Happy Tuesday!

The last newsletter of the spring semester is here! The first newsletter of autumn semester will be published on Tuesday 18 August – see you then! If you want to send us material for the first newsletters, please do that by Tuesday 11 August. Check out our Summer Corner at the bottom of the letter and have a nice summer !

Is your exchange ending and you want to get rid of unnecessary kitchenware you might have accumulated during your exchange? You can donate your unwanted glasses, mugs, plates, kitchen utensils, pots and pans to ISYY! We'll use them to make more Survival Packages for the next incoming exchange students. Please note that we accept only items that are clean and still usable so nothing broken please. You can bring the kitchenware to ISYY office during opening hours.

Kind regards,
Joona Rantala | Coordinator of International Affairs

ISYY office opening hours during the spring

• During the first weeks of June ISYY offices are open only by prior appointment. Please book an appointment by contacting the office via phone or email.
• ISYY offices will be closed 11.6.–2.8. and the offices will open again on Monday 3 August.

Thank you for aswering the ISYY member survey!

The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY) organised a survey for its members this spring. The member survey’s purpose was to collect information about how familiar our members are with the Student Union and its services, collect feedback about our services and also ideas how to improve our services, activities and communication.

We got 671 answers in total. Thank you to everyone who answered the survey!

We will now start going through the answers and later in autumn we will publish more information regarding the results.

Save the date: Autumn events

Summer is soon here and now it is a good time to save some event dates to your calendar for the autumn 2026! Below you can find a list of events that we already know at the moment. The best way to keep up with our events is to follow our newsletters and our event calendar in our website. The events listed below can be soon found from the event calendar.

• SYKETTÄ Joensuu free trial weeks 31.8-13.9
• Academic Year kick-off event Student Blast 3.9
• City Orienteering and After Party 3.9
• SYKETTÄ Joensuu Appro 7.-20.9
• Association Days 22.-23.9
• Wellbeing Week 28.9-2.10
• Sports Afternoon 30.9
• Independence Day Torch Parade 6.12

Registration for the next academic year begins 1 June

Hey continuing student! Registration for the UEF Academic Year 2026–2027 will begin on next Monday 1 June. Registration periods are:

• Registration for the year 2026–2027 begins on 1 June and ends on 15 September 2026
• Registration ONLY for the spring semester 2027 is 1 November – 15 January

When you register as a present student and you pay the ISYY membership fee at the same time, you’ll get all of our member services also for the next academic year. ISYY membership will help you during your studies, e.g. with our interest advocacy services. Get to know all of our member services by going through our website, and you’ll make to most of your membership!

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).

Last ISYY Club meetings of the semester at Suvantokatu this week:

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

Thursday 4 pm - 9 pm: Joensuu Board Gamers

Friday 4 pm - 8 pm: ISYY Chess Club

SYKETTÄ in Summer 2026

SYKETTÄ keeps you moving throughout the summer! All summer sports services and updates can be found on our website, which will be updated as activities are confirmed. Registration for all summer classes and sessions takes place through the sports calendar. Both the group exercise sticker and the ball sports sticker give access to all summer activities.

This summer’s schedule includes guided stair workouts with physical activity counsellor Anni, JoenVoLi summer classes, and individual outdoor exercise guidance. In addition, Mehtimäki Hall offers ball sports sessions and open dance sessions throughout the summer. Portti54 and Aurora gyms are open all summer.

Please note that the Tikkarinne gym is closed from June 15 to August 9, 2026. The Joensuu Areena gym is open according to the venue’s opening hours.

SYKETTÄ on-call number in summer

SYKETTÄ on-call number is available from Tuesday to Thursday during June and August. Please note that the number is not in use during July.

You can contact the number in urgent matters between 6 pm and 9 pm. Please contact us by phone only. On-call number: +358: 44 576 8447

SYKETTÄ Autumn Season 2026

The SYKETTÄ autumn season begins on Monday, August 31. During the first two weeks of the season, free trial weeks will be available.

At the beginning of September, SYKETTÄ Appro events will also take place, and extra turns and classes will be added to the sports calendar. More information about the autumn season schedule and programme can be found on the website.

Are you interested in UEF vs Karelia UAS cricket match?

We are looking for students who are interested in playing cricket on student teams. Game day and the details of the event are not yet decided. Please note, that the maximum number of players per team is 15 players. The final lineup is decided by the teams captain.

If the event is not arranged during 2026, information collected via this form is deleted at the latest 1.1.2027.

SAMOK and SYL want to hear students’ views on FSHS – answer the survey!

Do you want to influence FSHS’s services? SYL and SAMOK have made an FSHS survey for higher education students. The survey aims to gather students’ views about FSHS services. The results are used in advocacy work. The survey is open 18.5.-5.6.

SYL KENKKU blog: The global student mental health crisis and what more we can do in Finland

In recent years, the student mental health crisis has been widely discussed in Finland. These developments are not unique to Finland. Students in higher education around the world suffer from mental health issues: according to various studies, 12–50 percent of students in higher education around the world will experience mental health issues at least once during their studies.

Looking for a roommate?

Are you moving into shared housing or looking for someone to fill an empty room? KämppisFinder makes it easy to find a roommate that’s the right fit for you. With the app’s handy filters, you can narrow down potential roommates based on lifestyle, living habits, rental budget, and more.

Download the app and find your new roommate easily!

Learn more:

• www.kamppisfinder.fi
• Instagram: @kamppisfinder
• Facebook: @kämppisfinder

Digital student health care services that are easy to use

You can now find all student healthcare services in one place. YTHSDigi is the easy way to contact us whenever it’s convenient for you – no phone calls needed.

Download the app from App Store and Google Play! 

Help shape the future of Eastern Finland  - Signal Hunting

What feels promising, worrying, helpful, or challenging in your everyday life in Eastern Finland? 

We invite international students to join the University of Eastern Finland’s signal hunting initiative and share their observations about life in the region. We are interested in the kinds of things that affect everyday life and the future of Eastern Finland — including the experiences of international students. 

Your observation can be something small: something you have seen, heard, experienced, or wondered about in daily life, studies, work, conversations, social media, services, or local culture. It can be about an opportunity, a challenge, or simply something that feels important. 

Every observation helps us build a more diverse picture of Eastern Finland’s future. Your voice matters.  

UEF Occupational Health and Safety Committee encourages moderate use of perfumes and fragrances

The Occupational Health and Safety Committee reminds that the use of strong perfumes and fragrances may cause allergic symptoms.

The number of people at the university is large and so is the range of different scents. Please keep in mind that your colleagues, students, fellow students, teachers or customers may be allergic to perfumes and fragrances. A small action can make the everyday life of people around you easier and also the entire university a more comfortable environment for us all. Taking other people into consideration is a matter of small actions.

Kamu has been renewed!

The student website Kamu has been renewed based on user feedback. The address is the same as before.

The renewal has focused especially on making information easier to find:

• the content has been made clearer
• the structure has been improved
• the search function has been enhanced

Select your target group on the front page to more easily find the instructions, tools and services that are important to you.

Explore the new Kamu and share your feedback at the bottom of the pages!

Library opening hours and exceptions in summer 2026

Opening hours 1.6.–30.8.2026

• Mon–Tue 8.00–15.00 (customer service 10.00–15.00)
• Wed 8.00–18.00 (customer service 10.00–18.00)
• Thu–Fri 8.00–15.00 (customer service 10.00–15.00)
• Sat–Sun closed

Exceptions

• Thu 18 June 8.00–14.00 (customer service 10.00–14.00)
• Fri 19 June closed
• The Kuopio Campus Library will be closed from 6 July to 26 July 2026. Regardless of which campus library you use, please note that during this closure, materials will not be transported between the Joensuu and Kuopio campus libraries. Please reserve the materials you need well in advance. Loan periods at both locations will extend over the Kuopio closure period.
• Interlibrary services will be closed from 6 July to 2 August 2026. Please submit any interlibrary loan requests in advance. We will process the requests made during the closure in order of arrival and get back to you, if necessary.

Take part in voluntary weeding of Himalayan balsam in Joensuu during the summer 2026

In summer 2026, we’ll once again join forces to tackle Himalayan balsam!

Volunteer events focus on removing harmful invasive species, mainly Himalayan balsam. Himalayan balsam is classified as a harmful invasive plant that spreads efficiently through its seeds. It is a strong competitor and considered harmful because it outcompetes native species, thereby reducing biodiversity.

Pulling Himalayan balsam is easy, fun, and a great way to contribute to the care of your local environment! By taking part in two hours of volunteering, you’ll receive a fabric patch in return (see image below). No new patch design has been planned for 2026; instead, we will distribute patches from previous years to volunteers while supplies last. Invite your friends to join too!

Ilovaariklubi: free gig with pop, rock and blues

Grand Old Rockers of Joensuu is organizing a free live music club Ilovaariklubi on Wednesday 27 May at 19 PM onwards. The event is at Kerubi, address Siltakatu 1, 80100 Joensuu.

Club performers:

• Romanssi (Pop, Rock, Blues, Schlager)
• YX Kvartetti (60's and 70's pop and rock classics)
• Jokulele orkesteri (Ukulele, Cajon, Washboard, combining new and old)

Board game night at the Joensuu main library

What? Board game night

Where? At Joensuu Main Library, 1st floor, meeting room Käki

When? On Wednesday 3rd of June 5pm

Why? We love board games!

Everyone can come to the Board game night, but games are usually suitable for over 15-year-old players. There will be some snacks and drinks. You can bring your own game with you or tell your wish for the next night. Yay – see you soon!

Event for newcomers and anniversary of International House Joensuu 

Come to spend a relaxed evening with fellow newcomers and locals at the cozy atmosphere of Kahvila Rento!

There will be live music, outdoor games, and great company! Cake and coffee are offered to first arrivals. No registration required.

The best Popkatu of the summer

A self-organised city festival fills the centre of Joensuu with art and emotion between 13-17 July 2026. There is a lot going on during the week, variety of music, multidisciplinary art, a  street performance competition, lastenpop for the kids...

Midsummer in Finland

Midsummer is truly a magical experience - Finns call Midsummer night “the nightless night” as the sun does not set at all and it is light throughout the night, even in southern Finland. Midsummer is celebrated at the end of June and the eve is always on a Friday (between 19.6 and 26.6) - and this year Midsummer Eve is on Friday 25 June. As every holiday in Finland, Midsummer is celebrated on both Midsummer Eve and Midsummer Day. 

Many Finns spend their Midsummer at a cabin where they can swim in a lake, go to the sauna and eat grilled food. There is also a very specific sauna tradition that many foreigners might find a bit odd - Finns use a bouquet made out of leafy birch branches in the sauna to gently whip themselves with. The birch “bouquet” is called ‘vasta’ or ‘vitsa’, depending on the region you come from. 

Bonfires are also an essential part of a Finnish Midsummer, especially in Eastern Finland. According to a pagan tradition, the Midsummer bonfire, ‘juhannuskokko’, was burned to symbolically cast away evil spirits and enhance light and increase the fertility of both crops and people. 

Midsummer celebration includes many magical traditions and beliefs. There are various Midsummer spells from the olden days that people still do nowadays, either seriously or just as a fun tradition. The spells are most often used to foretell/predict love-related affairs, such as finding your future spouse or increasing fertility. 

Here are a few Midsummer spells for you to try: 

• To see your future husband or wife in your dreams, you need to pick 7 different flowers or herbs from 7 different meadows (in silence) and put them under your pillow for the night.
• You can look into a well or into a pond at night to see your future spouse.
• If you hear a cuckoo on Midsummer night, you can count how many years you have to wait until you meet your future spouse by counting how many times the cuckoo sings.
• If you roll around naked in a dewy meadow on Midsummer night, your future spouse will enter your life during the ongoing year. 

Have a magical Midsummer! / Taianomaista Juhannusta! 

Surviving Finnish Summer

Even though Finland is all about the postcard-worthy winter wonderland, summer in the nordic countries can also be a rather exotic experience. If you thought the mid-winter darkness would never cease, well guess what - now it’s sunlight (almost) around the clock! Here are some tips and tricks for a hassle-free summer in Finland: 

• Finnish summer is all about the midnight sun, so find ways to enjoy it! Go for a nighttime swim or a stroll.
• Buy blackout curtains or a sleep mask if the sunlight bothers you at night. If you don’t feel like buying these items, you can attach a black sheet on your window and use a face mask made of fabric on your eyes at night. 
• Two words: mosquito repellent. You can find this in literally every store (and kiosk) as a spray, roll-on, burner...
• Watch out for snakes if you pick berries in a forest. The only poisonous snake in Finland is the viper. You can wear rubber boots to prevent bites and if you want to be extra careful, get a snake bite kit (‘kyypakkaus’) from a pharmacy. The medicine helps with viper bite’s symptoms, but you still need to visit a doctor if you get bitten.
• Although Finland isn’t as hot as Southern countries, use sunblock here too.
• Remember to drink lots of water during hot days. 
• If you’re considering hiking or spending time in nature, check out the Everyman's Rights.
• If you’re into picking berries and mushrooms this summer, you might find this article interesting.
• If you’re wondering which Finnish berries are edible and which are not, read this article

Summer bucket list

Are you spending summer in Finland? After the long winter and a few winter comebacks (Finns use the word ‘takatalvi’, see description here) summer is finally approaching fast so in honour of this last Weekly Feed, we collected a list of (Finnish) things for you to do in your campus city this summer!

TLDR; Summer in Finland is beautiful yet painfully short, so you’d better enjoy it - here is how:

• Swim in a lake to throw away your winter coat (heittää talviturkki in Finnish, means to swim in a lake for the first time after winter). You can find a list of  beaches in Joensuu here.
• Pick some forest berries (such as bilberries, raspberries, bog /northern bilberries) and make a pie of the mixed berries you found. Check out also everyman’s rights  (jokamiehenoikeudet in Finnish) which tells you what you can do in Finnish nature.
• Visit a strawberry farm nearby to pick your own strawberries
• Have a picnic
• Have a water gun fight
• Visit Koli if you haven’t already
• Read a book on the beach or balcony
• Eat ice cream from a kiosk
• Make a garland/flower crown out of wild flowers 
• Visit the cafes and restaurants in the city centre and harbour (some of them are open only during summer)
• Visit nature trails. You can find a list of places near Joensuu here. 
• Have a Finnish midsummer - watch midsummer’s bonfire and try traditional midsummer’s night spells.
• Try SUP boarding
• Play Mölkky
• Try frisbeegolf (you can loan frisbees from ISYY) 
• Craft a käpylehmä (pinecone cow) 
• Relax!

Jobs, internships and appointments to UEF career counsellors in JobTeaser

Job and internship offers for students and recent graduates can be found in the JobTeaser webservice. Students and staff members log into the JobTeaser UEF platform using their UEF credentials. You can continue using the service after graduation. JobTeaser is used in over 700 universities and institutions of higher education in Europe and job and internship offers spread throughout Europe.

• You can book a personal appointment to a UEF career counsellor in JobTeaser. Guidance is available on both campuses and online.
• You will also find a selection of various sorts of events organized by, for example, TE-Live, EURES, different projects and employer organizations. Many of the events are online. Thus, you can take part in interesting events elsewhere in Europe. There are also employer profiles and information of job opportunities in, especially, international companies and employers.
• In JobTeaser, you will also find info about the UEF career services and courses on job seeking and career planning.

If you have any questions, please contact Career Services, email: urapalvelut@uef.fi.

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.