National Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences – SAMOK and National Union of University Students of Finland (SYL) have published a programme to increase the number of international mobility periods. The number of mobility periods for students at Finnish higher education institutions has decreased considerably in recent years and even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The programme sets out ways to reverse this trend.

The Finnish government’s 2016 cuts to students’ financial aid and the maximum period of support for higher education studies are seen as one of the main reasons for the decrease in mobility numbers. Mobility periods started to decrease significantly the following year.

“Students are under pressure to graduate on time in order to receive student loan credits, and as incomes get weaker, students are working more. When it is still unfortunately often difficult to integrate a mobility period into a degree, the equation is difficult and students’ internationalisation suffers”, says Roosa Veijola, SAMOK’s European policy and international affairs advisor.

In the programme, SAMOK and SYL propose solutions to increase student mobility at local, national and European level.

“Higher education institutions should invest in providing information about scholarship opportunities and in enabling an internationalisation period in every degree. At national level, the pressure on students to perform should be eased by defining a period of mobility abroad as an acceptable reason for extending the period of study eligible for student loan credits. At European level, it is essential to influence the Erasmus+ programme”, sums up Antti Regelin, SYL Board member responsible for international affairs.

You can find out more about the programme here.

More information:
Roosa Veijola
European policy and international affairs advisor, SAMOK
[email protected]
050 389 1012

Antti Regelin
Board Member of SYL, EU and ESU, internationality
[email protected]
044 906 5005