Happy Tuesday! 

ISYY offices are open again! If you’ve got any borrowed sports gear, now’s the time to bring it back. 

Students’ Mental Health Week will be held this year during week 11 (9–15 March 2026). The theme of the campaign this year is faith in the future. UEF will take part in the campaign by organizing a mental health week pop‑up event on Thursday 12 March, 11:00-13:00 in the Carelia lobby.

Spring is on its way, but watch out for those slippery patches of ice especially in the mornings. Enjoy the sunshine and have a nice week!

Kind regards,
Joona Rantala | Coordinator of International Affairs, Joensuu Campus

ISYY's Association Days will be held 31.3.–1.4.2026

ISYY organises the Association Days on Tuesday and Wednesday 31.3.–1.4.2026 at Joensuu campus and on Wednesday 1.4.2026 at Kuopio Campus. The event in Joensuu is held in Carelia lobby and in Kuopio in Snellmania lobby. The event takes place on both days from 10 am to 2 pm.

Come and find out what ISYY and associations close to it have to offer. It’s also possible that you’ll find some new activities from Association Days! ISYY Association Days are open for everybody and there’s no entrance fee.

Traditionally associations sells their overall patches at the event, so it is a good idea to take some money with you.

Going to represent your association or club? Click the link below and find the registration links!

Get yourself the Student Union Ribbon!

Are you planning to attend the Annual Celebration of ISYY or for example a Student Association? As a member of ISYY you are entitled to wear our Student Union Ribbon.

The Student Union Ribbon is sold from ISYY office’s to our members. Price: 4€/meter.

The Student Union Ribbon is a symbol of our Student Union that is worn in academic celebrations. It is worn either over the right shoulder to the hip or in the left bodice. From the link below you can find instructions how to fold and sew the rosette.

Today at Coffee & Friends: Students' Mental Health Week

Coffee & Friends event offers low-threshold hanging out after lectures and the opportunity to meet other students over coffee and a snack. All students of the University of Eastern Finland are welcome to Coffee & Friends. You can come to the café alone or with a friend. In addition, Coffee & Friends has a changing chill program. Participation in the programme is voluntary and you can come for a while or for the whole time. Participation is free of charge and does not require pre-registration. 

Coffee & Friends meets on Tuesdays at 4-6pm at Agora Café. 

Coffee & Friends programme:

• 10.3. Students’ Mental Health Week
• 17.3. Equality and Inclusion week

Whole spring’s programme will be updated on ISYY’s webpage as the planning progresses

ISYY Clubs in Joensuu

ISYY Clubs are open for all of our members. ISYY's club room is located at our office near the city centre (Suvantokatu 6, 80100 Joensuu). The club meeting list will be updated as new club meeting times and locations are confirmed by the clubs.

ISYY Club meetings at Suvantokatu

Monday  4 pm - 9 pm: Magic The Gathering Guild

Tuesday 6 pm - 8 pm: LUOMIO! Literary Arts Club

Wednesday 4 pm - 8 pm: JOOJAKU Japanese Culture Club

Thursday 4 pm - 9 pm: Joensuu Board Gamers

Friday 4 pm - 8 pm: ISYY Chess Club

Other ISYY Club meetings

Monday 4 pm - 6:30 pm: Bible Club (Natura, N110)

Monday 4:30 pm - 6 pm: JEIS Joensuu's Exchange and International Students (Aurora, AU207)

Are you looking for a workout buddy?

The Workout Buddy service is offered by SYKETTÄ university sports for higher education students who want to be physically active and are looking for someone to exercise with. The goal of the service is to connect students who share similar interests in different types of sports and activities.

In the Workout Buddy application, you can tell us what kinds of sports interest you and what kind of exercise companion you’re looking for. We’ll contact you once we’ve found a suitable match. You don’t need to have an active SYKETTÄ membership to take part in the Workout Buddy service.

By filling out the workout buddy application, we’ll help you find the right exercise partner for you!

UEF info session on 20 March 2026 at 10:00–11:00

A UEF info session will be held on Friday 20 March 2026 from 10:00 to 11:00. The topics of the event include the decisions made in the UEF Board meeting of 19 March 2026, the financial statements 2025 and other current matters.

The languages of the info session are Finnish and English; the presentation material is in English.

UEF Sustainability and Equality Days 16-18 March 2026

The Sustainability and Equality Days will be held in Kuopio on 16-18 March 2026. The programme will begin on Monday 16, March on both campuses and will continue in Kuopio on Tuesday, 17 March and in Joensuu on Wednesday, 18 March.

The UEF Sustainability and Equality Days on both the Kuopio and Joensuu campuses offer an opportunity to learn about the sustainability expertise of UEF’s different subjects and disciplines.

The event is open to everyone!

The European YUFE alliance teaches cooperation and courage

Have you heard about the Young Universities for the Future of Europe alliance? The University of Eastern Finland is a part of this alliance. YUFE as a whole is comprised of ten young and research-oriented universities throughout Europe as well as two business partners.

YUFE Allience offers many opportunities that are available for everyone. You can find more information and introductions to all of these opportunities at uef.fi/en/yufe.

Want to read more about student experiences regarding YUFE? Sanni Vesala, a master’s degree student majoring in social policy at the University of Eastern Finland, was the President of the YUFE alliance’s Student Forum during 2025. In this blog post she recounts her experiences as a YUFE student representative.

YUFE info for UEF's Student Associations

Does your student association want to know more about the Young Universities for the Future of Europe alliance and all the possibilities for students of UEF that are associated with it?

Sign up your Student Association and get a grip on YUFE! Please answer the form by the end of March 2026.

Students’ Mental Health Week: Pop‑Up Events on Campus

Students’ Mental Health Week will be held this year during week 11 (9–15 March 2026). The theme of the campaign this year is faith in the future. UEF will take part in the campaign by organizing a mental health week pop‑up event on both campuses:

Kuopio: Tuesday 10 March, 11:00–13:00 in the Canthia lobby

Joensuu: Thursday 12 March, 11:00–13:00 in the Carelia lobby

Come join us for coffee and conversations about your thoughts related to the future. If you wish, you can also visit the accessible exam room.

The event features UEF guidance and student wellbeing services (study psychologists, career counselling, special education teacher), the Language Centre, the Library, campus pastors, FSHS student health services, ISYY Student Union, and Sykettä sports services.

Finnish courses for spring and summer!

The Language Centre offers Finnish as a second language courses this spring, continuing to summer. The courses are independent or MOOC-style courses and you can complete the courses until June 8th. The registration for these courses is already open and ends, depending on the course, in April or May. Read the further information of each course unit carefully!

Read more from the Summer studies (Kesäopetus) page in our study community  and see the courses available in Peppi Summer study guide. Welcome to our Finnish courses!

Study Buddies group on Joensuu campus

In the Study Buddies group, you get to study together with others and try out the Pomodoro technique. In the group, everyone will work independently on what is currently timely in their studies, be it writing, reading or other types of assignments. The Study Buddies group is open for all UEF students on the Joensuu campus. You do not need to register beforehand, you can just show up.

Degree student: remember to pay your healthcare fee by 15 March!

The fee must be paid by all students who are completing a degree at a Finnish institution of higher education and have registered as attending for the term in question.

• Use the OmaKela e-service to pay the healthcare fee.
• The healthcare fee is EUR 35.35 per term.
• It must be paid for both the spring and autumn terms.
• The due date for the spring term is 15 March, if you register as attending by 31 January.
• If you cannot use OmaKela for instance because you do not have Finnish banking credentials, please pay the fee to Kela as a bank transfer.

True Cost - call to find International Students to Interview for SYLs advocacy campaign around international student employment and livelihood

Are you an international student in Finland? Share your experience. SYL is looking for international students to take part in the True Cost campaign, highlighting real experiences of studying, employment, livelihood and integration in Finland. The interviews will be conducted remotely in March–April, last 30–45 minutes, and are fully anonymous. SYL will raffle a set of noise cancelling headphones among the participants to the interviews.

Sign up by 6 March – find more information and the link to the form below.

SYL: Index linking is required for the housing supplement to last

When students were returned to the housing supplement for student financial aid last year, the financial support they receive for housing changed from the index-linked housing allowance to the non-linked housing supplement. At the same time, changes in student housing production subsidies implemented by the Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will increase the rents of new student housing by an estimated 10–11 per cent.

In other words, students are faced with a situation where housing costs will rise considerably rapidly, but support for housing is lagging behind each year. The system cannot last for long as it is.

In the overall reform of student financial aid, index linking must be introduced for the housing supplement so that student financial aid can last as a system and meet the rising costs of housing. The index linking would help avoid future problems that were already encountered in the 2010s.

SYL publishes parliamentary election programme

SYL has published its programme for the 2027 parliamentary elections. The title of the programme is Education, growth and sustainability. It summarises in three words the future vision and values of university students on which the future must be built.

The most important objectives of the programme are raising the level of education, facilitating the integration of international students, halting the indebtedness of students, promoting ability to study, and actions to assume global responsibility in climate and development policy.

Are you a member of the international community here in Joensuu? Come to share your thoughts in a discussion event!

International House Joensuu and the Stay and Live in North Karelia (ELO) project (co-funded by European Social Fund) are organizing a discussion event on the topics of equality, participation, and anti-racism experiences in Joensuu.

When? March 21, from 12 PM to 2:30 PM

Where? JoMoni office, Torikatu 9A, 2nd floor.

The event organizers will provide snacks, soft drinks, coffee, and tea for the event attendees.

Your attendance is important to us — with your thoughts and opinions shared in this safe and confidential event we can influence the direction of the policies and development within the city.

Registration in advance is required!

A moment for culture – dance and art in the Carelia lobby on 11 March

This time, the cultural collaboration between the city and UEF takes the form of dance and art on the Joensuu campus. The audience will have the opportunity to participate in painting workshops and a performance ceremony. At 11:00–13:00, Carelia lobby.

St. Paddy's Party @ Kerubi

On Thursday the 19th of March we're all a little Irish when the already traditional St. Paddy's Party comes again!

The Party will happen in Kerubi and it is the official afterparty of Echo's St. Paddy's Day sitz, but all students are welcome!

WHAT: St. Paddy's Party

WHERE: Kerubi

WHEN: March 19th at 11pm

PRICE: 4€

DRESSCODE: Overalls, green and other things fitting the theme!

VOICES OF RESPECT -Art. Awareness. Action.

YUFE Civic Engagement Activities with JOMONI to Mark Anti-Racism Week through art and dialogue.

• Friday 20 March | 13:00 - 15:00
• JOMONI, 2nd Floor, Torikatu 9A, Joensuu

An art-based creative event to reflect on anti-racism, share ideas for a respectful and inclusive Joensuu, and connect with others.

Coffee, snacks, and art materials provided. Free event, welcome!

Weekly Feed is the English language newsletter of the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY). You are receiving this letter on your email because you are a member of ISYY and are studying at Joensuu campus or because you have joined the mailing list yourself. 

Weekly Feed provides you with current information on matters related to the Student Union, UEF or other organisations close to students, such as FSHS. In addition, the newsletter provides you with information on events taking place at campus or the campus city.

Weekly Feed is published on Tuesdays during the academic year, with the exception of holidays and a few other days. If you do not want to receive the newsletter anymore, you can unsubscribe the letter via the unsubscription link  located on the top of the letter. 

You will find more information on ISYY's newsletters  and data protection on ISYY's website.