The most up-to-date information on the coronavirus situation at the University of Helsinki is updated here: Coronavirus situation at the University of Helsinki.
Updated 14 May 2020.
Additional information only meant specifically for students, personnel and visitors of the Faculty of Science is updated in this news.
New advice for returning from situation from June 1 2020 onwards at the Faculty of Science
Starting in June (1.6), the university will move on to stage 2 in covid recovery. At this stage, previous restrictions will be eased to the extent that almost all research activities can be restarted, while still making a strong effort to minimize physical contact with staff and thus minimize the possibility of the disease spreading at the university. Such a step by step cautious recovery is in line with the state government’s line. It also has the support of a clear majority of faculty staff based on an anonymous survey conducted during the Dean’s Question hour.
The goal is that during stage 2, there will be no more than about 20% of the staff on site at the same time.
Also read the University's recommendations for safety and hygiene in lab work.
Experimental and computational research activities
- Permission is required to start laboratory and field work (if the work hasn’t been started already at stage 1).
- Computational activities at the University premises (work that requires a high-speed university network for efficient use of supercomputers or the transfer of large amounts of data; use of special workstations eg for heavy graphical analysis etc.) requires permission.
- The decisions are made at Faculty’s Covid-situation group.
- Application form will be submitted to Tiina Väisänen and Ulla Lahtinen
- If necessary, the online Excel-calendar monitoring can be continued. It’s also possible to agree about departmental procedure to ensure that there are not too many people in the same room at the same time.
- In all activities it must be ensured that there are not too many people present at the same time.
- Maximum 1 person in a small room and 2 people in a large room at the same time.
- Persons should alway stay at least two meters apart from each other.
- When the experimental work in a laboratory is finished, people should leave the university premises and if needed, continue working remotely.
- Working ill is strictly forbidden and researchers are asked to consider minimizing contacts related to business travel.
- University hygiene guidelines must be followed. Also other instructions of the university and the faculty are followed.
- With regard to Covid work, special attention must be paid to occupational safety and health.
- If an employee is at risk group and it’s possible to work remotely, it’s recommended. If remote work is not possible to organize, also an employee at risk group should return to work place as the other co-employees.
Teaching updates
In June-July there are no contact lessons or exams.
Laboratory and field courses can be initiated with very precise procedures to minimize the risk of infection. A detailed example of lab hygiene recommendations from the department of chemistry is available in Finnish. The teaching program prepares applications for laboratory and field courses for the Faculty covid situation center.
Other work
As a general principle, remote work is continued whenever possible until at least the end of July.
As most staff still work remotely, it is recommended that all meetings continue to be held remotely.
As now, activities, that needs only a short visit to university premises, are allowed. Such actions include, for example, signatures, retrieving and retrieving goods and literature, conducting remote lectures, retrieving and retrieving field equipment, watering flowers, restarting a stuck computer, etc.
At the discretion of the group leader, final job interviews, familiarization with new employees' workspaces, and very important financial negotiations can be done at university premises if desired, and if there are no high-risk members among the participants (a large room can be reserved where everybody can be 2 meters apart).
Still to be done remotely: For example, editing publications, routine data processing, paperwork, preparing presentations, making applications, attending remote meetings.
In the same room, the number of employees is limited to one person in a small room, in larger rooms such that a safety distance of 2 meters can be observed whenever sitting at a work station. If necessary or by decision of the department head, a booking calendar can be used.
The research group should use a booking calendar or agree on alternative way to make sure that it’s possible to keep safety distance of 2 meters.
When moving around the university premises, close encounters must be avoided. If necessary, person must wait on the other side of corridor or move to the side corridor so that other persons can pass without unnecessarily coming to a distance of less than 2 m.
TEACHING, GENERAL ADVICES
Exams
See a separate page on Exam arrangements in Kumpula under the corona situation
Instructions for teachers
- Link: UH-wide instructions on the effect of coronavirus on teaching
- Offer your courses and exams as distance learning. Link: How can I modify an existing course or exam into distance teaching?
- Follow the guidelines for giving exams, link: Exam arrangements in Kumpula under the corona situation
- Coordinate rearrangements of your teaching and exams with the director and the education coordinator of the degree program.
- Communicate all changes to students on course web-pages (courses.helsinki.fi). Inform also the director of the respective degree program and its education coordinator of all changes.
Instructions for students
- Link: UH-wide instructions on the effect of coronavirus on studies
- Follow information regarding your courses (courses.helsinki.fi) for updates and alternatives.
- For information on exams and alternatives, see link: Exam arrangements in Kumpula under the corona situation
- If you have any exceptional needs, contact the teacher of the course or the director of your programme.
- Student counselling and guidance by OPA education coordinators and student advisors is given by phone and email.
Instructions for new students applying in spring 2020
- (Link: Student admission under the corona situation, in Finnish and Swedish only, for applicants to Finnish/Swedish-language BSc programmes)
Instructions for new students starting in fall 2020
Instructions for degree programmes
- Exceptions to remote studies, e.g. for lab work when crucial for the graduation of a student, are applied for from the vice-dean for teaching.
- From 1 June on, critical field and lab courses can be organised, with the permission of Kumpula response center
- Planning for autumn 2020
- large teaching sessions may not organized (>50 persons)
- it is a good idea to also prepare for remote teaching, in case the epidemic requires that
Degree programme specific information
(For more information, contact programme directors or vice-directors)
BSc programme in Physical Sciences,
MSc programme in Particle Physics and Astrophysical Sciences,
MSc programme in Atmospheric Sciences,
MSc programme in Materials Research,
MSc programme in Theoretical and Computational Methods:
General exams in April, May and June have been cancelled. If you want to take an exam before August 2020, please contact the responsible teacher by email as soon as possible, but on 15.5.2020 at the latest.
- Link: Joint instructions of five degree programmes (wikipage)
BSc programme in Geography,
MSc programme in Geography:
- Link: Geography programmes instructions for spring 2020 (wiki page)
MSc programme in Urban Studies and Planning:
- Link: USP instructions during coronavirus situation (wiki page)
BSc programme in Geosciences,
MSc Programme in Geology and Geophysics:
BSc programme in Mathematical Sciences,
MSc programme in Mathematics and Statistics,
BSc and MSc programmes for Teachers of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry,
MSc programme in Life Science Informatics:
BSc programme in Chemistry,
MSc programme in Chemistry and Molecular Sciences:
MSc programme in Computer Science:
- Courses and thesis supervision are organized using remote connections. Deputy teachers have been nominated.
- Students are requested to follow the course-specific instructions for alternative options for separate exams (check the latest course page instance), or to contact the lecturer in urgent cases.
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If you encounter problems that are not sorted out with contacting lecturer or thesis supervisor, you can reach the programme director and other key persons by sending email to grp-csm-management@helsinki.fi.
MSc programme in Data Science:
This programme does not have programme-specific advice. If you have questions, please contact programme director or education coordinator.
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The most up-to-date information on the coronavirus situation at the University of Helsinki is updated here: Coronavirus situation at the University of Helsinki.
Only additional information meant specifically for students, personnel and visitors of the Faculty of Science is updated in this news. The responsibility for the contents of this page are held by the Kumpula campus situation center group, which has the members:
Dean Kai Nordlund
Vice deans Marja-Liisa Riekkola, Hannu Toivonen, Samuli Siltanen
Head of development Tiina Väisänen
HR-head Hanna Nurmela
Head of academic affairs Anne Palo-Kauppi
Head of communications Johanna Pellinen
Head of finances Niko Ossberg