Happy Tuesday!

Are you ready to make an impact on students' lives and build a community full of enthusiasm and opportunities? If that's the case, join us in building a better ISYY together and apply to ISYY Executive Board by 15 November!

A year on the ISYY Board is a unique opportunity to network across campus cities and study fields during your student years and have a tangible impact on both the student life at UEF and nationally. The Board is committed to advancing students' interests, organising events, and fostering a sense of community among university students.

Read more about the ISYY Board and the application process on ISYY's website.

Have a nice week!

Kind regards,
Joona Rantala | Coordinator of International Affairs

ISYY is searching members to Central Elections Committee

The next Representative Council Elections of ISYY are held in autumn 2027, but the work for democracy starts already next spring. Purpose of the Central Election Committee is to prepare and supervise the elections, which includes

• participating in the Committee meetings
• preparing election documents
• preparing questions for the voting aid and election panels
• attending ISYY’s election events
• helping with planning and executing election communication
• counting the votes

ISYY staff helps and supports the Central Election Committee! The Committee consists of 6-8 members and at most 4 deputy members. Please note that members of the Committee cannot nominate themself as a candidate in the Representative Council elections.

If you’re not an ISYY Council member, but are interested in joining the Central Election Committee, please send an email to the Chairperson of the ISYY Council to epj@isyy.fi by Wednesday 25 November expressing your interest. The next Central Election Committee is elected at the last Representative Council meeting of this year on 26 November.

ISYY office opening hours for the remainder of 2026

In November and December there will be a couple of exceptions in ISYY office opening hours.

Upcoming exceptions:

• Thursday 19 November offices are closed

In 2026 the offices will be open for the last time on Thursday 10 December at 10:00–12:00 and 13:00–15:00. If you need to visit ISYY offices before the holidays, please do that during the first weeks of December.

The offices will serve you again on Thursday 7 January 2027.

What does the future look like? Now you can make a difference, apply to the Executive Board 2027!

Are you passionate about improving student advocacy? Would you like to gain valuable experience for working life and be part of everyday life of The Student Union? Now you have the chance, apply for the Student Union’s Executive Board 2027. The Executive Board is selected at the Student Union Representative Council’s meeting on 26.11.2026.

The Representative Council elects the Board’s Chairperson, Vice Chair and 4-8 members annually. The Board is the executive body of the Student Union and its period of operation is calendar year.

Remuneration is paid for serving on the Board. Lately the remuneration has been:

•  1000 €/month Chairperson
•  800 €/month Vice Chairperson
•  500 €/month Board Member

Send us a free-form application and possible resume as PDF-files via email to viestinta(at)isyy.fi and paasihteeri(at)isyy.fi no later than on 15.11.2026 at 11.59 pm. 

Student representatives wanted to the UEF's Equality and Non-Discrimination Committee!

ISYY is recruiting 3 student representatives and 3 deputy representatives for the Equality and Non-Discrimination Committee of UEF for the term 1.1.2027–31.12.2030.

As a student representative, you can help promote a more equal and equitable university while also gaining valuable experience working in committees.

The committee usually meets 6 times during the calendar year, and a meeting fee is paid for attending the meetings. In addition, after the end of their term, the student has the right to apply for ECTS for participating in administrative and working group activities.

Interested? Read more from the ISYY website and send your application on Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 12(noon) the latest.

Save the Date: ISYY's Independence Day Torch Parade on 6 December
Do you want to be a part of one of the most important and honored traditions?

Mark ISYY's Independence Day Torch Parade to your calendar on 6 December, which is the Independence Day of Finland. The parades are held in both campus cities and in Joensuu the parade begins at 4pm. More detailed info will be published during the following weeks. 

The Parades are not political events or manifestations. The remembrance of the sacrifices made in the Finnish wars during the Second World War is very present during the Finnish Independence Day celebration. In parades we honour the sacrifices and celebrate the independence in Finland.

Do you want to help with organising the parade? We are looking for student volunteers to serve as traffic controllers along the parade route. According to the requirements of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, the traffic controllers must be adults who have normal sensory abilities, a driving licence (at least AM121 or B), and hold the Road Safety 1 qualification. The Road Safety 1 qualification can be completed for free through the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (Väylävirasto) learning platform, and the online course takes about an hour. All necessary equipment for the traffic control task, as well as an event-specific briefing and the amazing Volunteer-Hemmo-overall badge, will be provided at the latest on the day of the parade. Sign up by emailing ISYY’s Community Coordinator Eveliina Scharin (yk@isyy.fi) on Sunday 22 November 2026 at the latest.

Hemmo's movie night for ISYY members 20.11.

Welcome to Hemmo’s movie night organised by ISYY in Educa room E200 (Tulliportinkatu 1) on Friday 20.11.2026! The movie night begins at 18.00 and we will watch together the thrilling murder mystery, Knives Out!

On top of the movie there will be a playful movie themed quiz where participants can win movie themed prizes! And what type of a movie night it would be without tasty movie snacks?

It is good to arrive early to Educa as the quiz takes place right at the beginning of the movie and after that we will start watching the movie.

There are limited spots available so make sure you book your spot early - event is free!

ISYY Clubs in Joensuu

ISYY Clubs are open for all of ISYY members. ISYY's club room is located at our office near the city centre (Suvantokatu 6, 80100 Joensuu).

ISYY Club meetings at the ISYY Club room:

Monday 4 pm - 8 pm: ISYY's Magic the Gathering Guild

Tuesday  6 pm - 8 pm: LUOMIO! Literary arts club

Wednesday 4 pm - 8 pm: JOOJAKU

Thursday 4 pm - 9 pm: Joensuu Board Gamers

Friday 4 pm - 8 pm: ISYY Chess Club Joensuu

Other ISYY Club meetings:

Monday 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Joensuu's Exchange and International Students (Aurora-building, AU111) 

Monday 6 pm - 8 pm: Academic & Historical Dance Society (Educa-building, hall E200)

Badminton Tournament 14.11.2026

Welcome to SYKETTÄ Badminton Tournament on 14th of November in Länsikatu School. The tournament is open for all SYKETTÄ users!

The tournament will consists of a women’s division and a men’s division. Be sure to register fast, both divisions can fit only 12 players.  The tournament will utilise Badminton Finland’s amateur rules. Both divisions are played form 8am to 1pm.
Everybody is warmly welcome to attend as audience members!

Detailed tournament schedule is published after the enrolling closes or when tournament is full.

Registration starts on Tuesday 27.10.

Sports Buddy

SYKETTÄ Sports Services offers the Sports Buddy service to all university students, who would like to exercise with a friend. You don’t need to have a valid SYKETTÄ membership to use the Sports Buddy service.

Gym instructions

Would you like to start gym training for the first time or after a long break? You can book a personal gym instruction session with physical activity counsellor Anni. The instruction does not require a valid SYKETTÄ membership or gym access.

Degree student: remember to pay the student healthcare fee

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.
• The due date for the autumn term is 15 November, if you register as attending by 30 September.
• If you register as attending for the autumn term on or after 1 October, the due date is 31 December.

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.

UEF info session on 10 November 2026 at 9:00–10:00

A UEF info session will be held on Tuesday 10 November 2026 from 9:00 to 10:00. This time the topics include increasing the number of permanent employment relationships at UEF, further preparations for higher education collaboration in Eastern Finland, news from the interim negotiations with the Ministry of Education and Culture, and other current matters.

The event will be held in Finnish and English. The presentation materials are in English. You can ask questions and provide comments in advance or during the event in the UEF info session community in Viva Engage. A recording will be published of the info session later in the same community. Welcome!

Follow this link to join the UEF info session UEF info session on 10 November 2026 at 9:00–10:00

Library closed 10 November 2026 due to Staff Development Day

The Joensuu and Kuopio campus libraries are closed on Tuesday, 10 November 2026 due to a Staff Development Day. The library’s 24/7 self-study facilities are open also during exceptional opening hours.

Pay your overdue and reservation fees now to avoid an invoice from the library

We will invoice borrowing service fees in mid-November. You can pay your overdue and reservation fees yourself on UEF Primo or in person at the library, and we will not send you an invoice. Online payment is available for fees of 1 euro or more.

Due to the pricing update introduced in June, there may be some variation in reservation fees, as customer records may contain charges based on both the old and the new list of service fees.

If you have any questions about your fees, please contact library@uef.fi

Olola lounge area added to Joensuu Campus Library 24/7 access from 2 November

The Olola lounge area on the 1st floor of the Joensuu Campus Library will be available to customers during the library’s self-service hours from 7.00 a.m. on Monday, 2 November 2026. Please note that you may not take non-borrowed library materials or borrowed reading room copies into the Olola area. 

Campus libraries offer season tickets to Kataja Basket, Josba and Kiekko-pojat matches that can be borrowed!

Students and staff at the University of Eastern Finland are encouraged to enjoy some sports, this time as spectators!  

Two season tickets for Kataja Basket, two for Josba and two for Kiekko-Pojat are available to borrow from the Joensuu Campus Library.  

Check the match schedules on the teams’ own websites:

• Kataja Basket: match schedule
• Josba: match schedule
• Kiekko-Pojat: match schedule

Is French or German your mother tongue? Would you like to earn credits and help Finnish students learn your language?

Apply in January to become a course assistant! Course assistants are international students at the University of Eastern Finland who assist in language courses of their mother tongue. 

International students can receive 1-4 ECTS credits for their work as an assistant and they will get a Certificate of Completion. The amount of credits depends on the time one can invest in the programme.

SYL KENKKU: The Power of Youth Across the Globe

Interested in climate policy, global development, and international partnerships? Learn how young people can drive cross-border cooperation in a globalized world.

Join us for an online seminar on November 5 at 5:00 p.m. to hear from experts and participate in the discussion. Speakers include Mika Rönkkö, Chair of the Board of Siemenpuu, and Senja Tertsunen, Finland’s UNESCO Youth Delegate. You’ll have the opportunity to ask the speakers questions during the event.

The online seminar will be conducted entirely in English.

Please register on November 4 the latest!

November call for applications for outgoing student exchange is open!

During this application period, students may apply for bilateral, ISEP Exchange, or north2north exchanges.

The application period ends on Nov 16th at 3 pm sharp.

Read more about available programmes in the calls for applications on Kamu and fill in the application form on SoleMOVE.

For more information about exchanges, see the Internationalisation section on Kamu!

Mostly positive feedback on the renewed Kamu

The Kamu website was renewed in May 2026. In September, a campaign invited people to explore Kamu and enter a prize draw. Participants could also provide feedback on the renewed website.

The responses indicate that Kamu is now seen as clearer, more visually appealing and easier to use. Many respondents particularly appreciated the more logical structure, easier navigation and the fact that information is easier to find.

The feedback also highlighted areas for improvement. Some respondents felt that not all the information they need is easy to find. Suggestions included improving the search function, fixing links and making some content easier to locate. Respondents also wanted student tools to be more visible on the homepage.

Would you like to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in European universities? 

Apply now for the YUFE Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) Blended Intensive Programme (BIP)! The programme combines online learning during winter 2027 with a one-week on-site mobility period in June 2027 at Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris. 

Upon successful completion, you will earn 3 ECTS credits and gain the knowledge and skills to act as an ED&I Ambassador at your university, helping to foster a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive academic community.

OpenYUFE is a programme exclusively for degree students at YUFE universities

It gives you the right to study anything YUFE has to offer for four semesters, including credit-bearing academic and language courses from partner universities. Applying is quick and easy – but: you can only take advantage of this opportunity once! Further information is available from Kamu and on the YUFE website.

YUFE offers a wide range of language learning opportunities

Credit-bearing language courses are only available through the OpenYUFE programme, but the Online Language Cafés are open to all UEF students. They are particularly suitable for improving your spoken language skills in languages you already have some knowledge of.

International House Party @ Educa

UEF international representatives and JEIS welcome you to the annual International House Party at E200 on November 12 from 7pm until 11pm! This year we are throwing a birthday party so dress accordingly and join us for a fun evening of Finnish birthday party games and other activities!

Tickets go on sale on Kide.app this week on October 26. The price (8€) includes snacks, vegan food and an exclusive overalls patch. Bring your own drinks!

The afterparty will be held at Bepop.

Light for Families - Family Event on November 7

The University of Eastern Finland, University of Eastern Finland LUMA Centre and the Photonics Research and Innovation Flagship PREIN warmly welcome you to the Valoa perheille event on Saturday, 7 November 2026, from 10 am to 2 pm at Botania Art Garden in Joensuu. This will be the seventh Valoa perheille event. Over the years, it has brought photonics—the study of light—closer to children, young people and families.

The event is free of charge and open to everyone. Come and enjoy a fun autumn day with your family, soak up the Halloween atmosphere, learn more about light and the wonders of science, and enjoy spending time together.

November Market at Joensuu market square on November 6-7

The traditional November Market will be held at the Joensuu market square on Friday and Saturday, November 6–7, 2026. Save the dates!

The market is open on Friday from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM and on Saturday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Savage Beauty – World's greatest light installation / free outdoor screening

On Friday, November 13, at 6:00 PM, a free outdoor screening will be held in the Joensuu market square.

From the Mountains of Ireland to Joensuu Market Square!

This time, Savage Beauty won’t be confined to a screen. In November, the film will be screened outdoors at Joensuu Market Square, accompanied by a multisensory installation created by light artist Kari Kola and the film’s director Janne Tanskanen. Together, they will bring the world of the film to life in the heart of the city.

Savage Beauty, a documentary about Joensuu-based light artist Kari Kola, his monumental artwork and the story behind its creation, is the story of a visionary for whom nothing is impossible. The city of Galway commissions Kola to create a light installation as part of its European Capital of Culture 2020 programme, expecting him to make “something big”. Kola decides to illuminate an entire mountain. The work is named Savage Beauty, inspired by Oscar Wilde’s description of the Connemara landscape.

In the documentary, Kola and his team set out to create the world’s largest light installation amid Ireland’s rugged wilderness, battling extreme weather conditions, bureaucracy and, ultimately, the COVID-19 pandemic that brings the entire world to a standstill.

Now, a piece of that experience is coming to Joensuu Market Square. It’s time to wrap up warm, grab a cup of hot glögi and head to the square on a November evening. This time, the cold, darkness and light of Savage Beauty won’t just be something you watch on screen – you’ll feel it on your own skin, together with the rest of the audience. And what an experience it will be!

Kari Kola’s lighting, combined with fog, wind and rain effects and the outdoor screening itself, will create an experience in which the film extends beyond the screen and into the surrounding urban space. Come and experience the weather of Ireland in the middle of Joensuu Market Square.

The event is made possible through Rokumentti’s collaboration with the East Finland Film Commission, Visual Festival and Joensuu City Center Association Virta.

Christmas Opening

Joensuun Virta invites you to experience the magical Christmas atmosphere at the Market Square as Joensuu’s official Christmas Opening takes over the square on Sunday, November 22!

Program and schedule for the Christmas opening ceremony:

• 14:45–15:00 Christmas procession departs from Keskuskuja
• 15:00–16:00 Cheerful Christmas show on the market square stage
• 16:00–16:45 Santa Claus and his friends available to meet on the market square. The shops in Taitokortteli are also open from 12:00 to 17:00.

A warm welcome to join us—let’s kick off the Christmas season in Joensuu together!

Global Friday

Joensuun Setlementti organises Global Friday, a multicultural and international meeting place activity. At Global Friday you can get to know new people and cultures, express your own culture in the way you want or just enjoy being together.

Global Friday is a place open to everyone and free of charge, which takes place every Friday from 5 to 8pm in the Tupa space of Joensuun Setlementti.

The next Global Fridays will be on November 6th and November 20th.

JoMoni Finnish Language Cafe

You can come to the language café to practice speaking Finnish. There are no lessons in the language café, but the purpose is to chat in Finnish and spend time together. You don't need to know much Finnish - everyone who is learning and speaking Finnish is welcome! The activity is free.

All JoMoni activities are smoke-free and our activities follow the principles of a safe space.

Luotsi Joensuu Job Info For English Speakers

• Tips for independent job searching
• Tips for different industries
• Easy access job opportunities with no/low Finnish language requirements
• How to get access to hidden jobs
• How to improve your position as job seeker
• Upcoming events

No registration - just walk in!

Could you save someone's life?

For many seriously ill patients, such as people with leukemia, a stem cell transplant is the last chance of a cure. Right now in Finland, no optimal donor can be found for one in five patients. That's why the Stem Cell Registry needs more members, especially young adults and men.

Who can join?

• Aged 18–35
• In good general health

How to join from home

• Take a quick online test
• Fill in the membership form, and you'll get a free sample kit by post
• Swab the inside of your cheek and send the sample back in the prepaid envelope
• (You can also join at a Blood Service location.)

Good to know

• Joining doesn't mean you'll donate right away, or ever. Only about 2% of members end up donating.
• Donating is always voluntary and safe, and all expenses are covered.

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 web service. Students and staff members log into the JobTeaser UEF platform using their UEF credentials. You can continue using the service after graduation as well. 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 organized 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.