You can download spring forum session descriptions in the link below.
The registration and information desk is open as follows:
Monday, May 12th: 9:45 AM – 5:45 PM
12.00 Screening of a documentary "Academic Resilience Stories from Ukraine". Length: 45 minutes. Free entrance, no pre-registration. Venue F3005 at the University of Helsinki Main Building
13.00 Helsinki University Museum Flame / Guided tour (in Finnish). Register in advance.
13.00 University of Helsinki Main Building / Guided tour (in Finnish). Register in advance.
14.00 ThinkCorner / Guided tour (in English). Register in advance.
14.00 Observatory / Guided tour (in Finnish). Register in advance.
14.00 National Library (guided in Finnish). Register in advance.
15.00 University of Helsinki Main Building / Guided tour (in Finnish). Register in advance.
Arrival Location & Timing
Tour Details
Your specific tour location and time are listed below. A host will meet you at the designated meeting point:
Note: All tours are fully booked. Please stick with your selected group and time slot.
Network meetings will take place on Monday, May 12, 2025, between 9 am-6 pm. The network chairperson or the meeting convener is responsible for the meeting's communication and inviting participants. Deadline for submitting a network meeting proposal was on 17th of January and we are not accepting any late submissions.
The actual Spring Forum program begins on Monday evening with a reception hosted by the City of Helsinki from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM.
All networking meetings will be held at the main building of the University of Helsinki, located at Aleksanterinkatu 5. Rooms starting with 'F' are located in the new part of the main building, while rooms starting with 'U' are located in the old part of the main building.
Network Meetings: open for all
The following networking meetings are open to everyone – welcome:
Klo 12.30-14.00 Luve-verkoston verkostotapaaminen (Studium 1 (F3020))
Klo 13.00-14.00 Integration Support Services in HEIs / Asettautumisen tuen parissa työskentelevät korkeakouluissa (U4072)
Klo 13.00-16.00 FIN Mobility-Online Users (U4080)
Klo 14.00-16.00 TraiNet-tapaaminen: missä mennään kv.harjoittelussa? (U3039)
Klo 14.30-17.00 Kansainväliset yhteis- ja kaksoistutkinto-ohjelmat ja European University Alliances – yhteistutkinnot (F3005)
Klo 15.00-16.30 Erasmus+ KA2- ja KA3 -hankehakemusten hakuvaiheen tuki korkeakouluissa (U3031)
Klo 16.00-18.00 Yliopistojen kv-hapa (U3039)
Network Meetings: by invitation only
The following network meeting participation is by invitation only:
Klo 10.00-12.00 Erasmus+ liikkuvuuden kehittämisryhmä (U4080)
Klo 10.00-16.00 FUNIntl (U2071)
Klo 11.00-12.30 Study in Finland meeting (Studium 1 (F3020))
Klo 13.00-14.30 Yliopistojen Afrikka-toimijat (aiemmat Afrikka-globaaliverkostot sekä muut kansalliset Afrikka-toimijat) (U3031)
Klo 14.00-15.30 north2north-yhteyshenkilöiden tapaaminen (U4062)
Klo 14.00-16.00 HERENET (Studium 1 (F3020))
Klo 14.00-16.00 OHA-forumin kv-ryhmä (U3029)
Klo 14.00-16.00 Talent boost Task Force (U4072)
Klo 14.00-17.00 FARMi - Finnish Universities’ Recruitment and Marketing (U4075)
Klo 16.00-18.00 SIMHE-ohjaajaverkoston tapaaminen (U4072)
Klo 16.00-18.00 Pinnet-verkoston tapaaminen (Studium 1 (F3020))
The City of Helsinki requests the pleasure of your company at a reception on Monday 12 May 2025 from 19.00 to 20.30 on the occasion of the Spring Forum for Higher Education International Affairs. There is a separate pre-registration for the reception. Please present the QR code of the ticket at the entrance. You will find link to the ticket from the confirmation sent by City of Helsinki.
Venue: Helsinki City Hall, Banquet Hall, Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13.
The registration and information desk is open as follows:
Tuesday, May 13th: 8:15 AM – 4:30 PM
Venue: Foyer 1 & 2, 2nd floor
Venue: The University of Helsinki Great Hall, Aleksanterinkatu 5
Opening words: Sari Lindblom, Rector of the University of Helsinki UH
Greetings from the Finnish National Agency for Education: Minna Kelhä, Director General, EDUFI
Keynote: Henrik C. Wegener, Rector of the University of Copenhagen 2017-2025
Video Greeting: Student Voices
Music Performance: Flok
The opening ceremony will be moderated by Anna-Maria Salmi, University of Helsinki.
All sessions will be held at the main building of the University of Helsinki, located at Aleksanterinkatu 5. Rooms starting with 'F' are located in the new part of the main building, while rooms starting with 'U' are located in the old part of the main building.
1A: Use more humor, be more human: some unusual tricks to remain sane in the International Office (90 min)
Venue: F3017 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Workshop by Britta Piel, Head of Unit, Center for International Cooperation, Freie Universität Berlin
1B: Bringing together sustainability and ethical perspectives in responsible Internationalisation (90 min)
Venue: Studium 1 (F3020) (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Tino Johansson, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki
Kaisa Kurki, UniPID - Finnish University Partnership for International Development Coordination Unit
Anahita Rashidfarokhi, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Helsinki
1C: Making Erasmus+ more sustainable with Green Travel (90 min)
Venue: U4072 (the old side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Stefan Baumeister, Jyväskylän yliopisto
Ágnes Stojcsics, Jyväskylän yliopisto
1D: Going Global the Sustainable Way: Real-Life Examples of Responsible Internationalisation (60 min)
Venue: F3010 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Anne-Mari Karppinen , Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences
Laura Sjöblom, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences
1F: Aligning Ambitions: Digital Transformation Across Alliances and Institutions (60 min)
Venue: Tekla Hultin (F3003) (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Antti Turpeinen, Helsingin yliopisto
Patrik Maltusch, Aalto yliopisto
Sami Hautakangas, Tampereen yliopisto
1G: Miten eurooppalaisen korkeakouluyhteistyön toimintaedellytyksiä kehitetään? Kuulumisia työryhmätyöskentelystä (60 min)
Venue: Small Hall (F4050) (the new side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Maija Airas, OPH
Anni Kallio, OPH
Kaisu Piiroinen, OKM
Sirpa Moitus, Karvi
1H: Miten suomalaiset korkeakoulut voivat osallistua Global Gateway - opettajuusaloitteeseen? (60 min)
Venue: U4075 (the old side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Anne Hämäläinen, Opetushallitus
Iina Soiri, Opetushallitus
Annina Rintakumpu, Opetushallitus
Hanna Laitinen, JAMK
1I: Kv-hakemusmaksun vaikutukset ja tuottojen ohjaaminen hakijakokemuksen parantamiseen (90 min)
Venue: F3005 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Johanna Kärki, Turun yliopisto
Henna Närhi, OKM
Mikko Eronen, OPH
Joanna Kumpula, Tampereen yliopisto
AMK-sektorin puheenvuoro
1J: Achieveable higher education studies and seamless services - Examples of the advancements and impact of the Talent Boost programme (90 min)
Venue: Karolina Eskelin (U3032) (the old side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Rebekka Nylund, Helsingin yliopisto
Hanna Saarela, Oulun yliopisto
Oksana Kuikka, Helsingin yliopisto
Mirkka Henttonen, Helsingin kaupunki
Agora (1st floor), Fuksi (1st floor) and Foyer Rectoria (2nd floor)
All sessions will be held at the main building of the University of Helsinki, located at Aleksanterinkatu 5. Rooms starting with 'F' are located in the new part of the main building, while rooms starting with 'U' are located in the old part of the main building.
2A: Data, Transparency, Diversity, Authenticity, GDPR, Trust, What Not – What do we really talk about when we talk about ethical student marketing and recruitment? (90 min)
Venue: Small Hall (F4050) (the new side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Sanna Heikkinen, Oulun yliopisto
Anna Kuikka, University of Eastern Finland
Sari-Anne Hämäläinen, Lapland University of Applied Sciences
Miia Vanhainen, LUT University
Suvi-Anni Huhtinen, University of Turku
Sarianne Vihakara, HAMK University of Applied Sciences
2B: Best practices of Erasmus+ international credit mobility: partner universities’ viewpoint (60 min)
Venue: Tekla Hultin (F3003) (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Raisa Asikainen, University of Helsinki
Anastasiia Pozhar, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
Margaret Maliszewska, Queen's University
Werner De Wit, Stellenbosch University
2C: Miltä näyttää korkeakouluopiskelijoiden kv-liikkuvuus vuonna 2035? (90 min)
Venue: Studium 1 (F3020) (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Katri Salmi, Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu
Sofia Lähdeniemi, Metropolia-ammattikorkeakoulu
Riikka Lindholm, Laurea-ammattikorkeakoulu
Maarit Haukka, Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu
Mari Pohjola, OPH
2D: Kansainvälisen yhteentoimivuuden tiekartta ja yhteiset toimintaperiaatesuositukset (90 min)
Venue: F3010 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Airi Hirvonen, Haaga-Helia AMK
Heta Koski, Jyväskylän yliopisto
Jukka Kohtanen, CSC - Tieteen tietotekniikan keskus oy
2E: Global outreach of the European University Initiative: partnerships with Africa (90 min)
Venue: U4072 (the old side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Annika Sundbäck, EDUFI
Melissa Plath, University of Helsinki
Pia Le Grand, Åbo Akademi University
2F: How to make European University alliances online course offering sustainable? Conditions for Flexibility and Uniformity (90 min)
Venue: F3017 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Melina Nummi, Aalto-yliopisto
Niina Huovinen, Metropolia
Mirjam Gamrasni, Haaga-Helia
Eeva Pennanen, Oulun yliopisto
Juhani Moisio, Jyväskylän yliopisto
2G: Strategic Cooperation in Integration Services for International Degree Students in Smaller Finnish Cities (90 min)
Venue: F3005 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Andres Mendez, Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK)
Szilvia Simon-Nagy, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK)
Andres Mendez, Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences (SeAMK)
Sofia Behluli, Centria University of Applied Sciences
2H: Kielituettu harjoittelumalli ja toiminnallisesti kaksikielinen korkeakoulutus - uusia ratkaisuja työvoimapulaan (90 min)
Venue: Karolina Eskelin (U3032) (the old side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Hanna Repo Jamal, Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
Hanna Lenkola, Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
Pia Kukkonen, Helsingin ja Uudenmaan sairaanhoitopiiri (HUS)
Anna Sievers, Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2I: Finnish Higher Education in China: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (60 min)
Venue: U4075 (the old side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Hanna Isoranta, Finnish National Agency for Education
Lukia Yang, Finnish National Agency for Education
Agora (1st floor), Fuksi (1st floor) and Foyer Rectoria (2nd floor)
All sessions will be held at the main building of the University of Helsinki, located at Aleksanterinkatu 5. Rooms starting with 'F' are located in the new part of the main building, while rooms starting with 'U' are located in the old part of the main building.
3A: Tulevaisuuden vihreämmät vaihdot
Venue: F3010 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Emmi Kemppainen, LUT-yliopisto/LAB-ammattikorkeakoulu
Tiina Savuaho, LUT-yliopisto/LAB-ammattikorkeakoulu
Marjut Summanen, LUT-yliopisto/LAB-ammattikorkeakoulu
Jani Kohonen, LUT-yliopisto/LAB-ammattikorkeakoulu
3B: Vaihto-opiskelijoiden saavutettavuuskäytännöt korkeakouluissa – mitä on tehty ja mitä voimme oppia toisiltamme?
Venue: U4075 (the old side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Tarja Virta, Turun yliopisto
Heli Rahko, Turun yliopisto
Jenni Mäkelä, Helsingin yliopisto
Leena Mattila, Jyväskylän yliopisto
3C: Beyond Mobility: The Added Value of European Alliances for Higher Education Students
Venue: Karolina Eskelin (U3032) (the old side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Stinne Vognæs, Una Europa / University of Helsinki
Milla Koivulahti, RUN-EU / HAMK
3D: Eurooppalaisen digitaalisen identiteetin lompakon mahdollisuudet koulutussektorilla
Venue: U4072 (the old side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Kristiina Laipio, Opetushallitus
Tuire Vuolasvirta, Digi- ja väestötietovirasto
Anu Kosloff, Digi- ja väestötietovirasto
3E: Miten vaikutamme laadunhallintaan alliansseissa – suomalaisten korkeakoulujen viestit kansalliseen ja eurooppalaiseen keskusteluun
Venue: F3005 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Rebekka Nylund, Helsingin yliopisto
Sirpa Moitus, Kansallinen koulutuksen arviointikeskus Karvi
Päivi Aronen, Helsingin yliopisto
3F: Collaboration in times of uncertainty: the future of Finnish-U.S. university relations
Venue: Studium 1 (F3020) (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Mari Olafson Lundemo, University of Helsinki
Petri Koikkalainen, Finnish Embassy Washington DC
Charlotta Collén, Hanken
Katja Stephenson, University of Oulu
Kirsi Kettula, Aalto University
3G: Impactful Institutional internationalisation – what’s in your toolbox?
Venue: Tekla Hultin (F3003) (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Maaria Manyando, University of Helsinki
Irinja Paakkanen, University of Turku
Anna-Maria Salmi, University of Helsinki
Ari-Pekka Kainu, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, SAMK
3H: Eri roolit ja vastuut työelämään mukaan tulemisessa ja pääsemisessä – yksilön, työnantajan, yhteisöjen ja instituutioiden näkökulmat
Venue: F3017 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Anne Kuparinen, Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu
Maiju Kinossalo, Seinäjoen ammattikorkeakoulu
Tiina Leino, Satakunnan ammattikorkeakoulu
3I: Tuition fees are changing: How do we continue to recruit quality students?
Venue: Small Hall (F4050) (the new side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Joanna Kumpula, Tampere University
Valtteri Laitala, University of Helsinki
Marco Ricciarelli, Flywire
17:45 The doors of the Old Student House (Mannerheimintie 3) open. Please bring your event pass.
18:30 Welcome remarks
18:45 Buffet dinner
19:45 Bingo game
20:15 Dessert and coffee
20:45 Music and dancing with Leoparty band
22:00 The event concludes (organisers can provide suggestions for further venues if you wish to continue the evening with colleagues elsewhere)
The registration and information desk is open as follows:
Wednesday, May 14th: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
All sessions will be held at the main building of the University of Helsinki, located at Aleksanterinkatu 5. Rooms starting with 'F' are located in the new part of the main building, while rooms starting with 'U' are located in the old part of the main building.
4A: Virtual teaching and learning – pedagogy and strategies for participatory and inclusive practices in North-South collaboration
Venue: U4075 (the old side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Kaisa Kurki, UniPID – Finnish University Partnership for International Development/University of Helsinki
Laura Riuttanen, Climate University, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki
Stinne Vognæs, Una Europa, University of Helsinki
4B: Dream Collaboration: What Do We Need for Building Innovative Partnerships between Finnish and African Higher Education Institutions
Venue: F3010 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Maaria Manyando, University of Helsinki
Veera Virmasalo, Embassy of Finland, Pretoria
4C: From Weak Signals to fully grown Mega Trends: How is the Operating Environment Evolving for Strategic Global Collaboration?
Venue: Karolina Eskelin (U3032) (the old side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Kirsi Kettula, Aalto University
Jerome Rickmann, Aalto University
H.E. Mr. Mohammed Al-Jabir, Embassy of Qatar, Helsinki
H.E. Mr. Takashi Okada, Embassy of Japan, Helsinki
Bob Smith, George Washington University
Mari-Anna Suurmunne, LAB University of Applied Sciences
4D: Yliopistojen opintohallinnon käytänteet kv-yhteistyötutkinto-ohjelmissa
Venue: Tekla Hultin (F3003) (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Mari Ikonen, Jyväskylän yliopisto
Heta Koski, Jyväskylän yliopisto
Eija Kujanpää, Aalto-yliopisto
Esko Koponen, Helsingin yliopisto
4E: Mission Impossible? Defining and measuring impact of European University Alliances
Venue: Studium 1 (F3020) (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Melissa Plath, University of Helsinki
This session is planned without speakers, but rather as an opportunity for in-depth discussion between participants, facilitated by the moderator.
4F: Connecting research and practice. Conceptualizing support and services design for international degree students in Finnish universities.
Venue: F3017 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Elizaveta Arzamastseva, University of Jyväskylä
Anduena Ballo University of Jyväskylä
Elisa Pratesi University of Jyväskylä
4G: Mielikuva vs todellisuus: miten vastaamme kv-hakijoiden odotuksiin?
Venue: Small Hall (F4050) (the new side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Erja Widgrén-Sallinen, Itä-Suomen yliopisto
Anna Jetsu, Itä-Suomen yliopisto
Outi Väyrynen, Itä-Suomen yliopisto
4H: Eettinen rekrytointi Suomeen – osaamisen tunnistaminen ja tunnustaminen korkeakoulujen palveluna
Venue: F3005 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Liisa Toivonen, TFK Intia
Mika Tirronen, TFK Kaakkois-Aasia
Marja Remes, Metropolia
Ville Luoma, Helsingin yliopisto
Kaisu Piiroinen, OKM
Agora (1st floor), Fuksi (1st floor) and Foyer Rectoria (2nd floor)
All sessions will be held at the main building of the University of Helsinki, located at Aleksanterinkatu 5. Rooms starting with 'F' are located in the new part of the main building, while rooms starting with 'U' are located in the old part of the main building.
5A: European Science Diplomacy Agenda and Concrete Steps, CASE Austria and Team Finland Knowledge Network (60 min)
Venue: U4072 (the old side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Tiina Vihma-Purovaara, Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Finland
Martina Hartl, Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
Veera Virmasalo, Embassy of Finland, Pretoria
Birgitta Vuorinen, Embassy of Finland, London
5B: Supporting Higher Education in Ukraine - addressing future needs (90 min)
Venue: F3010 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Maija Airas, Opetushallitus
Irinja Paakkanen, Turun yliopisto
Larysa Chovnyuk, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Outi Tomperi, Opetushallitus
5C: Vastuullisuuden vaateet kansainvälisessä opiskelijarekrytoinnissa - missä ollaan nyt? (90 min)
Venue: F3005 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Francesca Cucinotta, Centria
Ahmed Hamad, LAB
Sarianne Vihakara, HAMK
Harri Lähdekorpi, OPH
5D: Miten teillä valitaan vaihtoon? Keskustelua erilaisista painotuksista opiskelijavaihtoon valittaessa (90 min)
Venue: Tekla Hultin (F3003) (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Auli Pitkänen, Jyväskylän yliopisto
Laura Laamanen, Jyväskylän yliopisto
Heidi Säävuori, Helsingin yliopisto
Emilia Hattula, Hanken Svenska handelshögskolan
5E: Experiences and challenges of the joint bachelor programmes of the university alliances (60 min)
Venue: U3039 (the old side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Outi Väyrynen, Itä-Suomen yliopisto
Laura Karilainen, Helsingin yliopisto
Stinne Vognaes, Helsingin yliopisto
Agnieszka Kuszaj
Students of the Una Europan Bachelor of European Studies
5F: Walk a Mile as an International Student: Creating Welcoming Spaces by Understanding International Student Experiences (90 min)
Venue: F3017 (the new side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
Paige Livingston, University of Helsinki
Rika Yamada, University of Helsinki
Cari Monroe, University of Helsinki
Sanchi Mehra, University of Helsinki
5G: Rohkeasti eteenpäin – Uusilla rooleilla ja yhteistyöllä sujuvampaa ohjausta sekä pitovoimaa kansainvälisille korkeakouluopiskelijoille (90 min)
Venue: Small Hall (F4050) (the new side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Terhi Kipinä, Tampereen yliopisto
Victoria Laaksonen, Tampereen kaupunki
Laura Sairanen, Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu
Taru Väisänen, Karelia-ammattikorkeakoulu
Aino Korhonen, Karelia-ammattikorkeakoulu
Mia Sevonius-Male, Karelia-ammattikorkeakoulu
5H: Towards flexible multilingualism! (60 min)
Venue: U4075 (the old side of the Main Building, 4th floor)
Miia Ijäs-Idrobo, The Union of Research Professionals
Melissa Plath, University of Helsinki
Derek Ruez, Tampere University
5I: Kansainvälistymisen osallisuutta edistämässä (90 min)
Venue: Karolina Eskelin (U3032) (the old side of the Main Building, 3rd floor)
AnneSophie, Hokkanen Opetushallitus
Sami Niemelä, Opetushallitus
Hanna Liisa Hakala, Aalto-yliopisto
Tiina Piipponen, Metropolia
Leena Mattila, Jyväskylän yliopisto
Agora (1st floor), Fuksi (1st floor) and Foyer Rectoria (2nd floor)
Venue: The University of Helsinki Great Hall, Aleksanterinkatu 5
The closing ceremony on Wednesday will be held in Finnish, but we have arranged simultaneous translation via headphones from Finnish to English during the ceremony.
Keynote: Korkeakoulutuksen ja tutkimuksen visio 2040 – vastuullinen kansainvälisyys (in Finnish)
Sirkku Linna, Director General, Ministry of Education and Culture
Panel discussion: Usko, toivo, kansainvälisyys: miten rakennamme tulevaisuutta yhdessä? (in Finnish)
Announcing the Spring Forum 2026
Closing remarks: Hanna Snellman, Vice Rector of the University of Helsinki UH (in Finnish)
Music Performance: Lyran
The closing ceremony will be moderated by Heidi Säävuori, University of Helsinki.
Foyer 1&2 (2nd floor), Agora