Jutut kategoriassa In English - Page 11 of 30

Useful and close-by – this is what the new board of OYY wants to be

This year's board of OYY wants to be easy to approach. The new members want to be able to offer each student union member something, whether it be advocating on their behalf or events.

In English

TEKSTI Iida Putkonen

KUVAT Iida Putkonen

In Finnish.

The voluntary membership of the Student Union and the move of Oamk are things the new Board of the Student Union is facing this year. The group wants to make sure the collaboration between OYY and OSAKO, the student union of the University of Applied Sciences, goes smoothly. They also want to offer even better services for students. Eetu Leinonen, the new president describes the fresh Board as diverse and balanced.

“We have members from many different fields and varying experiences in student influencing.”

“All of us are from different student guilds. We also prove you don’t need a long policital career to be on the Board”, Eevasisko Mehtätalo says.

Despite their different backgrounds, the new members of the Board are similar in one way: they would not have applied, had they not been encouraged.

We interviewed the group about how they are feeling about the upcoming year. All of the members as well as the president answered the same questions. Read the responses below.

Why did you apply to be on the Board?
What is your history in student influencing?
What do you wish to accomplish on the Board in 2020?
Are you excited about something in particular? Is something making you nervous?
How are you going to fit the Board into your life? Are you going to keep studying?
What has OYY done well in the past and what do you think should be improved on?
How would you like the Student Union to be when you leave your post?
What would you like to say to your fellow students?

Eetu Leinonen, 21, a fourth year student of mathematics and statistics and freshman of Finnish

The Chair of the Board: Board chairman, ownership and external stakeholder activities

“Last year I was the president of the Advocacy Section and I got to look into the advocacy work. It was then that I started thinking of applying to the Board. Eventually that thought grew into wanting to be the President.

As a student influencer I have also been the President of Oulun Luonnontieteilijät ry OLuT.

On the Board I want to make sure people feel OYY is useful. I also hope that the work goes smoothly, as there have been changes in the organization. Hopefully we can also help the next Board get a good start.

I am especially excited about the anniversary of OYY.

What makes me a little nervous is adapting to the Student Union everyday life. This is different compared to student guilds.

I intend to keep studying and finish my master’s thesis. For example I am taking a course in Udmurt language.

I would like the future OYY to be more open and closer to students. I would hope the Student Union can offer each member something, since we are doing this from students to students.

You can come talk to me about anything, it doesn’t have to be related to the Student Union. I like to be an unofficial guidance counselor: I know WebOodi by heart.”

Tia Rahkila, 23, a third year student of finance

The First Vice Chair of the Board, responsible for academic affairs

“I thought it would be nice to be able to make a difference. I only applied to the Board after the initial application period, because Santeri encouraged me to apply.

Previously I’ve been on the board of the student guild of finance, Finanssi.

I am most looking forward to meeting all the academic affairs representatives of all the guilds. I can’t wait to start working!

What makes me nervous is responsibility. I would say it’s a good kind of nervous, though.

I intend to keep studying while I am on the Board. My goal is to finish my bachelor’s during the summer. Exercise helps me stay energized.

I enjoyed the ‘kaverikoirat’ dogs from the previous years.

What I wrote on my application as well was that I’d like to bring OYY closer to each member. I want OYY to give back. I also want to develop academic affairs and advocacy work even further.

I’d like to say that there is no need to be scared of me even though I talk a lot. I can also listen.”

Jarkko Impola, 23, fourth year student of educational sciences

The Second Vice Chair of the Board, responsible for finances

“Applying to the Board was a last minute decision. The job was appealing, but I wasn’t certain I had enough experience or know-how. After encouragement, I applied.

Earlier I have been on the board of the guild of education sciences, Motiva, for 3 years the last of which I was president.

This year I want to create a good foundation for co-operation between OYY and OSAKO. On top of that I want to promote an environment where everyone is seen as a student equally, despite which university you come from. Personally I would like to become a better performer during this year.

I am particularly excited for the opportunity to learn about the university community as a whole. I am escaping the bubble of my faculty and meeting students and staff all around. That is exciting.

What makes me nervous about the year on the Board is time management. In this position you have to plan your life in a whole new way: how much time do I spend on this, on studies, the rest of my life. I am at the very least taking a break from my master’s thesis at the moment.

I want to help develop OYY to be something you want to be a part of in the future, even voluntarily.

I hope people approach me especially concerning the Oamk move.”

Petra Nieminen, 25, fourth year student of biology

Member of the Board, responsible for social affairs, tutor trainings and international affairs

“Someone in a meeting of the Student Council asked, why none of us had applied to be on the Board. I thought it would be nice to join, but I was not sure if I would have enough time. Benjamin Michelin from last year’s Board took an evening off to respond to my questions and assured me he had finished his master’s thesis along the job on the board. That helped me feel like I could apply.

Earlier I have been on the board of OLuT ry for two years. I’ve also been on the Student Council.

I hope that through the Board I gain confidence and trust in how I do things.

I’m looking forward to seeing how collaboration with OSAKO shapes up. It holds great potential.

What makes me nervous is scheduling. I am trying to do my master’s thesis on the side. I’ve tried to draw a line between work and home: I don’t bring work from the office home, and that is already showing in how I am managing.

In the past I feel OYY has not been able to become close to students.

I would like to leave an equal Student Union where everyone feels like they belong – and one people want to belong to.

I want to say I am not cold, even though I am quiet at times. If I don’t know something, I will look into it. You can approach me regarding anything.”

Santeri Siira, 24, a fifth year student of mechanical engineering

Member of the Board, responsible for events

“I had thought about joining the Board earlier, but I didn’t quite dare apply. The members of last year’s Board encouraged me to apply last spring. I thought about it through autumn and had a lot of encouragement.

Earlier I have been on the board of the guild of mechanical engineering Koneinsinöörikilta for two years. I’ve also been on the board of OLTO ry, Medical Technology Students of Oulu for a year and on the Student Council.

I want to do my part in developing events. I’d like the members of OYY to feel like the student union is theirs, not a foreign actor, and feel like the events are easy and nice to attend.

We have had a good group spirit even before the official year on the Board, so I think the Board will be a good one. I am mostly nervous about the anniversary of OYY.

The challenging thing about work on the Board is that you can never finish advocacy work. There is always more to be done, and you can’t possibly finish everything during your term. The OYY Board has a less clear frame compared to guild work.

My intention is to study a little bit on the side so I can finish my bachelor’s.

You can come talk to me especially if you have development ideas for events or OYY. You can also talk to me if you want to know more about OYY.”

Eevasisko Mehtätalo, 24, a student of molecular medicine

Member of the Board, responsible for communications and campus development

“I applied to be on the board after the initial application period, because I was encouraged to apply. At first I felt like I wasn’t capable or I didn’t have enough merits. I also thought this would be a full-time job. However, the members of last year’s Board clarified that I can work on my master’s thesis and studies all while being on the Board.

Previously I have done just about everything a student can do. The most important things for me were two years on the board of biochemistry student guild Histoni and 5 years as a halloped student representative in the biochemistry and molecular medicine faculty.

I would like for OYY to be more visible on the Kontinkangas campus after this year and for the students there to have equal opportunity to participate in events and get services. I also want to learn more regarding communications, such as making layouts and concise expression.

What interest me the most this year is the new communications project where I feel I can challenge myself.

I am nervous about my own time management. January has been straining in some parts due to the sheer amount of new information. I plan on studying on the side and finishing my master’s thesis before Midsummer. In other aspects of my life I am going to put energy into my own health and relationships.

I would like for all students to know they are a part of OYY. Everyone belongs in the Student Union and it is not some ‘higher being’.”

Reeta Mäki-Pollari, 25, a fifth year student of educational sciences

Member of the Board, responsible for organizations

“I was coached into the Board for a few years, but I wanted to get my studies to a place where I would be comfortable. After good encouraging speeches I decided to give it a try. This year the project in municipality influencing is so good, I felt like I had a chance to showcase my potential.

Throughout my studies I have been a part of almost everything a student can be. I was the president of the guild of early childhood education, Lastarit, and I have been on the Student Council for two terms.

I would like for OYY to be familiar to everyone and that even the students who aren’t actively involved would know the structure of the Student Union and how it works. In my own sector I would hope that students voices will be heard in decision making on the municipal level, for example in elections.

I am nervous about whether all the plans will come true and if everything will be done correctly. I intend to work on my master’s thesis throughout my term on the Board.

In my opinion OYY has been able to make itself more transparent and open: the Student Union is no longer an insider job in the same way it used to be.

What I would hope for is that the good team spirit of the Board shows.

I would like to say that even though I am tall, I can hear you all the way up here.”

Julkaistu 24.1.20201.2.2023

Iida Putkonen

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Tiedeviestinnän maisteri ja glögin ympärivuotinen kuluttaja. Etsii revontulia, riippumattoja ja juuri oikeita sanoja.

Lue lisää:

The Student Council cuts the grants for societies to around 10,000 euros in 2020, only the smallest subject societies continue to receive funding

In Finnish In relation to the budget, the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY) decided in its meeting on 10 Dec 2019 to cut the grants for subject and interest societies in 2020. The Board of OYY presented two proposals to the Student Council: in the first proposal the grants for societies would […]

In English

TEKSTI Anni Hyypiö

In Finnish

In relation to the budget, the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY) decided in its meeting on 10 Dec 2019 to cut the grants for subject and interest societies in 2020.

The Board of OYY presented two proposals to the Student Council: in the first proposal the grants for societies would be 25,000 euros and in the other 17,750 euros in 2020. After voting, the meeting adopted the counterproposal by Lääketietellisen vaaliliiton edustajistoryhmä (“Medical Electoral Alliance”, LED) with grants of 10,600 euros for 2020.

In addition to the amount, also the recipients were limited: according to the proposal, only interdisciplinary societies that are open to all OYY’s members should receive funding. This includes the interest societies but not the subject societies. The subject societies that have less than hundred members are an exception. These small societies will be funded with 1,400 euros and the remaining 9,200 euros will be directed to the interest societies.

This year OYY has granted grants to societies with 17,736 euros, of which 10,070 euros were to subject societies and 7,665 euros to interest societies.

“In practice, OYY’s all income consists of membership fees. When every student in the university has to pay the fee, there should be sufficient grounds for using the money. At the moment this kind of funding isn’t beneficial to everyone, and large societies and certain faculties are relegated to the sidelines. Part of the reason is in the process and part in the interest to apply for funding – but the end result is skewed nevertheless,” Eelis Palokangas, member of LED, justifies their proposal.

Palokangas sees the grants as an unnecessary transfer payment from one student to another. He thinks that there are other ways for the subject societies to raise money: they can, for example, raise the membership fee or work harder on fund-raising.

“In the faculties that receive most of the grants (Faculties of Education, Humanities and Science), the grants are approximately 2 euros per student. We think that finding a substitute for that small amount isn’t impossible, especially for bigger subject societies. The smaller ones will certainly be affected. The societies that have less than hundred members would be guaranteed the same support as they have received this year,” Palokangas says.

Is the reason behind LED’s proposal that for example Oulun Lääketieteellinen Kilta (“The Medical Guild of Oulu”) has had too big turnover to apply for grant?

The criteria for the activity grants states that if the income and expenses are over 100,000 euros in total, the society will not primarily receive the grant. The criteria also states that this kind of society can, however, receive the grant if they give reasons for the need of financial assistance in their application.

“When you think about it, we have over 1,000 students in the Faculty of Medicine, and only a small percentage of the paid membership fees comes back to the Terveystieteiden kilta (“Health Science Guild”), it is seen as an unfair system. When we thought about this proposal, we came to the conclusion that the system is redundant,” Palokangas says.

Before the meeting, other council groups Interdisciplinary Election Circle (PoVa), the Green list and Tieteelliset (“Science students”) published a common position, where they declared to support the Board’s proposal to grant activity grants to the subject and interest societies in the future as well.

The position states that “viable student associations benefit the whole university community. For example, guilds organise student culture, events, services, and other things that help the students integrate into the university community. Together, OYY and the student guilds can promote students’ interest in a more effective way at the university and in the society.”

According to the undersigned groups, the counterproposal was presented to the Student Council in a rush and there hasn’t been enough time to appropriately consider its implications.

The discussion about the activity grants was lively in the Student Council meeting. The voting was tight.

The proposal 1 (25,000 euros) was defeated by 26 to 11 and the proposal 2 (17,750 euros) by one vote 19–18.

In the voting, LED themselves and Opiskelevat Kokoomusnuoret (“Coalition Party Students”) sided unanimously with LED’s proposal. Unanimously against the proposal were PoVa, the Green list, Tieteelliset and Keskustaopiskelijoiden ja sitoutumattomien vaaliliitto (“The Centre Party Students and the Independents”). Members of Tekniikan ja Talouden vaalirengas (“The Election Circle of Technology and Economy Students”, TeTa) were divided: some sided with LED’s proposal while others were against it.

After the Board’s proposals had been rejected, there was a vote on LED’s proposal (10,600 euros), where the votes were 20–17 in favor of the proposal.

The Student Council members Aino-Kaisa Manninen (Green list), Roosa Heinonen (PoVa), Bruno Gioia Sandler (PoVa), Timi Kärki (PoVa), Salla Karhunen (PoVa) and Jarkko Impola (PoVa) expressed a dissenting opinion.

The amount of grants to societies is decided annually in relation to the budget. The amount has varied along the years: for example, in 2016, the societies received 23,497 euros in total, in 2017 14,874 euros and in 2018 16,969 euros. Starting from 2018, OYY has granted all grants as activity grants and not separately as project grants or special grants.

Translation: Essi Ranta

Julkaistu 13.12.20191.2.2023

Anni Hyypiö

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio

Lue lisää:

Hi, 5 ways to spice up your Christmas

Whether you celebrate Christmas, a different holiday, or not at all, the December holiday season is imminent. This is a great time to reflect on the year that has passed and to get together with your family and friends. However, as the times change, so do traditions. For many, the classical tree decorating and gift wrapping may not be as appealing as it used to be. As you look for new ways to celebrate, may you find inspiration in the following 5 ways to spice up your December holidays.

In English

TEKSTI Marcelo Goldmann

Ignore the holidays and just chill out

This may be the least exciting prospect from the list, but not any less important. If you have had a rough year, it is sometimes good to take advantage of the holidays to take care of yourself. Treat yourself to the foods you like the most, visit a spa, go for long walks, watch all those series you’ve been meaning to but hadn’t had the time. The important thing is to take it easy and do what feels right. After all, you’re doing it for you.

Casserole gathering

If you are a foreigner and know foreigners that will be in Finland away from their families during the holidays, you can get together and make typical food of your countries. That way you not only combat the loneliness of the holidays in a foreign country, but also get to try new food. I myself have participated in these gatherings and I can wholly recommend them. It is exciting to have people from other cultures try some typical food from your own country and experience their reactions. It doesn’t have to be a three-course meal; a simple taste of home will suffice. When I joined such a gathering, I made simple quesadillas and a “hot” (mild) sauce and I received no complaints. It also doesn’t necessarily have to be typical food from your home, but just something that you like and want to share.

Photo booth

Halloween is long gone, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dress up for the holidays. One addition to your gathering could be a makeshift “photo booth”, which is nothing more than a space where you and your friends can take fun pictures with each other to commemorate the occasion. You can make an activity out of making props or costumes with cardboard, colours, wooden sticks, and yarn. This will let your inner children shine. You can have a contest where the most creative props win some prizes.

Whamageddon

This challenge has already become a tradition in student circles. The idea is that you have to survive until the midnight of 24th of December without hearing the ultimate Christmas classic Last Christmas by Wham!. Naturally, there is no formal verification of who has been Whammed. You will have to rely on the code of honor. If you want to up the ante, you can try to trick each other into clicking a Youtube video with the song, but I wouldn’t recommend putting your friendship to the test like this.

Escape the holidays and go traveling

If celebrating the holidays is definitely not your thing and you want to escape the holiday cheer, you could travel to a country that doesn’t celebrate Christmas. You could for example have a shopping and skiing holiday in China, go hiking in Mongolia, or visit monuments in Egypt.

Julkaistu 12.12.20191.2.2023

Marcelo Goldmann

A Doctor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Oulu. "Life is like a rubber duckie, you gotta keep it afloat to see its splendor." Instagram: @marcelogman

Lue lisää:

Hi, 5 reasons why exercising is good for your student life

For many people, exercise is an intrinsic part of their lives. But if you are like the author, then you have found exercise to be little more than a chore at some point or another. While it is true that exercise takes time that could be used for other hobbies, there are many legitimately good reasons why exercising frequently is not only good for your long-term quality of life, but also for your student life. Hopefully these next 5 reasons will motivate you to go to the gym, go jogging, or do some sports.

In English

TEKSTI Marcelo Goldmann

It makes you feel good during the dark months

Kaamos or Polar Night is the period of darkness when the sun doesn’t rise above the horizon. In the very north of Finland, such as the city of Nuorgam, this occurs for about two months between December and January. As you go further south, this decreases to just 4 days in Sodankylä. In Oulu, you will not experience true kaamos, but you can expect daylight as short as 3 and a half hours around December. This can affect people’s minds negatively, increasing feelings of sadness or anxiety. One way to combat this is through exercise. It is known that exercise increases the release of “feel-good” chemicals in your body (such as endorphins), while at the same time decreases the release of stress chemicals (such as cortisol).

It improves your self-esteem

It is no secret that exercise can improve our outward appearance. However, looks aren’t everything. Although self-esteem has an undeniable visual component, the author believes that a more important component is our overall physical strength. No matter which exercise you choose, your strength and stamina will increase through repeated training. This progress will undoubtedly make you feel like you’re turning into a better version of yourself. It is important that you don’t compare yourself to others in this matter. We all progress at different rates, and sometimes the progress can be slow. But the progress is real and will improve your self-image, not only outwardly, but also inwardly.

It may help you with your grades

Physical exercise may be benefiting more than just your body. Our brains and bodies are not isolated machines, they communicate with each other and relate to each other. Studies have shown that students that participated in fitness activities achieved higher grades that those who didn’t. This doesn’t mean that you can slack off on studying. However, exercise can reduce your stress and increase your focus, which will surely help you study better. Additionally, exercise can lead to better sleep. As a consequence your studying will be more effective, as good sleep is linked to better retention of information in your memory.

It promotes better social interactions

University is not only about studying. Making good and meaningful connections are a significant part of a healthy university life. Additionally, the networks you create become more valuable when you enter your professional life, as they can provide support and advice. One way to strengthen friendships and relationships is by participating in training or sports together. By training with a partner, not only will you be sources of motivation for each other, but also have the chance to bond. Research suggests that team sports can lead to better interactions by the social nature of the activity, while individual training can also improve sociability as a consequence of improved mental health.

It strengthens your immune system

Nobody likes being sick. In the best case scenario, it’s a week of pain and misery. In worse scenarios you end up staying home and missing out on lectures and social events. However, besides dressing warm and having good hygiene, exercise can help you fend off those pesky colds and flus. When you include moderate exercise in your regular routine, your immune system is stronger. Some other reasons may be the increase in body temperature which fights bacteria, the flushing out of bacteria from the lungs and airways, and the decrease in stress hormones. However, if you’re already fighting a cold, perhaps it’s better to first deal with that before starting or continuing your training routine.

Julkaistu 4.12.20191.2.2023

Marcelo Goldmann

A Doctor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Oulu. "Life is like a rubber duckie, you gotta keep it afloat to see its splendor." Instagram: @marcelogman

Lue lisää:

“The difficulty comes when you get a crazy long word” – Even though it will take time, these students know that learning Finnish is possible

Whether you are a Finnish citizen yourself or just a student in the Nordic coldness, you are probably familiar with two of the most common reactions from foreigners: “Oh Finland, is the schooling system really so amazing?” and “Oh Finland, is the language really so difficult?” We discuss with lecturer Anne Koskela and three students from the University of Oulu, whether Finnish truly is as challenging as it is often portrayed.

In English

TEKSTI Filip Polák

KUVAT Anni Hyypiö

In Finnish

Amaya Garcia Márquez is currently in Oulu for an exchange period from Spain. She says she came to have a new Finnish experience. She has already lived in Finland for approximately 10 months altogether and holds a B2 language certificate. In 2015, in her last year of high school, she was offered a scholarship and asked to put in order countries she would like to go for an exchange to by preference. She listed Finland as her number one, leaving the second place to South Africa.

“It was a feeling of connection, even though I did not know much about Finland. I arrived on the 21st of August [in 2015] without speaking a single word and school started on the 23rd of August completely in Finnish.”

Offering a view from a different learning level, a student who has recently made the first step and started studying the language is Alexander Csepregi. He is from a geographically distant yet linguistically rather close Hungary and currently coaches basketball and studies at our university.

As he says, he is new to the country and to the language, currently being able to use simple phrases and introduce himself in Finnish. He mentions that Hungarians see Finns as their distant brothers living in the cold, yet he doesn’t consider the language similar sounding.

“A friend of mine from Hungary bought a house way up north and he has met some Sami people and heard them speak. He told me he felt like he was listening to Hungarian, except he could not understand, which was apparently a strange experience. On the other hand, he agreed with me that Finnish doesn’t sound like Hungarian to us at all.”

Waldo Seppä offers yet another distinct perspective on the topic of Finnish learning. Introducing himself as “German speaking South African with a Finnish father” might suggest why that is. Waldo Seppä mentions that his level of fluency truly depends on the period of his life we are discussing about, since his life in Finland and moving in and out of the country

“In South Africa I’m always the ‘Finn’, and in Finland I’m always the ‘South African’. My relationship with Finnish has always been up and down. Apparently, my dad even used to speak to me in Finnish when I was very young, yet I don’t remember this.”

For us to better understand what the Finnish language classroom looks like from the other side of the teacher’s table, we turned to university lecturer Anne Koskela for a few questions. She isn’t a new name to neither Finns nor students from abroad, since she teaches the Finnish language both as a native and as a second language.

After graduating from the University of Oulu, Anne Koskela gained her first experience with teaching Finnish as a second language to adult refugees. Afterwards, she taught foreigners in general, in a course preparing them for a professional life in Finland. Later, she found her way into teaching at the university as well and is still on that path.

Is Finnish really that difficult? Yes and no

“Of course, we, the Finnish teachers, don’t want to say Finnish is hard,” Anne Koskela says.

According to her, seeing Finnish as different rather than difficult is a better approach. The language is indeed not part of the Indo-European group, which is unusual for Europe. While she mentions that learners from Hungary may have a slight advantage with understanding the language structures, the favor is still rather small and the speakers may still struggle in other aspects. Additionally, coming from a language differentiating short and long sounds may help as well.

However, where Anne Koskela sees the biggest advantage is having a learning experience.

“I think it is also a question of learning strategies and learning itself. If you already have experience with language learning and have studied other foreign languages before, it makes it easier to learn Finnish as well.”

“The difference between spoken and written language plays a big role in what makes it difficult.”

Alexander Csepregi confirms the previous ideas by mentioning that the Finnish language logic is not strange to him as a Hungarian, and he indeed finds the separate sounds similar, which he considers an advantage. Being an agglutinative language, also Hungarian is capable of building unusually long words via affixes. He mentions that occasionally he translates his Finnish materials to Hungarian rather than English, since it makes more sense.

However, with vocabulary his background brings him only a minimal advantage. Additionally, Alexander Csepregi finds another aspect of Finnish troublesome.

“The difference between spoken and written language plays a big role in what makes it difficult. Sometimes my colleagues, other basketball teachers, text each other, and not even Google translate recognizes the sentences they write.”

Similarly, Waldo Seppä looked at both sides of the coin of his learning process.

On one hand, he appreciates the straightforwardness of Finnish. He compares it to English and French, where a learner has to memorize the use of prepositions in various cases, while in Finnish one can quickly start logically building the words together. However, that also brings challenges.

“The difficulty comes when you get a crazy long word, and you are just… clueless. What is also hard is when you start getting into very complex grammar. But that part, the advanced grammar, is what makes Finnish so difficult, and people tend to focus on that.”

While he mentions that he doesn’t see this advanced grammar as crucial for getting fluent, he understandingly concludes that he can see why people would call Finnish a hard language.

According to Anne Koskela, it’s better to see Finnish as different rather than difficult — According to lecturer Anne Koskela, it’s better to see Finnish as different rather than difficult.

Courses as a platform to speak

Amaya Garcia Márquez surprises many people with her level of fluency after a short time in Finland, however, she can definitely remember and see the strenuous side of the language as well. She speaks English, French, Finnish, and Spanish and mentions that Finnish is very distant from the other three. Especially in the beginning she found the learning as demotivating.

“I had moments when I felt frustrated with myself for not being able to learn Finnish, and I thought I would never speak it. That was the hardest part, the mental side, the frustration,” she says.

Amaya Garcia Márquez points out she has learned most of what she currently knows by using the language. However, when her peers during her high school exchange year had Finnish classes, she had sessions with a Finnish teacher. Besides getting learning recommendations, she considers the biggest advantage being the fact that the teacher would never switch to English and continued talking to her in her target language. In time, she picked up more and more vocabulary that she started trying to put into sentences. She mentions that she never studied grammar per se, and therefore usually recognizes instinctively whether a sentence sounds correct or not.

“That was the hardest part, the mental side, the frustration.”

On her road from a beginner to being mistaken for a person from Turku, Amaya Garcia Márquez was driven by her motivation.

“I wanted to learn. I wanted to belong to the place. All my friends would talk Finnish during lunch, and even though they talked to me in English, I wanted to have the feeling of understanding the world around me.”

Waldo Seppä, who has attended several Finnish courses in the past, currently attends the “Opettajaksi Suomeen” course at our university. However, what he considers the main advantage is the opportunity to speak and practice, since he often found himself gravitating towards the English speaking circles while in Finland.

“Courses really provide an opportunity, where you are really speaking Finnish, and you have a person that is always there to help you. Also, after my first two years in Finland, I found myself being professional at answering questions about where I am from and introducing myself. In a Finnish course you always get the chance to speak about different topics as well.”

“However, knowing friends that have learnt Finnish, I know it is possible and extremely fulfilling.”

Seppä is not the only one who sees the Finnish courses as a positive experience. Alexander Csepregi happily concludes he recently finished the “Survival Finnish” course offered at our university. He is currently taking “Beginner’s Finnish” and mentions it is mostly in official Finnish, and sometimes the puhekieli versions of words are mentioned. The spoken language is, in fact, what he considers the biggest learning challenge. What he appreciates about the courses is the foundations they offer him.

Alexander Csepregi says his plan is to keep taking courses until he fails a final exam from one of them. While he is currently not sure how far that will get him, being in first year of his English bachelor’s program in Oulu, he dreams of high goals.

“It would be incredible to learn it [Finnish] fluently. I have Finnish friends, and if I would just show up and speak it, their jaws would drop. I would love to impress them like that,” Alexander Csepregi says, and adds that “if you want to learn a language just to add it to your resume, pick a different one. However, knowing friends that have learnt Finnish, I know it is possible and extremely fulfilling.”

Anne Koskela has a unique insight into learning the language, as both native and foreign. She mentions that the two categories of learning are not completely different. In the beginning, the foreign learners obviously focus on snowballing vocabulary, with time they start to practice topics similar to the ones offered in the Finnish language courses for natives studying for their master’s programs.

“In the conversation course, there are speaking exercises in different situations, for example, in working life. In other courses, we also write academic writing with the students. Both of those we practice with Finnish students as well.”

With Finnish being depicted as a difficult language, hearing that the Finnish students practice similar things in the compulsory communication courses may be motivating for foreigners who are learning Finnish.

Getting over the fear

Waldo Seppä, being further down the road of cracking the code of the Finnish language, has an additional advice as well.

“I can not stress this enough: learn vocabulary. Start talking like a three-year-old. You think you sound stupid, but that is how you learn. The more words you know, the more you can follow the conversation around you, and if you don’t know a word, write it down. Finally, don’t be afraid to speak. You’re going to make mistakes a lot and you know that is okay,” he explains and gives an example: “if someone is trying to learn your native language, and they speak it to you, you don’t care if they sound odd. People need to get over the fear of making mistakes. A three-year-old often makes mistakes too, but they will learn the language faster because they don’t care. Just practice.”

“Just go ahead and try. Even though in some moments you will feel down because you don’t understand, and a single word has 6 different meanings, and you feel like you can never learn the language. But you do not need a complete proficiency to speak and understand. Just go for it, it is not impossible, and it connects you with the culture, and people here feel happy and proud when you speak the language,” Amaya Garcia Márquez says.

All interviewed students agree on the fact that getting to speak the language is a massive advantage of each course.

Anne Koskela also agrees with the point and encourages the students to not be afraid of mistakes, and to not be afraid of speaking to Finns. Additionally, she shares a message for the natives as well.

Similarly to getting to speak in the courses, the natives can help their peers improve their skills simply by speaking with them.

“It is important from our side, that we do not switch immediately to English when we see they are just learning. Sometimes we want to be polite and switch to English, and maybe even because we want to practice our English skills with foreigners. I understand it is easier to operate in English in some situations, but it could be a decision that you could talk together for 5 or 10 minutes during lunch break in Finnish.”

Julkaistu 29.11.20191.2.2023

Filip Polák

A Slovak from a tiny village near the Hungarian borders who studies in the Intercultural Teacher Education programme here in Oulu. He is working on improving his Finnish, hoping to one day obtain a C2 certificate. In his free time he likes to put his thoughts down on paper or screen.

Lue lisää:

Linnanmaa campus is getting older and costs are increasing, university rethinking the premises: “No team orders for Oulu UAS”

The Board of Directors of the University of Oulu will decide next week if it begins a property strategy analysis. The review has three options: maintaining the current building stock, partial demolition and reconstruction at the current campuses, and new construction near the city centre of Oulu. The analysis evaluates the financial, functional, and societal impacts of the different options. Especially the third option has raised discussion: would the University really move from Linnanmaa?

In English

TEKSTI Anni Hyypiö

KUVAT Marko Heikkinen

In Finnish

The Board of Directors of the University of Oulu will decide next week if it begins a property strategy analysis.

The aim of the analysis is to find “financially sustainable, long-term university property solutions that support the university’s operations.”

The analysis has three options: maintaining the current building stock, partial demolition and reconstruction of the current buildings on the current campuses, and new construction near the city centre of Oulu. The analysis evaluates financial, functional and societal impacts of all the alternatives.

Especially the third option has raised discussion: would the University really move from Linnanmaa?

The campus is getting older, costs are increasing

The bulletin by the University and an article in the newspaper Kaleva that broke the story state that the primary reason for the proposed analysis is the high cost of rent the University is paying for the properties.

According to the bulletin, property costs are the second largest expense item for the University, after personnel costs.

The announcement also says that based on preliminary findings, “the rent level of the renovated Linnanmaa premises may be higher than the market rent of corresponding premises in the area.” Therefore, new construction might be a more financially viable option. The University also thinks that new construction would improve the energy efficiency of the premises and sustainable use of resources. The University premises at both Linnanmaa and Kontinkangas campuses are owned by University Properties of Finland Ltd (Suomen Yliopistokiinteistöt oy, SYK).

Rector Jouko Niinimäki is proposing starting the evaluation. He says that the individual increments of rental prices by SYK are not the reason for the proposed analysis.

“Rents are always going up, that is not the direct reason for the analysis, but rather the general direction we know the rents will be heading towards. Now we have renovated plenty of spaces, and from experience we can tell how the rental prices are going to behave. So, we have not had any notification from SYK, rather this is a solution that has grown over time”, says Niinimäki in our interview.

The Chief Financial Officer of the University Pekka Riuttanen says that the University pays around 26 million euros annually in rental costs for the premises. Roughly 17 million is from the Linnanmaa campus.

“As a whole, the number of spaces we have has decreased radically over the years. Scaling down the premises has been a way for the University to keep the property costs acceptable. At the moment, we feel like we cannot downscale more, and the costs for the premises will only increase.”

According to Riuttanen, one of the main reasons for the increase in property cost is due to Linnanmaa being an old campus, and there are plenty of areas that need renovation in the future.

“The increase in property costs is money away from research and education. That is something we do not want, quite the opposite: we want to invest into research and education.”

Sanna Sianoja, the CEO of the University Properties of Finland, says that the company takes the feedback from the University of Oulu seriously.

“The principle is that we offer affordable spaces for the University. We want to be involved in developing things forward with the University, and in thinking how we can resolve this situation. It is not in our interest to offer overpriced spaces.”

Is the rent level for the spaces in Linnanmaa higher than the market price for the area, as the bulletin says?

According to Sianoja, there is not a clear answer to the question.

“Of course, I have heard the message and received the feedback. I cannot say without a doubt one way or the other. The largest thing is that if a thing such as this is brought forward, we want to investigate the causes. We want to serve our customer as well as possible.”

SYK owns, builds, and develops building stock for higher education institutes outside the capital region of Finland. The company is co-owned by nine universities outside the Helsinki area along with the State of Finland. The University of Oulu has a 10.41 % share of ownership.

Two years ago, YLE published an article regarding the property costs. Even back then Niinimäki noted that he believed the property costs for the University were “higher than the market rent in the surrounding area.” According to the article, both the Chief Financial Officers of the University of Vaasa and the LUT University also thought that the rents charged by SYK are high.

Has there been feedback about the property costs from other universities?

“It is hard to say. Naturally, we have discussions with the organisations who rent our spaces regarding the rental costs and how they compare to the surrounding areas. Of course, we understand that for the user the space is an expense, and that provokes discussion,” Sianoja says.

Time to pack things again?

The Chair of the Board of the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY) Miriam Putula says that the Student Union is observing the situation.

“This [proposal by the rector] is a good starter for conversations, and I hope students are involved in it as well. As a student, I want the solutions to benefit the students. If the prices by SYK are too high and we cannot have enough resources for research and education, something must change. The University cannot spend too much money on the properties.”

Putula says that the Student Union has met with student representatives in charge of educational affairs from the umbrella guilds of the University. According to her, the news about the possible changes has caused some concerns.

“Are we going to have to move again? As everything has been concentrated to Linnanmaa, what would happen to the housing, cycling, and bus lines in the area? Would this proposed move stop all the development in the area?”

Did the proposal by the University come as a surprise for the Student Union?

“There has been speculation for a long time, as there have been discussion on the high level on property costs, and that they affect the basic functions of the faculties. But the proposal for the analysis itself was a surprise. I had to do a double take as I picked up the newspaper Kaleva in the morning.”

Talks of co-operation at Kontinkangas

The analysis mentions possibilities for renovating both the campus at Linnanmaa and Kontinkangas, partial demolition and rebuilding of the current building stock, and building something new at a new location near the city centre of Oulu.

Even though the relocation would go forward, Niinimäki says the move would not concern the Kontinkangas campus. “It is natural for the campus to be at Kontinkangas, it would not be relocated.”

But does the University aim to have a shared higher education institute campus at Kontinkangas as well?

The University has two faculties at Kontinkangas (Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine as well as the Faculty of Medicine) while the Oulu University of Applied Sciences has social and health care education at Kiviharjuntie. Oulu UAS and the University are already collaborating in Dentopolis that was opened in September 2017, as the dentist students of the University and the dental hygienist students of Oulu UAS are working together there.

“In a way, we already are on a common campus, as the area is large, and it has the University, Oulu UAS, and the hospital. But we need to think about their locations in relation to one another,” says Niinimäki.

“At Kontinkangas, [the main building of the Faculty of Medicine] Kieppi and Dentopolis represent new and high-quality building stock. But for example, the premises of Tellus Kontinkangas and the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine are starting to approach the end of their lifecycle. Some decisions need to be made about them,” Niinimäki muses.

Jouko Paaso, the Rector of the Oulu University of Applied Sciences, notes that the collaboration between the higher education institutes at Kontinkangas has been discussed already. “Yes, it has been brought forward, as we are part of the same concern, a functional co-operation would be natural. Preliminary discussions have been had, now we are continuing those and thinking if shared premises would be a good solution.”

Paaso emphasises that no concrete plans have been made yet.

“The number of students in the area is large, we have more than 2,000 social and health care students there. One cannot do this in a jiffy, but we must ponder what areas could we co-operate on.”

“Oulu UAS would not be left alone”

What would be the role of the Oulu University of Applied Sciences in the possible change?

Oulu UAS decided on relocation to the Linnanmaa campus in October 2016. The campuses from Teuvo Pakkala and Kotkantie are moving to the Linnamaa campus during the year 2020.

The University of Oulu owns a majority of the stock of Oulu UAS, and the two higher education institutes belong to the same concern. At the moment, the institutes are planning how to organise shared services. Rector Jouko Niinimäki is also the Chair of the Board of Oulu UAS.

According to Jouko Niinimäki, the management of the University of Applied Sciences has been made aware of the discussions held last week. The Board of Oulu UAS was sent a bulletin yesterday, and the staff has been notified today on intranet.

“Of course, Oulu UAS would not be left alone. If we decide on relocation, the University of Applied Sciences would be included in the plans from the very beginning. Oulu UAS is an independent entity that will make its own decisions. We will place no team orders for Oulu UAS.”

“The question is about extremely long-term things, basically a strategy for the next 20 years. For sure, the first movements of it would start rather soon. The possible relocation of Oulu UAS would happen near the end of this strategic period.”

Jouko Paaso, the Rector of the Oulu University of Applied Sciences, says that Oulu UAS has no need to renegotiate the rental costs. Oulu UAS has a twenty-year rental agreement on properties at Linnanmaa.

“At the end of 2017, we made a rental agreement that included renovations according to our needs. Back then and during the tendering process we had negotiations, and we think we reached a reasonable price which we though matched the general prices in the Linnanmaa area. There has not been a need to reopen the discussions [on rental prices].”

“Though I do understand that as the University has renovated spaces, the increase in rental costs has been seen as too high. From the perspective of someone who organises the education, this is a difficult task as the resources should be aimed at something else than the increasing property costs.”

According to Paaso, the Oulu UAS staff has been informed that the relocation to Linnanmaa proceeds as planned. The property strategy analysis can have an impact on Oulu UAS premises, but only in the long term.

What would be left if the University leaves?

In preparation for the relocation of Oulu UAS there has been a great deal of improvements in the Linnanmaa area. In preparation for the increased amount of people and traffic in the area, public transportation, cycling routes, and student housing have all been improved. In addition to improvements in cycling routes and bus lines, the brand of the campus area has also been developed. In August, the Board of the City of Oulu accepted an overall framework of the area that acts as an unofficial and guiding document between a master plan and street plan of the area.

What effect would the possible relocation of the University have on Linnanmaa?

According to Jouko Niinimäki, the area would maintain its importance: the area is relatively close to the city centre, it has good traffic connections, and the Technopolis Science Park is next to it. He reminds that if the decision to relocate happens, it will be done gradually.

“If the change were to occur, other activity would take our place, and this activity would support the employment in the area,” Niinimäki says.

“The city decides which direction they want to develop the area. A lengthy timeframe guarantees that the area would have positive new functions.”

The University of Oulu has had “preliminary discussions” with the City of Oulu, says Jouko Niinimäki.

“We have been involved with people from planning, especially [Director of Urban and Environmental Services] Matti Matinheikki, Mayor Päivi Laajala, and the Chair of City Board Kyösti Oikarinen. The end result has been that the plan is worth investigating.”

Why was the information put out now? Jouko Niinimäki says the Board of Directors of the University has had “free-form discussions” on the matter previously.

“The issue came naturally on the agenda, there is no special reason why it popped up just now. As the agenda for the next board meeting goes public today, we want to inform people ourselves, and also to control rumours.”

Jouko Niinimäki says that there have not been any decisions made on who would pay for the possible new construction. “We are not that far yet; we have not even decided are we building something new or not.”

“But if one has to speculate, I would guess that we would partly take a loan, and partly use our own money for the construction.”

The Linnanmaa campus has also had its share of moves within the University. Within a few years the architecture students moved from the city centre to Linnanmaa, and the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Education relocated inside the campus building.

Do the rental agreements enable moving away from Linnanmaa?

“Naturally we aim that we stay put until the rental agreements are up”, says Niinimäki. According to him, the campus has a wide variety of rental agreements in place: some could be discontinued immediately, some have a rental period of a few years, and some are rather long.

“We have looked both at the map and the rental agreements, and the proposed move would be feasible. On the financial side, we have also made some rough calculations. All three options are economically viable, none of them are impossible or just wishy-washiness.”

The Board of Directors of the University of Oulu will discuss starting the property strategy analysis in their meeting on the 20th of November.

It has been 60 years since the first opening ceremony of the University of Oulu. The University did not have a one shared space during the initial years. The proposed location of the campus had plenty of options, from Sanginsuu to Virpiniemi, and even near the city centre in the region of Hupisaaret. The construction of the Linnanmaa campus began in the early 1970s, and continued all the way into the 2000s, when the Tietotalo segment near the administrational wing was completed.

Translation: Kalle Parviainen

Julkaistu 15.11.20191.2.2023

Anni Hyypiö

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio