Category: Coming to Finland as Staff

Blog post from international researcher, teachers or other staff members who are or have been studying, visiting, or working at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF).

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Finland – the happiest country?

Writer: Tamara Kudaibergenova

My first impression upon arrival in Finland was a sense of calm and security. I got the impression that there everything was made for the sake of people, e.g. easy transportation, and reachable conveniences. Not only technical aspects, but also clean air, bright sun, green forests, blue lakes, and friendly people in Kuopio. When I asked about the direction, I should take to reach the shore of the lake, the answer was “in any direction.” Kuopio turned out to be a pearl city, surrounded by clear lakes.

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Seasonal depression, as BOOTs might come back? – NO way, it`s time to face to Nature!

I posted my last blog, when I took my winter BOOTS of, now I feel we sort of have to take those back, soon as first minuses just behind us….. to discover the beauty of this season we are facing for.

Autumn at Finland is one of my favorite season ever (though to be honest I’ll probably be saying the same about summer as soon as it comes around /if it rolls really with sun and hot…./). Sitting with a steaming cappuccino and a blanket by the beach of Kallavesi I’m just getting excited that we are finally facing to RUSKA, again.

Like, there are so many evoking things to do during autumn and if you are able to do at least some of them it might be be the best season ever. But be prepared, as you just blink and suddenly it’s -10 degrees and half meter high snowpacks arrive outside…..

Continue reading “Seasonal depression, as BOOTs might come back? – NO way, it`s time to face to Nature!”

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Finland: So different, so magic

My experience in Finland ended just over a month ago, but I still miss that Country, so different from mine but so magica and evocative.  I’m a 24 years old Italian girl and I have been in Finland for two months, February and March. I came to Kuopio for work, thanks to a collaboration between the University of Pavia (where I studied and graduated in Pharmacy) and the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio. I left Italy full of curiosity and I returned with a bag
full of good memories and friendships, that I’ll try to maintain despite the distance.

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Greetings from a staff mobility

I truly enjoyed this great experience being on a one-week staff mobility at Kuopio campus of UEF, together with two colleagues from our home university, the Pharos University in Egypt.

The host university is gorgeous, I loved all the surroundings. Academic staff we met are so kind and amazing. Hopefully my pictures tell more.

Nancy Bedwani

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My favorite Finnish words. An incomplete guide to my perfect time in Joensuu

Moi (hello)! Approaching the end of my stay in Joensuu a lot faster than I would like to, it is time to recap and tell you about all the great experiences I have made in Suomi (Finland) during the past four months. And while I must admit that my language skills in Finnish are still embarrassingly small, there are some nice, beautiful and curious little words that I would like to share with you.

At the moment, my favorite Finnish word must be kesä: summer! After months of cold and icy, yet exceptionally beautiful winter-wonderland-weather, the temperatures have turned around and Finland has put on it’s pretty green summer dress. Within only a few days the ice melted off the lakes, the piles of snow disappeared (there were trucks helping with that), and the leaves started to grow. And yes, in Finish there is a unique word for the first, tiny, bright green leaves, and it’s adorable: hiirenkorva (literally: mouse ears). Walking in metsä (forest) and among the koivut (birches) now feels like a completely different world. Sometimes I can’t believe that it is only a few weeks ago that it was talvi (winter), and I was in those very same forests pursuing murtomaahiihto (cross-country-skiing) – one of the great Finnish hobbies I had never done before and came to love so quickly. Continue reading “My favorite Finnish words. An incomplete guide to my perfect time in Joensuu”

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More than perfect Finland (Joensuu) experience :)

It was my first visit to Finland and it started in Helsinki with such nice and unobtrusive Nordic design where ever you take a look. The train ride from Helsinki to Jounsuu, then, was a very nice opportunity to enjoy the beautiful landscapes.

Our first meeting at UEF started as it was written there really: “state of smart”! In the “middle of knowhere” I met such nice, polite and great colleagues. In their company all five of us (3 teaching and 2 administrative stuff) enjoyed our time so much.

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Pitch your way to the peak and ski down with the money!

Last week I had the pleasure to travel to the beautiful city of Tahko where I attended the Tahko Ski Lift Pitch  in order to support my colleague Anna in representing UEF (one of the event’s main sponsors). Organized for the second time this year, the event brought together young and promising entrepreneurs and their start-up businesses with  investors and business coaches. The excellent idea behind this unique event which distinguishes it from other start-up events like the famous Slush? The most important things are happening in a ski lift! Continue reading “Pitch your way to the peak and ski down with the money!”

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Vappu on tulossa: Portraits from the Breathless Zoo of the Nature

Although photos are meant to be understood around the world without the need for words, please allow me to cover up a bit the title of this post.

I have always desired to live somewhere with four actual distinct seasons and although at this high-latitudes the longest and several months long is the winter, Savo is a cool place to live. Moreover Finland’s residents may not think as much of the country’s weather like we do, but this harsh and cold season is sometimes really hard to cope with for a Mid European immigrant, when the sun is occasionally and only shortly flooding into the space.

However, winter seems to be finally over these days. Now “Vappu” is upon us, soft weather on its way and everything is changing in our mind as well. Therefore, I thought it might be fun to share pictures of “pulseless animals”. Do not be in panic. I am far from finding it funny to take  photos of dead, breathless animals or samples made via taxidermy (preserving animals in lively postures). For me, photography is not only related to my job (as a scientist/morphologist). It is sometimes more than a passion, it is the frame in which I can relax. How do I achieve that?  Continue reading “Vappu on tulossa: Portraits from the Breathless Zoo of the Nature”

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Bikes, Dogs and Sauna

Bicycles were first introduced in Germany during wood and iron age, when “dandy horse” has been introduced in 1817, as a two wheels, with no pedal, however it required accurate balancing by the rider. Since then it have been versatile functions: recreation, work, military, show, sport, tourism, etc. and now we are in „hybrid bike” age.

In Finland there are about 3 million bikes compared to Beijing for example, where there are 9 million (Katie Melua tells us so). However over 60% of Finns are biking regularly and it is gaining and increasing momentum, as more and more people without reference to the age or social status choose to leave their cars behind and hop onto their bikes. As a result, 9% of all trips are made by bike. Biking is healthy, ecological  and fun.

 

For a Mid-European the cycling season in this country would be really short from somewhere plus 10 and above, however here riders are not afraid of neither the rain, nor slush, nor event winter climate, when we are below zero Celsius.

Continue reading “Bikes, Dogs and Sauna”