you live in Espoo or Vantaa. If youare using money instead of time, pressnumber 2 to buy a single ticket for the wholeregion. As a rule of thumb, if you take publictransit to school each day then paying bytime is a much better deal, but if you mostlywalk to the university then it may make moresense to load money onto your card and onlypay per use. For more transportation relatedinformation check out the Helsinki Region
Transport (www.hsl.fi) and the public transitJourney Planner (www.reittiopas.fi).
3. Get a bank accountOnce you have your Finnish ID number, youshould apply for a bank account as soon aspossible, as electronic payments are usedheavily (read: almost solely) in Finland. Youwill find banks throughout downtown, thelargest being Nordea (www.nordea.fi),Danske Bank (www.danskebank.fi) andOsuuspankki (www.osuuspankki.fi). Formore information see page 67.
Most often when youopen a basic checking account, the bank willprovide you with a Visa-Electron card – adebit card you can use to access youraccount at businesses in Finland and a fewother European countries.
4. Get a mobile phoneIn Finland your phone and your operatorcontract are separate, so you buy your ownphone and are generally free to movebetween operators at will. If you are notbringing a mobile phone with you, you'll findmany places to buy phones throughoutdowntown, for example in the shoppingcomplex around the Old Student House(Finnish: Vanha Ylioppilastalo). Be sure toalso ask about used phones. You shouldbrowse the different operators for the bestcontract deals. If you don’t already have aphone, many operators offer package dealsthat include a phone. You can check thewebsites of the main mobile phone operatorsin Finland: -Telia-Sonera: www.sonera.fiDNA-Finland: www.dna.fiSaunalahti: www.saunalahti.fiElisa: www.elisa.fiAnother option is to buy a prepaid SIM card.R-Kioski shops sell a variety of prepaid cards;it's worth taking a bit of time and talking tothe shop-keeper about the Appendix Adifferent cards (DNA, Elisa, etc), since theycharge different rates per minute..
5. Stock your fridgeMost grocery stores in Finland belong to oneof two large retailing cooperations. The S-group operates a number of super markets
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in and around Helsinki: Alepa (a small storewith long opening hours), Smarkets (slightlylarger), and Prisma (the Sgroup'shypermarket). The other main retailing groupis the K-group. They operate K-markets of allsizes - from one to four Ks, indicating thesize of the store. A quadruple-K market isalso known as a CityMarket. The K-groupalso operates the more general departmentstore Anttila.
A good option for cheaptoiletries and household supplies isTokmanni, which is located in the ItäkeskusShopping Centre and in the Kaisaniemimetro station. If you would like to buy rarefoods and delicacies, visit StockmannHerkku under Stockmann, which is ratherpricy but a high quality place. The areaaround Sörnäinen (two metro stops eastfrom Kaisaniemi) has a good selection ofshops for ethnic groceries. For lower pricesand slightly different selection of food, Lidl isalso a good option, located for example inKamppi and Sörnäinen.
6. Health careThe Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS,or YTHS in Finnish) covers allundergraduate and graduate students,including exchange students (provided theyare members of the student union), whohave a valid student card, which entitles youto care from the Finnish Student HealthService. Unfortunately, doctoral students arenot covered. Most basic health requirements,including dental care, are offered. You willhave to pay a small deductible for many ofthe services. For more information abouthealth care services, locations, andcoverage, check the FSHS website:www.fshs.fi/en
Emergency treatmentand hospital care are not covered, and werecommend that you obtain additionalcoverage for these. Students from EU/EEAcountries and Switzerland should bring aEuropean Health Card or an E106 form,proving that they are covered by the healthcare system of their own country. They willthen be entitled to the same health carebenefits as Finnish citizens. Students from
outside the EU/EAA need to have privatehealth insurance.
7. Apply for a KELA cardIf studying is not the only reason you'vecome to Finland (for example, if you have afamily, a job contract of more than fourmonths, or you have Finnish citizenship),you should apply for a KELA card, whichentitles you to many different benefits, fromcommunity health care to (in some cases)monthly study allowances. For eligibilityrequirements and benefit details, check theirwebsite: www.kela.fi
8. Sign up for Finnish classesSome faculties might require you tocomplete a certain number of credits ofFinnish language studies. Even if they don’t,Finnish is crucial if you eventually decide toseek work in Finland. We’re not kidding --without Finnish language skills, finding evena part-time job is can be a major challenge!Registration usually takes place during thefirst two weeks of September and thecourses are divided between different typesof students (exchange, InternationalMaster’s students, etc.). Check the webpages of the faculty for more information:http://www.helsinki.fi/fus/studying/finnishforinternationalstudents.html
Please note that,generally, you have to register for Finnishclasses. Even though it might be possible tojoin a Finnish class even without havingregistered beforehand, it is stronglyrecommended to do so as classes fill upquickly and those having registered aregiven priority over those simply showing upto first class.
If you miss theregistration period, or if all the classes arefull, it should still be possible to make somearrangements. Degree students are usuallygiven priority when registering for Finnishclasses required for their degree. A goodidea is just to go to the class anyway and tryyour luck, since there are always a numberof people who don’t show up or drop out.
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9. Get the most out of the orientationweekAttend the mandatory Orientation Course fornew international students (at the end ofAugust or the beginning of September - yourwelcome pack will have more detailed infoabout the time and place). Although thecourse is intended for undergraduate/graduate students, doctoral students new toFinland may also find it worthwhile. Thecourse provides you with valuableinformation about all the official proceduresat the University, and where to go if you needhelp finding more information. Not only that,but you get credits for attending, which insome of the Master degrees is required forthe degree.
You should alsoparticipate in a tutor group. You will beplaced in a group according to your faculty,and your tutor will show you around andexplain how things really work! It's a greatopportunity to get to know both new and oldstudents from your faculty/department.While you could look up some of theinformation you’ll get, there’s a lot that youcan only get from other students!
10. Come to Tsemppi's first events of theyearThe program of Tsemppi's first meeting ofthe year will be packed with especially usefulinformation for new international students.Be sure to join us, and get to know otherinternationally-minded students andresearchers! The Tsemppi Welcome party isalso worth checking out, it’s a good place tomeet both the new international studentsand the older members of Tsemppi. Moreinformation about the Tsemppi program willbe posted in late summer. For location andprogram details please check the Tsemppiblog http://blogs.helsinki.fi/tsemppi-hy/ orour Facebook pagehttp://www.facebook.com/groups/Tsemppi/
11. Contact your Faculty/Department'sStudent OrganisationYou should ask your tutor or advisor aboutgetting in touch with your department'sstudent organization. Most organizations
have a website and mailing list where theypost information about what's going in thedepartment, for example, special classes,conferences, department events/parties,and traineeships. At the moment a lot of theinformation is only in Finnish, but some haveposted some in English too and mostorganizations have someone responsible forinternational students.
They can also help youget a pair of overalls (Finnish: haalari), the‘official’ party uniform of all Finnish students.Your department's organization is also agreat place to start meeting fellow Finnishstudents! For a list of faculty and departmentorganizations, and their websites, check theHYY website:http://hyy.helsinki.fi/index.php. And if youfind organizations from your department orwhich match your interests, remember tosign up for their mailing list. This way you willautomatically receive information about theirevents!
12. Get your IT-account and emailaddressStudents at the University of Helsinki areprovided with an IT account and emailaddress. You should go to Welcome Fair onthe 26th -28th of August or 14th- - 15th ofJanuary, or if you arrive after that, the ITservice point in the Kaisa Library and sign upfor your account. You will be given a username and password that you can use toaccess university computers and your emailaccount. Information about the IT servicepoint and opening hours can be found at:http://www.helsinki.fi/helpdesk/eng/contact/service_desks.html
13. Get your night-access keyA number of the University's computer labs,including Aleksandria in the city centre, areavailable for use after-hours. In order to getaccess to these facilities, you need amagnetic access key. For more informationon getting a key:https://flamma.helsinki.fi: Directory andservices » Staff services » Informationtechnology » Services for teaching andresearch » Computer laboratories
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14. Get a gym subscriptionThe University of The University of Helsinkiprovides excellent sports facilities andclasses to its students for very reasonableprices. Access to the University's gyms andAppendix A various activities/classes (e.g.,aerobics, salsa dancing, squash, yoga) foran entire year costs 100 Euros. For this priceyou get an unlimited access to the gyms andclasses. You can also pay for shorter timeperiods.
The University SportsService (Unisport) has facilities in all four ofthe University's campuses: the City Centre,Kumpula, Viikki and Meilahti. The openinghours for the different facilities are differenton each campus. Opening hours and classschedules can be found on the Englishpages of the University Sports Serviceswebsite: https://unisport.fi/
In order to participate inthe classes and use the facilities, go to oneof the sport centres in any of the campusesand sign up. Once you've paid, they will giveyou a sticker to put on your student card, or,if you don’t have it yet, a separate card.There's a computer close to entrance of thesport centre. Before going to gym, you willhave to scan your card at the computer andselect what activity you'll be participating in.For the individual and group sport classesyou can register in advance. Using the sameuser name and password that you use foryour email account, you can register forsports classes online on their website. Youcan also register at any of the sport centres,at the counter. Note, if you don't participatein the class you registered for you will becharged a fee, so remember to cancel inadvance if you can't make it to the class!
ONCE YOU'VE SETTLED IN
1.Find out what's going on in Finland andthe world
Once you've taken care of all the veryimportant things mentioned above, you maywant to look for some English languagenews and entertainment. The following is ashort list of English language media inFinland
• YLE News in English:http://www.yle.fi/uutiset/news/• Helsinki Times: www.helsinkitimes.fi• SixDegrees English Language Magazine:http://www.6d.fi/6d/• Latest Finnish new in Englishhttp://finlandtoday.fi2./
2.Get involved with student organizationsBesides the faculty and departmentorganizations mentioned above, the StudentUnion (Helsingin Yliopiston Ylioppilaskunta,aka HYY) has dozens of organizations forstudents with common interests, including anumber of internationally-oriented groups.The following is a list of some of the StudentUnion's international organizations: -
· Tsemppi:http://blogs.helsinki.fi/tsemppi-hy/
· AIESEC: http://aiesec.fi/hy· AEGEE: www.aegee-helsinki.org· ISHA - International Students of
History Association:http://blogs.helsinki.fi/ishahelsinki/
· CISSI - Committee of InternationalSocial Scientists:www.facebook.com/internationalcissi
· University of Helsinki DebatingSociety: www.helsinkidebating.org
· HYKY - Helsinki's Youth and StudentUN Society: www.helsinki.fi/jarj/hyky
· CSSAUH - Chinese Students andScholars Association of Espoo:http://sites.google.com/site/cssa-espoo/
·
A full list of the Student Union'sorganisations can be found at:http://hyy.helsinki.fi/en/organisations/hyys-organisations/international-organisations
3.Renew your residence permitIf you're from outside the EU, you'll need torenew your residence permit for each year ofyour studies. Foreign (non-EU/EAA)students staying more than 3 months need
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to renew their visa, which is usually onlyvalid for one year at a time. Processing therenewal application may take 4-6 months, sothe application should be filed well before theold visa expires. Your passport will remainwith you while the application is processed.To renew your visa, you'll need:- A valid passport.- Proof of 6000 euro in your bank account ora certificate from your sponsoringorganisation demonstrating financial supportfor the next year.- A registration certificate (Finnish:opiskelutodistus), which you can get fromStudent Services in the main building.- A completed application form for aresidence permit for studies (OLE_OPI).- Proof of progress in studies – e.g.,
transcript or letter from supervisor.- Applications can be made at theImmigration Police Offices (Pasilanraitio 11,Länsi-Pasila, Building 2). There is a queuefor EU citizens on during the weekdays from12:40 to 3:15 pm. Non-EU citizens mustmake an appointment.
- Several months after applying, call thepolice to check on the status of your visa(they will not call you). If it's ready, you cango and pick it up.
We are looking forward to meeting you!
TSEMPPIÄ!
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Appendix B: List of abbreviations
a (approbatur) = = gradeaman. (amanuenssi) = amanuensisass. (assistentti) = assistantaud. (auditorio) = auditoriumcl (cum laude approbatur) = gradedos. (dosentti) = docenth (huone) = roomke (keskiviikko) = Wednesdaykh (kollokviohuone) = colloquium roomkk (kuukausi) = monthkl (kevätlukukausi) = spring termko (koulutusohjelma) = degree programmekrs (kerros) = floorks (kielistudio) = language labl (laudatur) = gradeL (luento) = lecturela (lauantai) = Saturdayleht. lehtori) = lector, lecturerlk (lukukausi) = term, semesterls (luentosali) = auditoriumlkv, lv (lukuvuosi) = academic yearma (maanantai) = Mondayov (opintoviikko) = (old Finnish) creditop (opintopiste) = (ECTS) creditpe (perjantai) = Fridaypv (päivä) = dayR (ryhmäopetus) = teaching in a grouprh (ryhmätyöhuone) =working group roomsh (seminaarihuone) =seminar roomsl (syyslukukausi) =autumn termsl+kl (syys- ja kevätlukukausi) = autumn and spring termsl/kl (syys- tai kevätlukukausi) = autumn or spring termsu (sunnuntai) = Sundaysv (suuntautumisvaihtoehto) = line of studyt (opetustunti) = teaching hourti (tiistai) = Tuesdayto (torstai) = Thursdaytuntiop. (tuntiopettaja) = teachervk (viikko) = weekvs, vsn (viransijainen) = (official) substitutevt (viikkotunti) = hours per weekvt. (virkaatekevä) = actingY (yleisopinnot) = general studiesyliass. (yliassistentti) = senior
is on the 6th floor of Porthania.)Physicum Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2, KumpulaPR Päärakennus = University Main Building, Fabianinkatu 33 (Usually, Main Building
auditoriums are marked as ls1 (New Side) or aud XII (Old Side), with no indicationof the building.)
Ra Ratakatu 6 ASP (+ number) SiltavuorenpengerSSKH Snellmaninkatu 12 / Yrjö-Koskisen katu 3U (+ number) Unioninkatu
Appendix D
Appendix D: Calendar of events and flag days
AUGUST1 Official start of the academic year andautumn term24 – 30 Intensive period26 to 27 Welcome Fair & Orientation Coursefor new international students31 Opening ceremony and student carnivalSEPTEMBER23 Autumnal Equinox (the length of day andnight is equal)30 Student Union’s Freshman AdventureOCTOBER10 Aleksis Kivi’s Day - celebrating theFinnish national writer19 to 25 Examination and independent studyweek24 United Nations Day24 Last day of DST (Daylight Saving Time)TBA Rector’s reception for internationalstudents and scholarsNOVEMBER2 All Saints’ Day6 Swedish Day (Svenska dagen)9 Father’s Day20 Universal Children’s Day20 to 26 HYY Anniversary Week29 1st Sunday in AdventDECEMBER6 Independence Day6 2nd Sunday in Advent8 Sibelius Day,13 Santa Lucia Day - from the SwedishTradition13 3rd Sunday in Advent14 to 20 Examination and independent studyweek20 4th Sunday in Advent22 Winter Solstice (the day of the year withthe least hours of daylight)24 to 26 Christmas28 Holy Innocents' Day31 New Year’s EveJANUARY1 New Year’s Day2 to 17 Intensive period6 Last day of Christmas (Epiphany)14 to 15 Welcome Fair & Orientation Coursefor new international students18 Spring term begins
19 St. Henry’s Memorial DayFEBRUARY2 Candlemas5 Runeberg’s Day - celebrating the Nationalpoet7 Shrove Sunday14 Valentine’s Day28 Kalevala Day - celebrating the FinnishNational epic and Finnish cultureMARCH7 – 13 Examination and independent studyweek8 International Women’s Day19 Minna Canth’s Day – day for equality20 Vernal equinox (the length of day andnight is equal again)13 Annunciation Day20 Palm Sunday25 Good Friday27 Easter Day28 Easter Monday29 First day of DST (Daylight Saving Time),APRIL9 Mikael Agricola’s Day - celebrating theFather of the Finnish language27 National Veteran’s Day30 Vappu Eve - a student carnival, startingwith the crowning of the statue of HavisAmanda in the Harbour Market SquareMAY1 Vappu Day - a holiday for students andworkers5 Ascension Day8 End of the teaching period for academicyear 2014 – 20159 to 15 Examination and independent studyweek9 to 31 Intensive period12 Snellman’s Day - Finnish philosopher +Mother’s Day13 Flower Day - Celebrating the end ofspring15 Whit SundayJUNE4 Flag Day of Defence Forces21 Summer Solstice (the day of the year withthe most hours of daylight)25 – 26 Midsummer - the Finnish nationalholiday celebrating summer outdoors
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JULY31 The official end of the academic year
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Appendix E: Menu and grocery guide
aamiainen breakfastalkoholi alcoholalkoholiton non-alcoholanjovis anchovyappelsiini orangeastianpalautus A place where you rturnplates, forks, knives etc. after eating.aurajuusto (also sinihomejuusto)blue cheese, similar to Roquefortbanaani bananabroileri broiled chickenburgeri (hampurilainen) (ham)burgerdippi dipFeta Greek white cheesegratiini gratingulassi goulashhampurilainen hamburgerhapan sourhapanimelä sweet and sourhapankorppu (thin) crisp breadhauduttaa simmer, steamhedelmä fruitherkku delicacyherkkusieni champignon, mushroomherne peahillo jamhiutale flakehunaja honeyhärkä, häränliha beefhöystö ragoutiso big, largejauheliha minced meat (normally amixture of beef and pork)jugurtti youghurtjuoma drinkjuures, juurekset vegetable, vegetablesjuusto cheesekaali cabbagekahvi coffeekahvila café, cafeteriakala fishkalapuikko fish fingerkalkkuna turkeykampela flounderkana chicken(kanan)muna egg
kaneli cinnamonkaramelli sweet, candykastike sauce, dressingkasvis- Whatever begins withthis word is vegetarian, but it maycontaincheese or egg. See the end of this list.katkarapu shrimp, prawnkeitto soupkerma creamkevyt lightkevätkääryle spring rollkiinankaali celery cabbagekiisseli stewed juice thickenedwith potato flourkinkku hamkirjolohi rainbow troutkirsikka cherrykiusaus a type of casserole(usually anchovy or ham with slicedpotatoes)(muna)kokkeli scrambled eggskookos coconutkotikalja (non-alcoholic) beer likedrinkkrepit crêpeskukkakaali cauliflowerkuningatar(hillo) a mixture of raspberry andblueberry jamkurkku cucumberkuuma vesi (kuumaa vettä) hotwater for tea or cocoalaji course, dish, sortlammas, lampaanliha muttonlasagne lasagnelehtisalaatti lettuceleike escalope, cutleikkeleet cold cutsleipä breadliha meatlinssi lentillohi salmonlounas lunchlämmin warmmaito milkmakaroni macaroni, pastamakea sweet
