Happy Tuesday everyone!

Hopefully you all have enjoyed last week's Finnish May Day celebrations! If you want to celebrate more Finnish holidays, Mother's Day in Finland is this Sunday 11 May.

Does your heart beat for graphic design? Want fame and fortune? Now it is your chance to shine! There is still time to create a new cover design for ISYY's student calendar of next academic year 2025-2026. Let loose your creative self and win a 100€ gift card to S-Group. The competition ends on 15.5.2025.

Have a nice week!

Kind regards,

Joona Rantala | Coordinator of International Affairs, Joensuu Campus

Student Union’s Vappu Parade brought a lot of joy and colours to the streets of Joensuu City on Vappu Eve 

During the Parade the Kanavatyttö statue got its vappu wash and a student cap on her head.

At Ilosaari in Students’ Vappu Event we heard the speech of ISYY and live music by UEF Orchestra RytmiHäiriköt and Joy-choir. We also got to follow the history's second Teekkari Dipping in Joensuu!

ISYY's Vappu Eve speeches

Speeches of the Student Union on Vappu Eve have been published on the ISYY website! The speeches carried a strong message of hope and community: despite the challenges, together we can build a fairer and more equal student-friendly future. Yet society must wake up to the fact that no student should be left behind or alone – not in their finances, their mental health, nor their dreams.

In Kuopio, the ISYY speech was given by Miika Hiltunen, Vice Chair of the Executive Board (left photo), and in Joensuu by Ville-Pekka Timonen, Chair of the Student Union Representative Council (right photo).

North Karelia Pride Parade and Park Festival on Saturday 17 May 

ISYY is participating in the Pride parade and in cooperation with Pohjois-Karjalan Seta ry and Fiktio ry organising the Park Festival in Joensuu on Saturday 17 May!

Equality and transparency are important values for ISYY. ISYY encourages all its members to take part in the Pride parade and park festival, as well as to wear student overalls to form a rainbow.

The parade starts moving at 3 pm from the yard of art museum Onni and ends at 4 pm at the Ilosaari park, which features a picnic, music, Drag workout and, of course, great company. ISYY and Qirjava ry have their own area in Ilosaari that brings together all students. In the picnic-area you can find ISYY’s glitter make-up station where you can decorate yourself with glitter for the evening's Pride party.

The first 150 students at the ISYY’s picnic-area will be given ISYY's Pride-Hemmo overall patch as a memory.

ISYY Executive Board signed Seta ry joint statement calling for a ban on conversion therapy.

Parliament has approved the Rikkomaton (Unbroken) citizens’ initiative, which proposes legislative action to prohibit conversion practices in Finland.

– Conversion therapy is a form of psychological violence and must not be tolerated. The government must now act to defend human rights and democracy, Noora Saramäki, Chair of the ISYY board, comments.

The statement is pusblished in Finnish on Seta’s website.

What will the ISYY's Student Calendar for the next Academic Year look like?

The Student Calendar of ISYY is carried along daily by many students of UEF. Next autumn your design might be the cover of our popular calendar!

Does your heart beat for graphic design, drawing or photography? Want fame and fortune? Now it is your chance to shine! Let loose your creative self and win a 100€ gift card to S-Group. The competition ends 15.5.2025.

Instructions for the competition and details of the design can be found from ISYY website.

New face at the Joensuu office

Pinja Laine has started as a part-time office worker! You may have already met Pinja if you’ve visited ISYY’s Joensuu office, maybe if you’ve loaned some badminton rackets - or this Finnish yard game called “Mölkky” presented in the picture?

– It’s been nice to work at the office and be part of ISYY’s activities, comments Pinja.

Welcome Pinja!

ISYY Club Meetings

All club meetings (except Academic & Historical Dance Joensuu & JEIS) are held weekly in ISYY's meeting room in Haltia-building, 2nd floor (Yliopistokatu 7).

More information and a full list of ISYY's clubs in Joensuu can be found on ISYY's webpage: ISYY Clubs in Joensuu

• Magic The Gathering Guild meeting Mon 3 pm - 8 pm
• Academic & Historical Dance Joensuu Mon 6 pm - 8 pm (Educa, E200)
• Joensuu's Exchange and International Students Mon 4 pm - 6 pm (Aurora, AU206)
• LUOMIO! Literary Arts club Tue 6 pm - 8 pm 
• JOOJAKU meeting Wed 4 pm - 8 pm
• Joensuu Board Gamers meeting Thu 3 pm - 8 pm
• ISYY Chess Club meeting Fri 4 pm - 8 pm

Sports try outs

SYKETTÄ physical activity counsellor Anni instructs low intensity sports try outs which are especially intended for those who are starting to exercise and those returning to exercise. You can enroll on sports try outs without a SYKETTÄ sticker. If you do not have a SYKETTÄ sticker, you must register as a user via the website in order to enroll.

• Thu 8.5. at 4:30pm-5:30pm Stairs workout for beginners

Kilometrikisa cycling competition has kicked off!

SYKETTÄ is participating in the Kilometrikisa cycling competition, which will be held between 1.5.-30.9.2025. UEF Joensuu campus and Karelia UAS students and staff members are welcome to attend SYKETTÄ Joensuu team!

Kilometrikisa is a light-hearted competition where every team member will record their cycling kilometers and the team with the highest number of kilometers will win. Join the SYKETTÄ Joensuu team as we aim for a new record!

Regular turn application for the academic year 2025-2026 is now open

UEF and Karelia UAS student and staff groups can apply for regular turn for the academic year 2025-2026. Sports turns will run between September 2025 - May 2026. Each turn must have 1-2 responsible persons. All turn users (including responsible persons) must have a valid SYKETTÄ sticker.

Application time ends on 15.6.2025 at 11:55pm

Come and get your bike serviced for the summer during Cycling week!

National Cycling week is held between 2.-11.5.2025. In honor of the week, SYKETTÄ will organize a bike service point on Thursday 8.5. at Carelia campus of UEF at 8am-10am and 2pm-4pm. SYKETTÄ saddle covers and overall badges are available. Limited number of badges and saddle covers!

At the bike service point you can get:

• Air in your tires
• Lubrication for chain
• Help with minor bike adjustments

SYKETTÄ is looking for new instructors for autumn 2025

Do you want to be part of the SYKETTÄ instructing team? We are especially looking for instructors, who are able to instruct a wide variety of classes. We are also open to new ideas, feel free to suggest anything!

We are especially looking for instructors for the following classes:

• Early bird's water aerobics
• Instructed skating
• Instructed gym for university staff

The sunny spring weather brings back the YUFE Academy, offering free lectures, workshops, and sessions by YUFE Alliance universities.

This round includes online and onsite events, pan-European conversations on key competences, and a panel on trust in the EU judiciary.

The main hybrid event, "Skills of Critical Thinking," will be held at four partner universities, with the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) in Joensuu hosting the main event alongside SciFest. Other events will be co-hosted by the Universities of Essex, Maastricht, and Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń.

On 22 May at 16:00 (Finnish time), Professor Heidi Hyytinen (UEF) will give a lecture on critical thinking skills, followed by a workshop and a European-wide idea exchange. Register via the YUFE Virtual Campus to participate and receive materials.

International Student, you have an opportunity to see a baseball game for free!

The Region Mayor of the Regional Council of North Karelia, Markus Hirvonen, is inviting 20 international students to join him for watching a baseball game that is on the 16th of May @ Ilosaarirock Stadium in Joensuu: Joensuun Maila vs. Haminan Palloilijat

You can participate in this event for free by registering in Kide.app (maximum of 20 spots available). You can find the Kide.app for registering this week from JEIS (Joensuu's Exchange and International Students) Instagram page so follow the page if you haven't already and stay tuned! 

You are invited to watch the football match between JIPPO and FC Lahti for free!

The game is on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 6:30PM at Mehtimäki.

Show your student ID card for free entry! Come cheer for the team and enjoy an exciting game!

May exchange application period still open!

In May, students may apply for exchanges during spring 2026. Application period is open until 3:00 PM, 15 May 2025.

Included in the application period are Erasmus+ Nordlys, YUFE, bilateral and ISEP exchanges. More information about applying is in Kamu’s calls for applications.

More information about student exchange options is in Kamu’s Study Abroad pages.

Apply and see the world!

International House Joensuu Non-Stop Language Courses in Spring/Summer

Come and learn Finnish in a fun and interactive way by listening, speaking and doing. The courses are free of charge! Timetable for the courses is 12.5.2025-2.7.2025.

IHJ courses are held at Luotsi at Koskikatu 5 (Carelicum). For the evening courses, the entrance is in Torikatu 21 C.

Non-Stop Beginners Group

• If you don't know a word of Finnish yet or very little Finnish
• Mondays from 10AM to 11:30AM - Starting From 12.5.2025
• Tuesdays from 5PM to 6:30PM - Starting From 13.5.2025

Non-Stop Intermediate Group

• If you have already participated in a beginners' group, you already know the basics of the beginners' group, and you already speak some Finnish.
• Wednesdays from 10AM to 11:30AM - Starting From 14.5.2025
• Wednesdays from 5PM to 6:30PM - Starting From 14.5.2025

Non-Stop Advanced Group

• If you can already communicate in Finnish in everyday situations.
• Mondays from 5PM to 6:30PM - Starting from 12.5.2025

Registration for courses only via e-mail: registration.internatinationalhouse(at)joensuu.fi When registering, be sure to mention your name, your phone number and/or your email and which course you want to register for.

Qirjava ry & MIELI Joensuu's mental health ry art meeting on 7th of May

We welcome you to celebrate the North Karelia Pride in advance with art that supports mental health. Qirjava Ry and MIELI Joensuu's mental health ry are organizing pride-pre-party at the Joensuu Civic House (Torikatu 30) on Wednesday 7th of May from 5pm to 8pm. The theme of the event is art and the mental wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ students. There will be live music, poetry, a panel discussion, jewellery workshop and other activities!

The event is alcohol free and free of charge. We warmly welcome you to our event!

Kesän avaus / Summer opening 23.5. - 24.5.

The Summer Opening event 23.-24.5. at Joensuu Market Square marks the beginning of the summer season in North Karelia.

During this two-day market event, various tourism operators from our region, North Karelian villages, as well as numerous tourist destinations with their operators, businesses, summer theaters, and summer events, will be presenting themselves.

AG League Of Legends OSM 2025

Prove your strength! The League of Legends OSM 2025 is here! Compete in Finland's largest League of Legends student tournament and earn your cut of the 1000€ prize pool!

The games will be streamed and casted on AG Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/aaltogamers

WHEN: Qualifiers - Saturday, 17.5 / Finals - Saturday, 24.5
WHERE: Online Qualifiers, AG Discord & Live Finals, Otaniemi

Rules and more info on the official tournament page: https://osm.aaltogamers.fi/ All skill levels welcome, but note that all team members must be university/AMK students or recent graduates (graduated after 1.1.2024).

Register with your full team here: https://aaltogamers.fi/link/osmsignup

More information about the event will be posted on Aalto Gamers Telegram
(http://aaltogamers.fi/link/telegram) & Discord
(https://discord.com/invite/QKcst3UBdB)!

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.