The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland
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The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland
05.09.2024
Mirka Nieminen, the Chair of the Executive Board of the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY), represented the Student Union at the Opening Ceremony of the Academic Year 2024-2025 at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) in Kuopio on Thursday, 5 September 2024.
In the speech, Nieminen emphasised the importance of everyday community spirit within the university community and the responsibility of each individual in promoting it:
"Years spent studying are shaped by the people and experiences around us, whether they are created in lectures, university canteen or at parties. Each of us has an opportunity to make these years our own and try new things - or stick to the old - whichever you want. Each of us has the opportunity to influence the space around ourselves, because we are all part of this university community. Whether you say hello in the hallway or ask a fellow student to sit at the same lunch table, you can use small actions to show you care and make this community a better place for every one of us. The importance of small actions should not be underestimated."
"It is important to remember that our community is a versatile community, made up of variety of people in many ways: people who have families, people who are a part of a minority, people who work while studying, and a million other ways our members are different from each other. Regardless of any of these factors, we are all student or faculty members of the University of Eastern Finland and we are united by the same thing: curiosity and a thirst for knowledge", states Nieminen.
Below, you can read the full speech.
Dear principals, guests, students and the entire university community.
The leaves are slowly starting to turn yellow and it’s time to welcome autumn. Autumn is full of emotions: excitement, longing for a summer that went by too fast and hopefully also excitement about returning to studies. However you feel about autumn, you are not alone. Thousands of other members in our university community might feel the same way. Autumns are also known to be a time for new beginnings: full of possibilities and promises. This academic year I will use more Sykettä services to exercise more, study more or eat healthier. What if this fall we made a promise to be kinder to ourselves and not demand the impossible? It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise more or eat healthier but remember to take time for rest and yourself as well. It’s easier to support a friend in a difficult situation, but kindness is often forgotten when looking at our own reflection.
The situation for students is not easy at the moment: many have to work alongside their studies in order to support themselves, as students’ living standards fall as a result of continuous cuts in subsidies. The mental health crisis has been a hot topic for many years, while the solution is still as far away and Finnish Student Health Services resources are still as bad, if not worse, than before. Students should manage below the poverty line and combine studies, work, hobbies, exercise, organizations and other things that support well-being. Challenging, isn’t it? Drastic measures are needed now to improve the situation.
Years spent studying are shaped by the people and experiences around us, whether they are created in lectures, university canteen or at parties. Each of us has an opportunity to make these years our own and try new things - or stick to the old - whichever you want. Each of us has the opportunity to influence the space around ourselves, because we are all part of this university community. Whether you say hello in the hallway or ask a fellow student to sit at the same lunch table, you can use small actions to show you care and make this community a better place for every one of us. The importance of small actions should not be underestimated.
The community in the university of Eastern Finland is fairly evenly divided between two campuses, which makes our community exceptional compared to many other universities. As someone who knows both cities we have campuses in, it has been a pleasure to notice that our university community has grown more united over the years, and at the same time both campuses have managed to preserve their own traditions and personalities within university. The background of this may be the differences in the emphasis on study fields on different campuses, or the differences between North Karelia and Northern Savo. Hard to know for sure, but both campus cities are known traditionally for Eastern Finnish openness and friendliness, which we can all cherish in our way of living and communicating with others.
It is important to remember that our community is a versatile community, made up of variety of people in many ways: people who have families, people who are a part of a minority, people who work while studying, and million other ways our members are different from each other. Regardless of any of these factors, we are all student or faculty members of the University of Eastern Finland and we are united by the same thing: curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. After all, we have applied to university to learn new things and expand our expertise in a certain field. Students come to university studies from many different routes and from many different backgrounds. I hope that every member of the university community, from students to lecturers and from professors to principals, maintains curiosity and a thirst for knowledge, because they are the basis for all academic activities.
Lopuksi haluan toivottaa omalta osaltani, sekä koko Itä-Suomen yliopiston ylioppilaskunnan puolesta jokaisen uuden, sekä palaavan opiskelijan tervetulleeksi aloittamaan uutta lukuvuotta. Tehdään tästä lukuvuodesta meidän näköisemme.
Finally, I would like to welcome every new and returning student on behalf of myself and the entire student union of the University of Eastern Finland to start the new academic year. Let's make this year our own.