“University of Helsinki is definetly a good choice!” raves one student, and countless other international exchange and degree students who have studied at the University of Helsinki seem to think so, too.
The University scored nearly full marks in a survey conducted by the Student Experience Exchange exploring the willingness of international exchange and degree students to recommend their host university to others. Just under 17,000 international students responded to the survey.
The importance of the city and culture
On the Student Experience Exchange website, international students praise the University of Helsinki for its high-quality teaching and services.
“The university organization is one of the best I have seen during my studies. University services are really good. The people are nice and polite. The city is georgeus and offers a lot of cultural events,” summarises one student.
According to the Student Experience Exchange’s survey, the willingness of international students to recommend a university depends primarily on the city and culture in which it is located, the reputation of the university, the quality of the teachers and the social activities available.
Students praise universities which offer high-quality teaching and have teachers with good language skills. An international affairs office that can provide students with advice and support is also important.
The academic world becomes more diverse
Anna Mauranen, the University of Helsinki’s vice-rector in charge of international affairs, stresses that the University must help international students find new and interesting things for themselves and their future.
“We must support students’ integration into student life in Helsinki and their experiences of the city and the events it offers. This will help them enjoy themselves and get to know not only each other, but also their Finnish peers,” Mauranen points out.
International student mobility is important to the University. Mauranen notes that international students bring the desired diversity to the University community.
“International students add diversity and broaden the experiences of Finnish students. At best, they can later be recruited as doctoral students and researchers. They play an important role in enhancing the University’s reputation throughout the world,” Mauranen says.
The survey was conducted by the Student Experience Exchange platform created for students to exchange their experiences of studying abroad.