Happy Tuesday!

Independence Day (Itsenäisyyspäivä) in Finland is held on the 6th of December to celebrate Finland's declaration of independence from Russia in 1917.

As Finland is quite a young country, some of the war veterans are still alive and most of the celebrations are related to paying respects to them and to those who were lost during the war. Therefore there is an annual televised military parade of the Finnish Defence Forces and student torch parades all around Finland where they visit graveyards to place wreaths on war graves.

ISYY also organises a student torch parade every year in both Kuopio and Joensuu. In the parades, we celebrate the independence of Finland which gives us freedom to study, come together and be who we want to be. In the Torch Parades, we also want to commemorate the part students played in the creation of the independent Finnish state. The Torches bring light to the dark December night. You are warmly welcome to join the Parade as a participant or a spectator this year!

The highlight of the day has traditionally been watching the broadcast of the glamorous Presidential Independence Day reception (Linnanjuhlat)! The reception has been an annual tradition since 1919 and roughly 2000 guests receive an invitation to the event, such as members of the government and parliament of Finland, war veterans, diplomats, and other public figures and skilled individuals the President chooses to invite.

Have a nice week!

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

ISYY offices are closed 11.12.2025–6.1.2026

This year the offices are open for the last time on Wednesday 10 December from 12 to 4 pm.

If you must visit ISYY offices before the holidays, please do that during the first weeks of December. The offices will be open again on Wednesday 7 January 2026.

This year's last newsletters will be send on Tuesday 16 December. Weekly Feed returns from a short winter break on 13 January 2026, when the first newsletter of 2026 is published.

ISYY's Chairpersons and Executive Board 2026 has been elected!

In their meeting last week, ISYY Council elected the Chairpersons and Executive Board 2026 for our Student Union.

Emilia Koskinen was elected as the Chair of the ISYY Board and Lassi Valli as the Vice Chair. Other Board Members include Antton Gustafsson, Maria Rossi, Elviira Soljala, Eeva Ylikoski, Sofia Lindström, Bharath Kannan, Reetta Venäläinen and Piritta Pennanen.

Janina Gunnar (DeeKu) was elected as the Chair of the ISYY Council, Nox Herranen (Itä-Suomen Vihreä Vasemmisto) as the 1st Vice Chair and Ilmari Mäkelä (Kylterit) as the 2nd Vice Chair.

In photo some members of Board 2026: on the screen from the left Emilia and Eeva. Front row from the left: Bharath, Antton, Lassi, Piritta, Maria and Reetta.

Read the announcement and feelings of the Chairpersons right after the election from the ISYY website.

Take a break – Wellbeing pop-up event 4.12.

Take a break – Wellbeing pop-up event this week in the lobby of Carelia on the Joensuu campus and in the lobby of Snellmania on the Kuopio campus on Tuesday 2 December 2025, at 11:00-13:00.

Feeling the end-of-semester rush? Drop by for a moment of calm! Our pop-up event brings you wellbeing workshops and creative activities hosted by student associations.

Brought to you by UEF Student and Learning Services, ISYY, FSHS – as well as Varpu-project in Joensuu. Drop by, relax, and take a moment for yourself!

Apply for a band shift at Studentia Band Rehearsal Space by 14 December!

You can now apply for a shift at Studentia Band Rehearsal Space for the spring 2026 by filling an online application form. The application period ends on Sunday 14 December at 23:59. All who have applied for a shift will be contacted on week 51. Spring shifts are valid from 2 January until 31 May.

One shift is max. 2 hours. On workdays (Mon-Fri) Studentia is open and the shifts can be applied from 8:00 to 21:00. Weekend shifts are available from 8:00 to 20:00.

ISYY Club Meetings

All currently listed club meetings (except JEIS meetings) are held weekly in ISYY's club room at ISYY's office located near the city centre (Suvantokatu 6, 80100 Joensuu) except the JEIS meeting. The club meeting list will be updated as new club meeting times and locations are confirmed by the clubs.

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

• MtG (Magic: the Gathering) Guild Mon 3 pm - 8 pm
• Joensuu's Exchange and International Students Mon 5 pm - 6:30 pm
  • On Campus, Aurora-building, room AU102
• LUOMIO! (Literary Arts Club) Tue 6 pm - 8 pm
• JOOJAKU (Japanese Culture Club) Wed 4 pm - 8 pm
• Joensuu Board Gamers meeting Thu 3 pm - 8 pm
• Chess Club Fri 4 pm - 8 pm

Schedules for the end of the year!

SYKETTÄ group classes and other instructed sessions will end on Friday, 5.12.2025, but the classes instructed by JoenVoLi will continue until 14.12.2025.
Länsikatu school will close starting 7.12. and Tulliportinkatu school starting 12.12.  Additional ball game sessions will be added to Mehtimäki Hall for the period of 15.12.–31.12.2025.

The gyms will be open as usual, except for the Tikkarinne gym, which will be open from 22.12.25-3.1.2026  (7 AM–9 PM). Outside this period, it will operate normally. You can find the exact gym opening hours on our website.

More information about schedules and spring updates can be found on SYKETTÄ’s Instagram!

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!

Exceptions in the library opening hours due to the Finnish Independence Day

Joensuu and Kuopio Campus Libraries are open on Friday 5th December 2025 8am–1pm (Customer Service 10am–1pm) and KUH Medical Library is closed. On Independence Day 6th December 2025 all our libraries are closed.

The library’s 24/7 self-study facilities are open despite these exceptions.

Graduating students, please mark the date of the graduation ceremony on your calendar already!

The event celebrates degree students who have graduated or will graduate from our university during the autumn semester 2025 and spring semester 2026 (1 August 2025 – 31 July 2026).

Registration for the event will begin in the spring. More information about registration will be published in the UEF Opiskelijat // Students Viva Engage group and sent by email to graduated students.

Welcome to the UEF Global Development Day 2025!

The event will be held under the theme “From Knowledge to Impact: Co-Innovation for Global Development” at the UEF Kuopio campus, Snellmania SN200 on 11 December 2025 at 9:30–12:00 (EEST). The event will also be streamed on Teams (online from 10:00-12:00).

The engaging two-hour event showcases how collaborative innovation can lead to practical solutions in global development. The programme features an inspiring keynote, a discussion with experts from diverse fields exploring how multistakeholder partnerships can transform research to real-world impact, and the finals of the UEF Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, where emerging doctoral researchers will present their work.

The event brings together academia, policy, and practice to encourage dialogue and advance sustainable development.

Please register by 4th December 2025: https://go.uef.fi/UEFGDday.

Rector's Christmas Coffee on Joensuu campus 9.12.

Welcome to the traditional Christmas coffee event for the staff and students on Tuesday, 9 December, at 14:00 in the lobby of the Carelia building. Event includes welcoming words from Rector Tapio Määttä and christmas music by University of Eastern Finland Choir Joy.

Registration for language studies!

Registration for language and communication courses for spring semester opens December 1st. You can find the courses included in your degree in your PSP or in the study guide, register in Peppi through you PSP. Check out also the new Minor subject in Finnish: Minor Subject in Finnish as a Second Language.

Registration for the 3rd period ends on 4.1.2026 and later in the spring the registration for courses starting in the 4th period ends on 1.3. or later, depending on when the course starts. Read the further information of each course unit carefully!

Welcome to our language courses!

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

The university's occupational health and safety organisation has been contacted by people who have expressed a need for a university-level recommendation on the use of perfumes and fragrances at the workplace. One of the central tasks of the occupational health and safety organisation is to develop and ensure healthy and comfortable working environments.

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

First-year student, please complete the HealthStart questionnaire in the Self online service

If you started completing your first degree at an institution of higher education in the autumn semester 2025, we ask you to complete the HealthStart questionnaire in the Self online service. After completing the HealthStart questionnaire, you’ll receive feedback on your state of health and may be referred to health promotion services provided by the FSHS.

The health examination for first-year students begins with the HealthStart questionnaire, the aim of which is to help you and healthcare professionals check your health status and refer you to the appropriate services as early as possible at the beginning of your studies.

Family School Independence Day celebrations: Multicultural Finland

At Sirkkala Movement Center (Sirkkalantie 12 B) 05.12.2025 at 6PM. 

Programme of the celebrations:

•  Welcome Speech
• "Letters to Irja and Lauri" - A spectacle about hope, peace and love during war
• Photo and poem exhibition: our multicultural Joensuu
• Dance and Music Performances
• Festive Food and Treats
• Traditional dances from different countries

Sign ups by phone before 01.12.2025 (+358 504633049). The event is organized by Theatre RanKids and KIEKU Joensuu.

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.