For the international students it is vital to meet Finns and make connections with different people in their new surroundings.
- The first step for the students is to take courses offered on campus. On campus students can get practical guidance from their teachers and group members on many local details, local surroundings, the Finnish society and working life.
- The second step is to participate in the events that VAMK organizes or informs students about.
- The third possibility is to connect with various organizations and groups in the Vaasa area.
On 18 February 2025, some of the most outstanding first-year IB students, had been invited to an event organized by the local Soroptimist club. Soroptimist International is a global volunteer movement with a network of just under 65,000 club members in 118 countries advocating for human rights and gender equality. The member clubs work on grassroots projects that help women and girls achieve their individual and collective potential, realize aspirations and have an equal voice in communities worldwide (www.soroptimistinternational.org). In Finland there are 49 Soroptimist clubs around the country with members from a variety of fields and positions in working life (www.soroptimistit.fi).
The event organized by the local Soroptimists at VAMK gave the international students an opportunity to use the Finnish they have learned to introduce themselves and their backgrounds. This they did very nicely. The students also presented their home countries and cultures and explained what had been meaningful and challenging for them in their first year in the new country. The students were most impressed with the clean, fresh air, nature and the calm surroundings. They were also impressed by how Finns had donated their families’ furniture, home appliances and other items when they had arrived. Many had also gotten kind help and advice from Finns in the supermarkets and other similar places. The biggest challenge was finding work – part-time or full-time – for themselves and their family members. Some ideas and suggestions were also mentioned in the discussion on this topic.
The local Soroptimists, who work in different positions in different companies and organizations, introduced themselves and their work in a mixture of Finnish and English. Ideas about various ways of getting together to share everyone’s skills and knowledge more widely were brought out. Many of the Soroptimists belong to other organizations and they suggested inviting students to some other events so they could meet more people and have an opportunity to learn more about the surroundings and society in Vaasa. Additionally, a board game café with the aim of practicing Finnish in a fun way was discussed. An international book club coupled with talking about current topics and issues in both Finnish and English was also brought up. If you are interested in meeting people and broadening your views, stay tuned for more information on such events.
