Announcement: ISYY's Chairpersons and Executive Board 2026 has been elected

Maiju Laukkanen
2025-11-28T10:45:00Z

The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY)
Press release: 28.11.2025

The Student Union of the Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY) Representative Council elected Chairpersons and Executive Board for the year 2026 in their formative meeting that was held 27.11.2025.

The Student Union elected Emilia Kivikoski as the Chair of the ISYY Executive Board. Kivikoski studies theology at the University of Eastern Finland in Joensuu campus and during this year has worked as a member of the ISYY Board in the sectors of social policy, associations and clubs.

The other nine elected Board Members are the Vice Chair Lassi Valli, Antton Gustafsson, Maria Rossi, Elviira Soljala, Eeva Ylikoski, Sofia Lindström, Bharath Kannan, Reetta Venäläinen and Piritta Pennanen.

– I am grateful for the trust that I received from ISYY Council. I’m excited about this opportunity to advance the interests of students and strengthen the student union's role as an active influencer together with a competent board, comments the Chair of next year’s Executive Board Emilia Kivikoski.

The Board is responsible for the daily activities of the Student Union together with the employees in Joensuu and Kuopio campus. Each member of the Executive Board has a specific sector they work with, e.g. Academic Affairs, Communications, International Affairs and Affairs of Social Policy.

The duties of the Executive Board are e.g., student advocacy and interest advocacy, in the Student Union, at the University, campus cities and also nationally with other student unions. The newly elected Board will appoint their working sectors in their first formative meeting in December.

Janina Gunnar was elected as the Chairperson of the Representative Council. Gunnar studies medicine at the University of Eastern Finland on the Kuopio campus. She has extensive experience in the student union, having served as the Vice Chair of the Representative Council during the current year, as a Council member in 2024–2025, and on the Executive Board in 2023.

- It is a great honor to lead the Student Union's highest decision-making body next year. In addition to updating important guiding documents, I want to promote the Council's team spirit and make decision-making more accessible. My goal is also to bring the Student Union's activities more visibly into our students' everyday lives, says Janina Gunnar.

As the first Vice Chair of the ISYY Council was elected Idamaria “Nox” Herranen and as the second Ilmari Mäkelä. The Representative Council is the highest decision making body of ISYY and it consists of 39 students elected with the Representative Council elections.

Further information:

Emilia Kivikoski, Chair of the Executive Board 2026, Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY), emilia.kivikoski(at)isyy.fi

Janina Gunnar, Chair of the Representative Council 2026, Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY), janina.gunnar(at)isyy.fi

Hannele Mirola, Secretary General Substitute, Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY), tel. +358 44 576 8417, paasihteeri(at)isyy.fi