Happy Tuesday! 

Today we celebrate Shrove Tuesday, which in a Finnish context marks the farewell to winter and a welcome to spring. You can also find delicious Shrove buns (or semla) across cafés and stores.

Don’t forget that today is the Sports Afternoon! Grab a classmate and go try out a new activity. There is no teaching scheduled after 12 PM, so make the most of the afternoon by exercising.

Next week's newsletter covers weeks 9 and 10. The Weekly Feed isn't published on week 11 because of winter holiday week.

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

ISYY: The possibility of having multiple study rights must be preserved!

The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland is dismayed that, despite numerous critical statements, the government led by Petteri Orpo has continued to advance the so called “one study place rule.”

– Students are the workforce and leaders of the future, which is why limiting their opportunities limits the adaptability and flexibility of the future workforce. Especially leaders are expected to have broad expertise and multidisciplinary skills. Therefore the government’s proposal does not reflect the needs of the future working life, comments Maria Rossi, ISYY’s Board Member responsible for Academic Affairs.

Sports Afternoon today!

Sports afternoon of spring 2026 will be held today! On Sports Afternoon, different exercise options are available for students and staff members. SYKETTÄ sticker is not required to participate in Sports Afternoon. More information on our website. 

Only few tickets left to After Sports Bingo today, secure your seat!

1, 2, 3, Bingo! After Sports Bingo by ISYY today at 6pm in Ticorillo (Amarillo)! The first Bingo round starts at 6:45 and the second one at 7:45, tickets on sale at kide.app 2€ (+ Kide.app service fee 0,55€). Please note that the cloakroom fee of 3 € is mandatory at Apteekkari. Every participant gets overall patch and for the best in Bingo super prices from coffee to goodie bag.

Come, experience and win!

Today at Coffee & Friends: Relaxing and Colouring

Coffee & Friends event offers low-threshold hanging out after lectures and the opportunity to meet other students over coffee and a snack. All students of the University of Eastern Finland are welcome to Coffee & Friends. You can come to the café alone or with a friend. In addition, Coffee & Friends has a changing chill program. Participation in the programme is voluntary and you can come for a while or for the whole time. Participation is free of charge and does not require pre-registration. 

Coffee & Friends meets on Tuesdays at 4-6pm at Agora Café. 

Coffee & Friends programme:

• 24.2. Bingo 
• 3.3 Winter Holiday, no Coffee & Friends this week
• 10.3. Students’ Mental Health Week

Whole spring’s programme will be updated on ISYY’s webpage as the planning progresses

Welcome to the 16th Annual Celebration of the Student Union on Sat 21 March in Joensuu

ISYY's Annual Celebration will be held on Saturday 21 March 2026 at 6 pm in Joensuu, Original Sokos Hotel Kimmel’s event space Sirkkala. 

The Annual Celebration details are now published on ISYY's website and registration for the event is now open in kide.app. We warmly welcome all ISYY members and friends of ISYY to celebrate our Student Union with us!

Have you heard about ISYY’s Hobby Buddy service?

The service is intended for all students of the University of Eastern Finland who want to make new friends through common hobbies and interests.

The process works as follows: a student looking for a Hobby Buddy fills out a form available on ISYY's website, and we will get in touch when a matching buddy is found. You can search for a Hobby Buddy for one or multiple hobbies. If you are looking for a friend to exercise with, please check out the Sports Buddy Service of SYKETTÄ.

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)

Exceptions in schedules during the spring break week!

In week 10 (2–8.3.), guided classes and bookings in the City of Joensuu sports facilities will be on a break, with a few exceptions. Gyms and ball sport sessions in SYKETTÄ’s own facilities will operate as usual. 

We offer the following group fitness classes:

• Mon 2.3. 6:00–7:00 PM  EveryBody Move at Tulliportinkatu School
• Wed 4.3. 6:30–8:00 PM  Kickboxing at Mehtimäki Hall

Winter Classic 18.2.2026

Winter Classic 2026 takes over PKS Arena on Wednesday, 18.2. at 6:30 PM! The evening will be filled with atmosphere as Joensuu’s student teams face off in a spectacular ice hockey match. Join us to watch, support the teams, and enjoy a free sports event!

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!

UEF info session online on 19 February 2026

The first UEF info session in 2026 will be organised online on Thursday 19 February at 13:00–14:00. The topics of the event are:

• The university’s budget for 2026 and economic outlook
• The current situation and progress of campus development

The languages of the info session are Finnish and English; the presentation material is in English. You can ask questions and provide comments in advance or during the event in the UEF info session community in Viva Engage.

Interested in discovering Finnish culture through dance?

Join our dance course, specially designed for international students from Riveria, SAKKY, Karelia, Savonia, and UEF in Joensuu and Kuopio. You’ll learn traditional Finnish social dances you might see at Finnish dance events and summer pavilions. You’ll find out what to expect at these events, practise a bit of Finnish in real situations, and connect with fellow students in a fun and welcoming environment.

The course is free for participants. Sign up by 24 February!

Stand Out in the Digital Job Market !

Open workshop for international students - Digital Skills in a Changing Job Market

• Date: 26 February
• Time: 14:00 - 16:00
• Venue: UEF Futura Building, Hall 210, Joensuu

This practical workshop is designed to help international students better understand current job market expectations and learn how to present their skills effectively to employers.

Key focus areas include

• LinkedIn profile clinics
• Building modern, job-ready portfolios
• Mapping digital skills to specific job fields

The event is free of charge. 

Library Closed today due to Sports Afternoon

The library enjoys Sports Afternoon on Tuesday 17 February 2026. Joensuu and Kuopio Campus Libraries are open from 10 am to 12 pm (doors open from 8 am to 12 pm) and KUH Medical Library from 11 am to 12 pm. Library’s 24/7 self-study facilities are available with an access badge also on the Sports Afternoon starting from 12.15.

Social Value Creation through Entrepreneuring , organized by the University of Turku 16.3. - 3.5.2026

Register on Peppi at the latest Sun 8th March (cross-institutional courses)
The course gives the students an understanding of the role of entrepreneuring in creating social value as well as in fixing wicked local and global problems. The students will learn how social challenges can be addressed with entrepreneurial activity in various organisational contexts (commercial and social enterprises, co-operatives, public organisations, and NGOs). They will also understand the role of individuals as change agents and value creators in complex institutional settings. The course will provide the students with skills of recognising a social problem and developing a solution that involves entrepreneurial action.

The course comprises such topics as “what social value is and how it is created” and “entrepreneuring individuals and organisations as creators of social value”. Selected practical cases are used to shed light on the role of entrepreneurial activities in fighting social ills, enacting opportunities, and creating social value.

Further information and the CNS Study Guide (in English at the end):

What is Zoola and why is it used?

Zoola is a learning analytics tool connected to eLearn Moodle that helps teachers monitor students' progress in a course. It compiles existing data from Moodle into clear summaries. Zoola does not generate or collect new data. The purpose of the tool is to help teachers identify where and when students need support. For students, Zoola appears as a timeout: if nothing is done on the eLearn page for about 20 minutes, a pop-up window appears.

Welcome to answer a survey on the employment of international students!

The survey is part of a study conducted with research funding from the Prime Minister’s Office concerning the employment of international students from the perspective of regional labour needs.

The purpose of this survey is to gain an understanding of what international students think about employment in the region where they are studying, or more generally in Finland.

This survey is aimed at international bachelor’s and master’s degree students (excluding doctoral students) who are studying or have studied at Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences.

Please answer the survey by 27.2.2026 at the latest.

You can answer the survey using the link below

• in English: https://eu.research.net/r/international-students_survey
• in Finnish: https://fi.eu.research.net/r/kv-opiskelijat_kysely

The survey takes about 10–15 minutes to complete.

The Joensuu Chamber Orchestra

The Joensuu Chamber Orchestra is looking for new string and wind instrument players! Join the orchestra's activities and joint practices. You can find more information about practice times and locations on our website. Come and share the joy of music with us!

Open hangout nights organized by local LGBTQIA+ rights NGO North Karelia Seta

Open hangout nights organized by local LGBTQIA+ rights NGO North Karelia Seta. Coffee, tea and snacks provided. Free of charge. Bring a friend!

Meetings in spring 2026

• January: 19.1. 
• February: 2.2. and 16.2. 
• March: 2.3. and 23.3. 
• April: 20.4. 
• May: 11.5. and 25.5. 

For more information, contact group leader: hangouts.seta@gmail.com

Global Fridays @ Joensuun Setlementti

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.

Global Fridays during Spring 2026:

• 20.2.
• 20.3.
• 17.4.
• 15.5.

Our Tupa is located in our premises at Siltakatu 10 A 13, 5th floor (access by stairs and lift). The activity instructors plan the activities together with the visitors based on their ideas and needs.

3 days. Real challenges. Multidisciplinary teams. Mentors who push you further.

This is where design, business, and technology collide. This is the Sprint 2026, Finland’s largest design sprint.

You’ll be placed in a small, multidisciplinary team, stay at a hotel, and work on a real-world challenge set by one of our amazing challenge partners. The themes span culture, health, technology, finance, and AI, so whether your background is in design, business, engineering, research, medicine, or something else entirely, there’s a challenge for you.

And yes: the winning team from each challenge will take home a 1 000 € prize. So… do you think you’ve got what it takes? Apply and prove it.

The Sprint 2026

 Where: Valo Hotel, Helsinki 
 When: March 27th–29th, 2026

Are you ready to sprint outside the box?

Apply by February 22nd!

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.