Happy Tuesday!

Want to experience one of the most traditional vappu (May Day) events of the Student Union? Join Savo-Karjala Excursion on 29 April! During the Savo-Karjala Excursion, students circle around Eastern Finland (North Savo and North Karelia regions) on buses on a predetermined route, which will remain a secret until the buses start their journey, and enjoy refreshments in different bars and restaurants along the way.

In Kuopio, students have traditionally queued for Savo-Karjala Excursion tickets for a few hours before the ticket sale starts. Ticket sale start on Thursday 9 April at 8 am at the ISYY office. KIVES (ISYY’s May Day Club) organises the official queuing for tickets starting from the early hours of the morning and is there to supervise the queuing. Read more about the event and ticket sale on ISYY's website.

Have a nice week!

Kind regards,
Elina
Coordinator of International Affairs

Have you already answerd ISYY's Member Survey?

What do you think ISYY should focus on? How has the service been in the Student Union office? Do you know what you get as you pay the membership fee to ISYY? How ISYY could improve its office services or communications? Tell us!

The Student Union of Eastern Finland (ISYY) has launched a member survey, which purpose is to collect information about how familiar our members are with the Student Union and its services, to collect feedback about our services and also ideas how to improve our services and activities.

The survey is open until the end of 19 April 2026 and all those who answered can join a raffle where we will hand out total of eight 50,00 € gift cards to S Group, four on both of our campuses.

ISYY's Vappu (May Day) Eve programme

Vappu is the biggest celebration of the year for Finnish students. On Vappu Eve, 30 April, you can attend ISYY's Vappu traditions on both campuses. ISYY gathers all university students to celebrate Vappu together wit our old traditions.

In Kuopio, the traditions include the Cleaning of the Tooth (a statue) organised by Dentina ry, the Rite of the Scholastic Passage that will be performed on campus and later the Pool Event at the Kuopio Market Square. At the Market Square we'll wash and cap the Velj'mies statue, nominate the 'Kunniankantajat' of the year, immerse the professor at the pool of Velj'mies statue and we'll hear the Vappu speeches of the Student Union and Student Associations.

Read more and check the schedule from ISYY's website!

Experience Finnish Vappu Celebration in Savo-Karjala Excursion!

Savo-Karjala Excursion is one of the most famous and popular May Day celebration traditions of the Student Union (ISYY). The first Savo-Karjala Excursion was organised in 1990. The event is held every year in Joensuu and Kuopio on 29 April despite the day of the week.

During the Savo-Karjala Excursion, students circle around the North Savo and the North Karelia regions on buses on a predetermined route, which will remain a secret until the buses start their journey, and enjoy refreshments in different bars and restaurants along the way.

To attend the event, it is not required that you can speak Finnish. The most important thing is that you and your friends have fun and you can keep up in the schedule of the bus. If there are English speaking people in the buses, we'll ask the bus leaders to give all the important information about the schedule in English.

Ticket sales start on Thursday 9 April 8 am at ISYY office (in Studentia building, C entrance, Yliopistonranta 15). The remaining tickets, if there are any, will go on sale on Kide.app on the same day at 1 pm. The ticket price is 20 €. One person can buy a maximum of two tickets.

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 14.5.2026.

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

ISYY club meetings

Check the list of ISYY clubs in Kuopio on our website.

ISYY clubs' meetings at Lukema (ISYY office in Studentia, C door):

• Fri 10.4. at 5 pm Kärmes (Board Games Club)
• Sun 12.4. at 1 pm University Student Bible Club
• Tue 14.4. at 5 pm Kärmes (Board Games Club)
• Sun 19.4. at 1 pm University Student Bible Club

SYKETTÄ Sports Services

SYKETTÄ – Kuopio University Sports offers a comprehensive range of sports services for students and staff of Savonia University of Applied Sciences and the University of Eastern Finland’s Kuopio campus. Please read the SYKETTÄ Kuopio information. You must have a valid SYKETTÄ membership when using sports services!

Read more on the SYKETTÄ Kuopio website and follow SYKETTÄ on social media:

• SYKETTÄ Kuopio webpage
• Facebook: sykettakuopio
• Instagram: @syketta_kpo
• TikTok: syketta_kuopio

Spring Campaign is Here – Gym Access at Luola is Now Included!

With a valid SYKETTÄ membership in April, you can train at the Luola gym with absolutely no extra fees. If you aren’t a SYKETTÄ member yet, you can join with just a few clicks in our online store.

For example, grab the SYKETTÄ Group Exercise Sticker (41 €) and enjoy unlimited sports until the end of August. If you start at the beginning of April, your wellbeing will cost you only about 30 cents a day!

You can also access the Spring Campaign benefits with:

• Ball Sports Membership (only 23 €)
• Monthly Membership (only 16 €)

Give us Feedback - How has your spring season been with SYKETTÄ services?

Share your thoughts on our Spring 2026 services and help us improve! Planning for the autumn season begins soon, and your feedback will help us make our autumn services even better.

The feedback survey is open until April 12, 2026. We will provide a collective response to the feedback received once the survey has ended.

You can submit your feedback via the link below.

Calling young professionals to explore how futures thinking and innovation can help shape sustainable forest-based economies.

EFI’s Young Leadership Programme (YLP) 2026 focuses on adding value locally, drawing on the example of Northern Europe.

The one-week programme combines expert-led discussions with capacity-building activities to strengthen leadership and strategic skills.

Learn more and sign up to receive updates when applications open.

Are you ready to shape the future of Europe’s forests?

ELEVATE 13-18 April

ELEVATE is a six-day pre-incubation startup program where participants develop their business ideas in workshops under the mentorship of startup experts and business advisors.

The program is free. 2 ECTS credits are available. At the end of the intensive week, participants will pitch their ideas in a competition (prize pool up to 5,000 euros). The program is intended for first-time founders. At the same time, you’ll have a great opportunity to learn about NSES’s activities and join the entrepreneurial network!

• When? April 13–18, 2026
• Where? Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Kuopio
• Submit your application now
• Organized by: North Savo Entrepreneurship Society (NSES)

KämppisFinder is here!

Are you looking for a roommate to save money, gain new experiences, or enjoy a more communal lifestyle? Download the KämppisFinder mobile app and start searching for your ideal roommate. Best of all, once you’ve found a roommate, you can look for a suitable apartment together directly through the app!

The app is available for download on both Google Play and the App Store.

Nyyti ry

Mindfulness Group

This short three-week English-speaking online group gives you a gentle introduction to mindfulness and how it can support your wellbeing in everyday student life. The group sessions will be held on Wednesday, May 20th - June 3rd, 2026 from 5:15 pm to 6:15 pm on Zoom. Free places are available for students via Nyyti. Application is now open for this group, so welcome to join!

The Eco-Crisis, Our Future and Mental health online course

The online course provides information on environmental emotions and strengthening mental health, as well as tools for dealing with environmental emotions, holding space for other people’s environmental concerns, and increasing understanding between people who think differently. Read more.

Mind Matters online course

The Mind Matters -online course offers tools and insights to help you promote your own mental health, interact more openly with your fellow students, and support the well-being of others. Read more.

Compassion workshops for doctoral students

How could we bring more compassion into our hectic daily lives and achievement-oriented culture?  How can we be present to each other in a genuine, caring, and supportive way, and cultivate this in our academic community? How can we be kinder to ourselves? Welcome to explore these questions and cultivate compassion skills in compassion-themed online workshops for doctoral students on 22 April at 12.00-15.00 (in English) and 20 May at 10.00-14.00 (in Finnish). Sign up.

At Kuopio City Theatre, Tue 7.4. and Wed 20.5.2026, 6–8 pm. Free admission!

RPD (Random Play Dance) combines music, dance and community. It involves dancing to choreographies of K-POP songs (usually the
choruses) in random order. The music changes quickly and the participants' task is to identify the song and
jump into the correct choreography.

If you are new to K-POP, you can master these dances: Super shy – New Jeans and BANG BANG BANG! – Bigbang. These songs can be found in the first RPD on 7.4., so that every new dancer can try out what K-POP dancing is like.

Note! On April 7th, the dance will be held on the Minna stage!

Interdisciplinary CraftCinema in Kuopio on April 13th!

The interdisciplinary CraftCinema organized by Retikka, KuoLo and Kino Kuvakukkko, will gather lovers of crafts and culture together on April 13th at Kino Kuvakukkko at 5:30 PM! The screening will be presented in dimmed lighting, so that you can, for example, knit, crochet or sew overall patches while watching the film. However, crafting is not a criterion for participation – every movie lover is welcome! Ticket costs 10 € and you can buy your ticket from Kide.app.! 

Recruitment in Finland -Tips for English-Speaking Jobseekers

Are you an international student or professional looking to navigate the Finnish job market? Join us for an insightful session where you will learn how recruitment works in Finland and what employers expect from applicants.

• Date: April 16, 2026
• Time: 14:00–15:30
• Location: TyöNavigaattori, Asemakatu 7, Kuopio

International students in Kuopio – your voice matters!

Do you want to help shape the future of internationalisation in Kuopio? Join us for the Roadmap to Internationalization Development Workshop, a co-creation workshop where your experiences and ideas can directly influence local development.
This workshop is organized by the City of Kuopio, International House Kuopio, Talent Hub Eastern Finland, and the Kuopio International Students Council (KISC), in collaboration with local universities.

• CA300 (Canthia, UEF)
• 20 April 2026
• 13:00-15:00
• Language: English
• Coffee & snacks provided
• Limited seats available so register by 16 April

Why join?

• Make your voice heard as an international student
• Influence Kuopio’s Internationalisation Plan
• Contribute to improving student services
• Discuss topics such as employment, housing, wellbeing, and Finnish language learning

Be part of the conversation and help build more inclusive Kuopio for international students together.

Concert: Spring greetings from Berlin

Tue 28.4.2026 at 19.00
Kuopio Music Centre, Concert Hall

Conductors: Harri Hyppölä and Rauno Tikkanen
Johannes Lamotke, horn
AmKo Symphony Orchestra and Tahdistin Orchestra
The program features two horn concertos and Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73.

Duration: approx. 1 h 50 min, incl. intermission
Tickets: €15 / €5 for students and under 16 yo
(+ service fees from €1.50 + 0.65% per order at Lippu.fi)

Organized by: Kuopio Conservatory, Savonia University of Applied Sciences, Tahdistin-orkesteri

Would you participate in a survey?

Resilience, self-efficacy, well-being, and self-regulated learning among university students

The aim of the study is to produce knowledge that can offer insights for the development of university students’ education and support services. The findings may help strengthen students’ professional growth and support them in facing potential challenges in working life.

Principal Investigator, PhD Saija Sihvola

Weekly Feed is the English language newsletter of the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY). You are receiving this letter in your email because you are a member of ISYY and are studying at Kuopio 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.