Happy Tuesday!

The ultimate student holiday is here; It’s time to grab your overalls (and your high school graduation cap) and head for May Day festivies! May Day is usually considered as a holiday celebrating workers, but in Finland it is truly taken over by higher education students with their carnival traditions.

The traditions of the Student Union (ISYY) in Vappu (May Day) Eve includes the Vappu Parade that goes from the UEF campus through the city centre to the Ilosaari. Before the Parade, we’ll gather to watch the Capping of the Alkukivet Statue organized by Täky ry and during the Parade ISYY will perform the washing and capping of the Kanavatyttö Statue. The Parade ends at Ilosaari, where we will hear the speech of the Student Union and after that new engineering students (Teekkarit) and new forest sciences students of Joensuu are dipped at Ilosaari. The program continues with music as UEF Choir JOY and RytmiHäiriköt take the stage at Ilosaari. The exact timetable can be found from below.

Have a fun May Day! / Hauskaa vappua!

Kind regards,
Joona Rantala | Coordinator of International Affairs

Schedule of the Vappu Eve 30th April

Carelia yard

• 3 pm Capping of the Alkukivet (organiser: Täky ry)
• 3.15 pm Start of the Parade from Carelia to Ilosaari

The route of the Students’ May Day parade will change this year! The new route will run from the Aurora building at the university along Siltakatu to Ilosaari.

Students' Vappu Event at Ilosaari from 4 pm to 6.30 pm

• 4pm Vappu Speech of the Student Union by Nox Herranen, First Vice Chair of the Representative Council
• 4.15pm Teekkari Dipping (organiser: SusTek ry & Epsilon ry)
• 4.30pm Forsti baptism (organiser: Joensuun Metsäylioppilaat ry)
• 5.15pm UEF Choir JOY
• 5.30pm RytmiHäiriköt

We wish everyone a Vappu state of mind!

Upcoming exceptions in ISYY Joensuu office opening hours

• Thursday 30 April (May Eve): CLOSED
• Thursday 14 May (Ascension Day: CLOSED

In equipment loans, if the return date falls on a day when the office is closed, the loan period is automatically extended to the next day when the office is open.

ISYY Representative Council Meeting's Decisions 2/2026

The Representative Council of ISYY held its second meeting of 2026 on Wednesday 15 April.

In its meeting the Representative Council decided e.g. to approve the financial statements for the financial year 2026, grant discharge from liability for the accounts of the year 2025 and approve the distribution of the SYL General Meeting delegation seats for the years 2026-2027. ISYY Council decided not to establish new comittees.

The next meeting of the ISYY Council is held in the autumn semester.

ISYY Member Survey response time extended, answer and you may win a 50€ gift card for S Group!

Earlier this spring we opened a Member Survey and we have now decided to extend its response time until Sunday 10 May at 23.59. The purpose of the survey is to collect data regarding how well (or not so well) familiar our Student Union is, and how we can improve our services or events. Every response is important!

Filling up the survey takes approx. 10 minutes and it’s anonymous. After finishing the survey, you can leave your contact information via separate form to participate in a raffle. We will raffle a total of eight (8) S Group gift cards, each worth 50€.

Design the cover for the next ISYY Student Calendar and win 100 €!

Does your heart beat for graphic design, drawing or photography? Want fame and fortune? Now it is your chance to shine!

The Student Calendar of ISYY is carried along daily by many students of UEF, and every year we choose the cover design from art made by our students. This way we ensure the calendar looks like us and members of our student community.

Let loose your creative self and win a 100 € gift card to S-Group. Send your design suggestions on 14 May 2026 latest. Instructions for the competition and details of the design can be found from ISYY website.

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)

May Day Schedule Changes! 

Please note the following changes:

• Guided group exercise classes are cancelled on 30 April – 1 May
• Mehtimäki Hall closes at 3:00 PM on 30 April and is closed on 1 May
• At Länsikatu and Tulliportinkatu schools:
  • Badminton sessions run as normal on 30 April
  • Closed on 1 May
• Gyms are open as usual

What would help you feel that UEF is an equal and inclusive learning environment for students?

Join us in sharing your thoughts and experiences! Respond anonymously via Mentimeter and help shape the new the Gender Equality and Equal Opportunities Plan.

YTHSDigi will soon be available for students

Finnish Student Health Service will launch a new digital service platform for higher education students. YTHSDigi allows you to use the FSHS services digitally, either via a mobile app downloaded to your phone or through a web browser.

With YTHSDigi, you can take care of health-related matters at a time that suits you best. YTHSDigi brings all FSHS digital services together into one place.

Hi student, respond to the survey on students’ housing preferences!

Finnish Associations of Student Housing Organisations (SOA) and the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) are conducting a survey on higher education students’ housing preferences. The survey examines students’ housing preferences and needs as well as their order of importance when students choose their housing. 

The results of the survey will be used in decisions concerning the future of student housing and in advocacy work on behalf of higher education students. Your answers are valuable and important! A prize draw of S Group gift cards worth €50 is organised for the respondents. 

The survey is open until May 17!

May Day opening hours at the library

Joensuu and Kuopio campus libraries are open on Thursday 30 April 2026 from 8 am to 2 pm (customer service from 10 am to 2 pm). Both campus libraries are closed on Friday 1 May 2026. On Saturday 2 May, Joensuu campus library is open from 10 am to 2 pm and Kuopio campus library is closed. Kuopio campus library is closed on Saturdays in May. The 24/7 self-study facilities are open despite these exceptions.

Course information for 2026–2027 published in Peppi

Information on the courses offered in the academic year 2026–2027 and their scheduling by semester has been published in Peppi’s study guide.

More detailed information on teaching, including schedules and classroom locations (course implementations), will be published by the end of July.

Please prepare for changes in library services during the summer

There will be changes to the library’s summer opening hours. This coming summer, the Joensuu and Kuopio Campus Libraries will be open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 8 to 15, with customer service available from 10 to 15. On Wednesdays, we will be open as usual from 8 to 18, with customer service from 10 to 18.

For the first time, we will experiment with a summer closure at the Kuopio Campus Library during the quietest period in July, 6–26 July 2026. However, you will still be able to access the facilities with a 24/7 access badge. If you do not yet have an access badge, please make sure to get one in advance!

The Joensuu Campus Library will remain open throughout the summer. Loan periods at both locations will extend beyond the Kuopio closure.

May Day 1.5.2026 in Joensuu

May Day will be celebrated in the traditional May Day spirit at Joensuu Market Square! There will be a May Day parade of vintage cars, speeches and parties – so come to the market square!

May Day program schedule:

9:00 a.m. May Day greetings from the Joensuu Brass Band and Joensuu Male Singers on the market square.

10:15 a.m. SAK's May Day march and market square party.

11:30 a.m. Simasuut – happy music on the market square.

12:30 a.m. Parade of vintage cars from the racetrack to the city center.

Jomoni's New Finnishness Day 12.5.2026  

Welcome to celebrate diverse Finland on May 12th from 10 am to 2 pm at Pakkahuone (Rantakatu 2, Joensuu)! 
The event contains diverse programme from music performances to guided activities. The theme this year is the power of community.  

The event is free of charge and open to all. New Finnishness Day is coordinated by the Joensuu District Multicultural Association (JoMoni).  

The city of Joensuu pilots an Internationalisation voucher for companies

The Internationalisation Voucher is a one-off subsidy the City of Joensuu grants to a company that employs an international student.

The voucher helps international talents find employment, whilst also answering to the competence needs of the companies operating in Joensuu.

Learn more and mention this to employers when discussing job or internship opportunities, for example during your application or interviewing process.

JEIS May Day Picnic!

May is just around the corner and so is May Day! May Day or Vappu in Finnish is the biggest student life event in Finland and to celebrate May Day JEIS is organising a picnic on May Day 1.5.!

Come join us at Ilosaari from 12pm to 2pm on 1st of May to enjoy a May Day picnic with us! You can spot us at Ilosaari by looking out for the JEIS flag! Our flag has our name and our iconic paw print logo on it!

JEIS will offer some juice and homemade vegan donuts for the first 60 people coming to spend May Day with us! Gluten free participants will get a gluten-free cookie! You can also bring your favourite picnic snacks with you!

WHAT: JEIS May Day Picnic
WHERE: Ilosaari
WHEN: 1.5. from 12pm to 2pm
COST: Free!

Please note! Event depends on good weather: if it's raining heavily the event will be cancelled so keep an eye out for our Instagram for updates! 

Want to be a group leader for an international volunteer workcamp?

KVT (Kansainvälinen Vapaaehtoistyö ry) is searching for Camp Coordinators for their international camps in Summer 2026.

There are no special requirements to become a camp leader – taking the initiative and open-mindedness are enough! The only absolute condition is the English language skill, as it is the common language for the volunteers. It is a plus if the camp leaders know Finnish language. Most camps require that at least one of the two camp leaders would speak both Finnish and English.

A camp leader is not a work supervisor, but their job is to take care of the team spirit and that everyone knows what is happening. It is an advantage if the volunteer applying for camp leader positions has already participated in a voluntary workcamp or has experience in other types of group activities. We also require KVT membership from camp leaders.

Camps organised in Summer 2026:

• When modern arts and old traditions meet
• Food not Bombs
• Gardening and connecting across social borders
• Protection and rewilding of natural landscapes
• Sustainable gardening and renovations in a heritage landscape
• Switching the seasons, cleaning the campsite

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.